Blackadder theme tune smackdown

[Mobbd]

Howard Goodall's Blackadder theme has been stuck in my head lately. No idea why. Not seen the show in years.

As with any earworm, I flush it out by playing it.

This YouTube playlist has all the main themes. Delightful.

The best one (I think) is the opening theme for Blackadder II. The one with that Elizabethan woodwind disrupted by noisy electric guitar.

My secret favourite is the a-capella closing theme to III, (Aaa-da-a-dadda-a-dadda) but it's a mere variation compared to the above, which has optimal thingness.

The tum-te-tum can't-be-arsed-with-new-lyrics one for Christmas Carol is also very funny.

(Meanwhile, while the music is fine and all, the opening images for Back and Forth are shockingly, almost criminally unfunny. Even if you can't be arsed with the whole playlist, everyone should see it.)

So which is best? I thought about running this as a poll but I'm not so literally interested in your answers. I'm not that kind of pervert. Let's just talk about those themes, dammit.

[dead-ced-dead]

Probably the second one, but I do appreciate the military variant for Goes Forth. But I think that's more for the actions of the opening credits with the characters marching and Baldrick getting it wrong.

[lauraxsynthesis]

"a shame about the sheep..."

[Senior Baiano]

First one takes it for me Clive. Beware the deadly flashing blade/Unless you want to end up shorter

[Gulftastic]

'....make sure your banker's not a bender...'

Hmmm.

[Mobbd]

First one takes it for me Clive. Beware the deadly flashing blade/Unless you want to end up shorter

Yeah, that's quality. The best lyric of the lot.

The lyrics to the closing titles on II change each week of course. The episode with the naughty lyric mentioned above also has:

Blackadder! Blackadder! He trusted in the church,
Blackadder! Blackadder! It left him in the lurch.
Blackadder! Blackadder! His life was almost done,
Blackadder! Blackadder! Who gives a toss? No one!

Ep 5 is good too:

Blackadder couldn't hold his beer.
The art of boozing, he's not mastered.
And I, your merry balladeer,
am also well and truly plastered.
Blackadder! Blackadder! A bit like Robin Hood.
Blackadder! Blackadder! But, nothing like as good.
Blackad-hic! Blackadder! I thought that he had died!
Blackadder! Blackadder! Our writers must have lied!

[gilbertharding]

Always perplexed by the Paul Simon/Graceland bass guitar flourish at the end of whichever one it was. What was that all about?

[Autopsy Turvey]

I assume, as with the electric guitar in the II titles, they wanted to drop a 1980s flourish into the musical setting to reflect the anachronistic contrast of Edmund's late 20th century attitudes with the period he lives in, perhaps, or something.

II can't be beat for theme tunes, but The Third has the best opening title sequence, feasibly ever.

[neveragain]

The lyrics to the closing titles on II change each week of course.

Sorry to say I find the balladeer's singing intensely annoying, particularly when doing that pished voice. Sort of ruins a binge watch of II.

Always perplexed by the Paul Simon/Graceland bass guitar flourish at the end of whichever one it was. What was that all about?

According to Howard Goodall on an interview in the new DVD set, it was just because he liked the Graceland album at the time.

[jamiefairlie]

Always perplexed by the Paul Simon/Graceland bass guitar flourish at the end of whichever one it was. What was that all about?

I always imagined that Pino Paladino cunt playing it with his rubbery thumb on his prick headless bass like a right cock

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

(Meanwhile, while the music is fine and all, the opening images for Back and Forth are shockingly, almost criminally unfunny. Even if you can't be arsed with the whole playlist, everyone should see it.)

Oh what are you talking about, the first two are quite clever oh my god this devolves into utter witlessness so fast

[beanheadmcginty]

The Joan Hickson era Miss Marple theme is clearly the best version of the Blackadder theme.

