Best Soap Opera Opening

[Faulkner]

 

I stumbled on the full theme just now. Really gorgeous.

 

 

[Paul Raven]

Soaps we've never seen the openings for:

The Best of Everything

Lovers and Friends

How To Survive a Marriage

Return to Peyton Place

Hidden Faces

The Nurses

and many more stretching back to the 60's and 50's.

[mikelyons]

Thank you! That’s going on the iPhone tonight! 😀

[Faulkner]

I didn’t realize it was also on streaming services like Spotify, if you have them. I also didn’t realize that the composer also did the themes for Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea.

[Gray Bunny]

 

Dang, no wonder it's beautiful. Always loved it. 

[beebs]

Fantastic! What a beautiful piece of music. Thanks for this!

[Cruising Soaps]

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Not the opening... but a Disco Version...

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

At random, I was listening to a radio station earlier today and the show's host decided to do a "name that theme song" game. Interestingly, he decided to throw in a couple of soap opera theme songs among other television shows to see whether anyone could identify them. 

Callers guessed the theme to Dallas almost immediately but I was somewhat surprised that no one could identify 1980s General Hospital by their theme song or the 1980s All My Children's theme song.  People got the Bonanza theme song right away.

[Manny]

I loved Y&R's porn opening. Even when everyone hated it, I found it to be sooo soapy and sexy and glamorous. haha I did start watching Y&R during the porn opening era, so I did not know any other Y&R opening. When Y&R rewarmped the opening to look like it does even today, I really liked it as well because it looked so classy and primetime-ish to me. More suited for that time. Porn opening was more like those campy primetime soaps of the 80s and 90s, while the new one was really like an upgrade.

 

I loved Sunset Beach openings, well actually I loved the music more than the visuals, but still all in all I liked it all. 

[j swift]

Based on the recent discussion of the One Life to Live theme song, I've been thinking about the lyrics of other soap themes.  Thanks to this article which contains all of the theme song lyrics https://www.welovesoaps.net/2011/08/soap-opera-theme-songs.html

 

As I mentioned in the OLTL thread, Peabo Bryson's lyrics lack logical cohesion.  Why should we should keep hope that "there's always tomorrow" if we "only have one life to live?"  Doesn't the idea of one life indicate that we should seize this day and not wait until tomorrow?  Also, where do "you go when it looks like the rain won't end" - Llandview?  Isn't Pennsylvania known for being rainy?  Why would you go there if the rain won't end?

 

The Edge of Night is my favorite theme because it made sense and fit the mood of the show.

Half dark, half light.
And do you think we might wake up some day?
And be aware of all the games people play.

It played off the idea that it was the last soap of the day and had a haunting melody

 

The British soap Eastenders lyrics benefit from being retconned into a pop song, but perfectly fit that show because it is about love and community while set in the fictional Albert Square.

Anyone can fall in love
Life's more than that, it's pulling together
Everyone can share the love
Where we come from friends never say never
side by side
satisfied
To stay right here in one square forever.

 

Passions used poor grammar that resulted in a mixed metaphor.

You keep me alive
You are the fire burning inside of me
You are my passion for life
I think what they meant was you are my passion, (note the comma) for life.  As in, you are my love forever.  Instead, it reads as if you are my reason for being, which seems antiquated, although it fits the Ethan/Theresa love story and may explain why I never liked that show.

 

Another World's theme contained lyrics about the worst kind of love. 

You are the one that lets me fly so high
You are the rain when my spirits run dry

So, I'm only of value because I lift you up and bring you water?  No thank you, sir.  In the words of Janet (Miss Jackson if you're nasty), what have you done for me lately?

 

Finally, Guiding Light's decent should have been predicted by whomever approved these lyrics:

Everybody wants truth
Everybody wants hope
Everybody clings to sex like soap on a rope

Edited June 26, 2020 by j swift

[juppiter]

 

I took it to mean "reason for being," because that's how JER wrote all love stories, not just Ethan/Theresa. Your soulmate is your soulmate, your reason for existing, and this is something that can never change.

Edited June 26, 2020 by juppiter

[All My Shadows]

"Young and restless friend, you’ll never pass this way again. So, drink the summer wine, and reach for the stars while you have time. Your restless dreams will lead the way, so dream your dreams, and live for each day while you are young."

 

^^^this is one of my favorites, and I may or may not have a nice laminated copy of this verse alongside the YR logo in my classroom.

[j swift]

Agreed.

 

I think this is another example of an instrumental whose lyrics fit due to being added later.  Even the title of the song itself is a retcon, it was renamed after Nadia Comaneci used it for her Olympic theme

Gone, bright shiny days
Gone in a young and restless haze

But, what's a restless haze?

Edited June 27, 2020 by j swift