The Andy Griffith Show Theme Song

The legendary Earle Hagen composed music for over 3,000 television series episodes during his long career, and will surely be remembered for the theme from The Andy Griffith Show, unquestionably one of the most recognizable tunes of all time. Until Hagen's passing in 2008, few people realized that it was the composer himself who whistled the famous tune at the top of each episode.

It wasn't planned that way. As a composer, Earle Hagen excelled at capturing the tone of every show he worked on. Yet, the task of creating a theme song for The Andy Griffith Show proved somewhat daunting. When he decided to create something simple, something that could be whistled, the tune unfolded in about an hour.

That same night, a demo of the show's opening theme was recorded, with Earle Hagen whistling the tune and his 11-year-old son Deane snapping his fingers. The following morning, the recording was presented to the show's executive producer, Sheldon Leonard. The concept was a winner! Leonard loved the theme and suggested the now-famous (and much parodied) opening sequence where Andy and Opie walk along a country road with fishing poles over their shoulders.

Click Here for The Andy Griffith Show Theme Song Lyrics



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