Believe It or Not (song)
Encyclopedia
"Believe It or Not" is a song composed by Mike Post
(music) and Stephen Geyer
(lyrics) and sung by American singer Joey Scarbury
. It serves as the theme song for the television series The Greatest American Hero
. The track was later included on Scarbury's 1981 debut album America's Greatest Hero
.
. "Believe It or Not" debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100
on June 13, 1981, eventually peaking at #2 during the weeks ending August 15–22, 1981, kept off the top spot by "Endless Love
" by Diana Ross
and Lionel Richie
, and spending a total of 18 weeks in the Top 40. It also peaked at the #1 position on the Record World Chart.
, in the episode "The Susie
", George Costanza uses it as his answering machine message, with George's own lyrics sung over the music ("Believe it or not George isn't at home, please leave a message at the beep. I must be out or I'd pick up the phone; where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home!").
Fictional music group Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered the theme song for their 1982 album The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
.
On Family Guy
, in the episode "The Man with Two Brians
", Peter sings it while being pulled on roller blades on to a ramp while dressed as The Greatest American Hero. The song's title is parodied in the title of the episode "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air
".
On Mystery Science Theater 3000
, in the episode The Pumaman
, Crow T. Robot
sings the theme song with the words "Believe it or not, this movie's still on, it should have ended two hours ago."
On Heroes
, in the episode "Hysterical Blindness
", the song is performed by a children's choir in a hospital recreation room as Peter and Emma watch the sound of the music manifest into physical colors, which is part of Emma's "special ability".
On My Name Is Earl
, in the episode "Didn't Pay Taxes", Earl and Randy sing the theme song terribly while stuck in a water tower.
On Everybody Hates Chris
, in the episode "Everybody Hates the Lottery", during Chris' fantasy about winning the award of " The Biggest Ass-Whooping", the song is played as he walks up to win the award.
On Homestar Runner
Halloween
toon, "The House That Gave Sucky Treats", Homestar dresses as Ralph and sings a variation of the song, "Believe it or not I'm walking around. I never thought I could trick or tre-e-eat!" http://www.homestarrunner.com/halloween2001.html
On Gilmore Girls
, in the episode "Tippecanoe and Taylor, Too", the song is used as Jackson's campaign song for Town Selectman. Lane and Zach's rock band, Hep Alien, is horrified when they find out they have to play the song live at the rally, but Sookie insists that it is his favorite song. Worried about retaining their credibility the band perform a faster rock version of the song to which Sookie muses "it sounds different live".
In The 40-Year-Old Virgin
(2005), starring Steve Carell
, the song is used during a lighthearted montage.
In Fahrenheit 9/11
, Michael Moore
's 2004 documentary
, Moore used it to underscore the famous scene where President George W. Bush
landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln
and declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq
.
The Fringemunks
parodied the song in 2009 to recap Fringe
episode 1.10, "Safe."
Brad Jones, a popular Internet film reviewer, uses the song as the theme to his main series, The Cinema Snob.
Mike Post
Mike Post is an American multi-Grammy and Emmy Award winning composer best known for scoring some of the most popular TV theme songs in the United States, for primetime series such as Law & Order, NYPD Blue, The Rockford Files, LA Law, Quantum Leap, Magnum, P.I., Hill Street Blues, among numerous...
(music) and Stephen Geyer
Stephen Geyer
Stephen Geyer , a songwriter, moved to Los Angeles in 1972 after attending Towson State College , in Maryland, as an art major. Since coming to L.A., Stephen has made a name for himself as the writer of hit songs, popular TV themes, TV and film scripts, a non-fiction author, and studio and...
(lyrics) and sung by American singer Joey Scarbury
Joey Scarbury
Joey Scarbury is an adult contemporary singer best known for his hit song, "Theme from The Greatest American Hero ", in 1981.-Childhood and early music career:...
. It serves as the theme song for the television series The Greatest American Hero
The Greatest American Hero
The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981...
. The track was later included on Scarbury's 1981 debut album America's Greatest Hero
America's Greatest Hero
America's Greatest Hero is the first and only album by Joey Scarbury, released by Elektra Records in 1981 on vinyl LP and Cassette; and was reissued on CD by Collectables Records in 2005....
.
Description
The theme song became a popular hit during the run of The Greatest American HeroThe Greatest American Hero
The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981...
. "Believe It or Not" debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
on June 13, 1981, eventually peaking at #2 during the weeks ending August 15–22, 1981, kept off the top spot by "Endless Love
Endless Love (song)
"Endless Love" is a song written by Lionel Richie and originally recorded as a duet between Richie and fellow soul singer Diana Ross. In this ballad, the singers declare their "endless love" for one another. It was covered by soul singer Luther Vandross with R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by...
" by Diana Ross
Diana Ross
Diana Ernestine Earle Ross is an American singer, record producer, and actress. Ross was lead singer of the Motown group The Supremes during the 1960s. After leaving the group in 1970, Ross began a solo career that included successful ventures into film and Broadway...
and Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
, and spending a total of 18 weeks in the Top 40. It also peaked at the #1 position on the Record World Chart.