[famethrowa]

Now I believe the end of Goes Forth has some nice echoey old-fashioned piano version. I say "I believe" because I'm certainly not going back to check, not today

[Mobbd]

Oh what are you talking about, the first two are quite clever oh my god this devolves into utter witlessness so fast

The Churchill one could have been acceptable if he was making the V sign squarely into Edmund's clueless face. But they ruined it. The Thatcher one is the worst. Or the one where he's a lady.

I hate the unspoken suggestion that the house in the establishing shot at the end is a normal/neutral turn-of-the-millennium house too, rather than a house of impossibly high value.

[Norton Canes]

I quite like the line "His pot is blacker than his kettle". So that one.

[Mobbd]

Lord Flashheart tweaked the Adder's beard.
From now he always shall be single.
To fall in love with boys is weird,
Especially boys without a dingle.

Strange thing is, Nursie doesn't say "dingle." She says "winkle."

Goodall: FIRED.

[Mobbd]

I've heard it said that the Red Dwarf theme is Blackadder backwards. It can't be though, can it? What bollocks is that?

[Mobbd]

People say the Red Dwarf theme is Blackadder backwards. It can't be though, can it? What bollocks is that?

Here's Goodall playing the RD theme backwards for real and it sounds nothing like Blackadder at all. DEBUNKED.

Impressive party piece tbf.

Or is that easy for anyone who can read music?

[Senior Baiano]

Strange thing is, Nursie doesn't say "dingle." She says "winkle."

Goodall: FIRED.

I bet there was some inscrutable reason why the bbc would allow winkle in the show itself, but wouldn't countenance it being sung over the credits, hence dingle as a compromise

[neveragain]

I hate the unspoken suggestion that the house in the establishing shot at the end is a normal/neutral turn-of-the-millennium house too, rather than a house of impossibly high value.

Is that suggested (even unspokenly)? The characters seem quite upper crust.

I've just checked the clip and it's even called Blackadder Hall.

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

The Churchill one could have been acceptable if he was making the V sign squarely into Edmund's clueless face. But they ruined it.

Or if he was very subtly giving him the finger.

The Thatcher one is the worst.

Yes! Again, subtlety! He should be in the background or making a smaller gesture while smirking at the camera.

[Kankurette]

The Elizabethan series had the best theme tunes.
Blackadder
Blackadder
He heard the New World's call
Blackadder
Blackadder
Discovered bugger all

[lauraxsynthesis]

Here's Goodall playing the RD theme backwards for real and it sounds nothing like Blackadder at all. DEBUNKED.

Impressive party piece tbf.

Or is that easy for anyone who can read music?

THESE are the deep dives I come to CaB for. Wonderful stuff.

[Lemming]

The Blackadder III ending theme is out of this world. Inexplicable how it fits so perfectly with the Georgian theme despite clearly invoking Paul Simon for some reason. And even features Alison Limerick of "Where Love Lives" fame on backing vocals!

I used to think it was actually Rowan Atkinson doing the "black ADDER, black ADDER" vocal bit. Devastated to find out it wasn't.

[Pimhole]

Now I believe the end of Goes Forth has some nice echoey old-fashioned piano version. I say "I believe" because I'm certainly not going back to check, not today

[slowly]
Blackadder, Blackadder, he's fallen in a field
Blackadder, Blackadder, his wounds cannot be healed

[neveragain]

Haha.

[Mobbd]

The Blackadder III ending theme is out of this world.

It's definitely my favourite too.

I think the opening to II might be objectively stronger in isolation, more iconic. III's closing is more a variation on a theme. But it's my favourite.

[beanheadmcginty]

Stick a Baldrick in my pocket,
I'll fetch the Melchett from the van

[Catalogue Trousers]

First one takes it for me Clive. Beware the deadly flashing blade/Unless you want to end up shorter

I always thought it was 'unless you want to end up slaughtered'. But you're right, it's the best theme of the lot.

[Panbaams]

I always rather liked the neat lyrical touch in the closing theme of the first series' final episode about how "the black steed grazes" – no longer galloping about like in every previous episode's theme, because, well, its rider's now dead.

I got very confused at school to hear the cadets apparently getting their marching practice to some sort of variation of the fourth series' opening theme.