The Simpsons' cult songs
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Two Emmys for best song, in 1997 and 1998: the yellow family is also a musical. This guide puts every number back in its place — "See My Vest", in which Mr. Burns sings the praises of fur, sends up "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, while "Dr. Zaius" borrows from "Rock Me Amadeus" — and sets the credits straight: Danny Elfman wrote only the main title theme, in 1989, while Alf Clausen composed nearly everything else up to 2017. Enough to stop crediting the theme to the wrong composer.
From the monorail musical number to Mr. Burns's puppy-fur tuxedo, Springfield has always been singing.
Behind those hilarious numbers hides genuine orchestral craft. Here is the guide to the show's most cult songs.
Contents
A show that sings
Since its beginnings, the yellow family's show has piled up original musical numbers, often built as affectionate parodies of great classics. A craft rewarded with two Emmy Awards for best song, two years running: "We Put the Spring in Springfield" (1997) and "You're Checkin' In" (1998).
🚿 "We Put the Spring in Springfield" won the Emmy for best song in 1997: at home, the shower is where you belt it out, behind our Simpsons shower curtains.
Danny Elfman and Alf Clausen
Two names dominate the music of The Simpsons. Danny Elfman wrote the famous main title theme in 1989 — and nothing else. All the rest, or nearly, belongs to Alf Clausen, the show's principal composer for twenty-seven years (1990-2017). Beware the widespread belief: Clausen did not compose the main theme, and some cult songs (such as the Monorail one) come from other pens still.
📱 If Danny Elfman's 1989 main title theme becomes your ringtone, the phone playing it in your pocket might as well wear one of our Simpsons iPhone cases.
The most cult songs
The repertoire is an anthology of parodies. "See My Vest", in which Mr. Burns extols his taste for fur, sends up "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast. The Monorail song parodies a classic from The Music Man. "Dr. Zaius" — from the musical "Stop the Planet of the Apes, I Want to Get Off!" performed by Troy McClure — reworks "Rock Me Amadeus". Not forgetting "Baby on Board", the hit by Homer's barbershop quartet, or the now mythical "Spider-Pig" from the movie. So many gems that have entered the pantheon of the show's cult moments.
🐾 In "See My Vest", Mr. Burns extols his taste for fur; your bedside rug can do without it, and our Simpsons rugs take care of your bare feet when you roll out of bed.
Summary table
| Song | Details |
|---|---|
| The main title theme | Composed by Danny Elfman (1989) |
| The principal composer | Alf Clausen (1990-2017) |
| "See My Vest" | Mr. Burns, a parody of "Be Our Guest" |
| "Dr. Zaius" | A Planet of the Apes musical, a parody of "Rock Me Amadeus" |
| Two Emmys | "We Put the Spring in Springfield" (1997) and "You're Checkin' In" (1998) |
FAQ
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Who composes the music for The Simpsons?Danny Elfman wrote the main title theme (1989); Alf Clausen was the principal composer from 1990 to 2017.
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Did Alf Clausen compose the main theme?No: the main title theme is Danny Elfman's. Clausen composed nearly everything else.
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What does "See My Vest" parody?"Be Our Guest", the song from Beauty and the Beast, sung here by Mr. Burns.
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Has the show won Emmys for its songs?Yes, two years running: "We Put the Spring in Springfield" (1997) and "You're Checkin' In" (1998).
Conclusion
Parodic, virtuosic and irresistibly funny, the Simpsons songs form a repertoire in their own right. Proof that an animated comedy can also be one of the best musicals on television.
🍩 The complete guides to Springfield
Our reference guides, to go further.