In popular culture
On SeinfeldSeinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
, in the episode "The Susie
The Susie
"The Susie" is the 149th episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the 8th season. It aired on February 13, 1997.-Plot:...
", George Costanza uses it as his answering machine message, with George's own lyrics sung over the music ("Believe it or not George isn't at home, please leave a message at the beep. I must be out or I'd pick up the phone; where could I be? Believe it or not, I'm not home!").
Fictional music group Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the theme song for their 1982 album The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
The Chipmunks Go Hollywood
The Chipmunks Go Hollywood is a 1982 album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by RCA Records.- Side one :#"Eye of the Tiger" #"Tomorrow"...
.
On Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, in the episode "The Man with Two Brians
The Man with Two Brians
"The Man with Two Brians" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of the animated series Family Guy. It premiered on Fox in the United States on November 9, 2008. The episode centers on anthropomorphic dog Brian after he is injured during a stunt being enacted by his owner, Peter, after he...
", Peter sings it while being pulled on roller blades on to a ramp while dressed as The Greatest American Hero. The song's title is parodied in the title of the episode "Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air
Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air
"Believe It or Not, Joe's Walking on Air" is a season six episode 3 of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. Bonnie tells Joe that she is tired of being married to a handicapped person so he decides to get a leg transplant. Excited about his new ability to walk, Joe dives head first into...
".
On Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
, in the episode The Pumaman
The Pumaman
The Pumaman was an Italian-produced English-language movie about a superhero of the same name, released in 1980. It was mocked in a 1998 episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.-Plot:The villainous Dr...
, Crow T. Robot
Crow T. Robot
Crow T. Robot is a fictional character from the American science fiction comedy television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Crow is a robot, who, along with others, quips and riffs upon poor-quality B movies.- Overview :...
sings the theme song with the words "Believe it or not, this movie's still on, it should have ended two hours ago."
On Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, in the episode "Hysterical Blindness
Hysterical Blindness (Heroes)
"Hysterical Blindness" is the fourth episode of the fourth season of the NBC science fiction drama series Heroes and sixty-third episode overall. The episode aired on October 12, 2009.-Plot:...
", the song is performed by a children's choir in a hospital recreation room as Peter and Emma watch the sound of the music manifest into physical colors, which is part of Emma's "special ability".
On My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
, in the episode "Didn't Pay Taxes", Earl and Randy sing the theme song terribly while stuck in a water tower.
On Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris
Everybody Hates Chris is an African American television period sitcom inspired by the teenage experiences of comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York . The show is set from 1982 to 1987; however, Rock himself was a teenager during years...
, in the episode "Everybody Hates the Lottery", during Chris' fantasy about winning the award of " The Biggest Ass-Whooping", the song is played as he walks up to win the award.
On Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
toon, "The House That Gave Sucky Treats", Homestar dresses as Ralph and sings a variation of the song, "Believe it or not I'm walking around. I never thought I could trick or tre-e-eat!" http://www.homestarrunner.com/halloween2001.html
On Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, in the episode "Tippecanoe and Taylor, Too", the song is used as Jackson's campaign song for Town Selectman. Lane and Zach's rock band, Hep Alien, is horrified when they find out they have to play the song live at the rally, but Sookie insists that it is his favorite song. Worried about retaining their credibility the band perform a faster rock version of the song to which Sookie muses "it sounds different live".
In The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The 40-Year-Old Virgin is a 2005 American buddy comedy film about a middle-aged man's journey to finally have sex. The film was written and directed by Judd Apatow and co-written by its lead star, Steve Carell, though the film itself features a great deal of improvised dialogue...
(2005), starring Steve Carell
Steve Carell
Steven John "Steve" Carell is an American comedian, actor, voice artist, producer, writer, and director. Although Carell is notable for his role on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, he found greater fame in the late 2000s for playing Michael Scott on The Office...
, the song is used during a lighthearted montage.
In Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11
Fahrenheit 9/11 is a 2004 documentary film by American filmmaker and political commentator Michael Moore. The film takes a critical look at the presidency of George W. Bush, the War on Terror, and its coverage in the news media...
, Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
's 2004 documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, Moore used it to underscore the famous scene where President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
landed on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln
USS Abraham Lincoln
Various ships have borne the name Abraham Lincoln, in honor of the 16th President of the United States.-United States Navy:* The , was a ballistic missile submarine.* The , is an aircraft carrier currently in service.-Fictional:...
and declared the end of major combat operations in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
The Fringemunks
The Fringemunks
The Fringemunks are a music group created by Seattle musician David Wu in 2008 consisting of three "cloned" anthropomorphic chipmunks: Feebo, Notchy and Pie. They are known mostly for recapping all episodes of Fox television series Fringe with song parodies...
parodied the song in 2009 to recap Fringe
Fringe (TV series)
Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
episode 1.10, "Safe."
Brad Jones, a popular Internet film reviewer, uses the song as the theme to his main series, The Cinema Snob.