Other Versions of the Opening Theme

This page will have different versions of the Cheers theme not aired on regular episodes, with parodies, and non-TV versions.  Please refer to the “Sounds and Info” page when it talks about specific parts of the song.

 

Theme 2

This is NOT sung by Gary Portnoy, and never used on TV.  It was actually recorded as a cover for a CD by a group called Flavor.  It starts out with Verse 1, then the Main Refrain, then a instrument version of those 2 sections, then repeats the vocal kind of those 2 sections, but with a slightly different arrangement.

 

Theme 3

This is from the 200^th Anniversary Episode, where they aired it near the end, during clips.  Gary Portnoy DOES sing it, and it has a much more “modern” and upbeat accompaniment than the regular TV versions.  It plays Verse 1, Verse 2, Refrain 1, Verse 4, Refrain 2, a short instrumental part, then the Outro Refrain.

 

MIDI Themes:
Here are some popular MIDI versions of the Cheers theme floating around the net:

 

Theme 1.13

I know that this is a “1.X” version, but it is REALLY unlike the others, so it is on this page.  Here’s why it is so different: It’s in German!  Why?  In 1985, Paramount licensed Cheers to ZDF, or Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen, a national German TV channel.  Note, however, that the show was only licensed, not actually sold in syndication, meaning that the German channel could edit the show any way they wanted(within Some limits)…and they did…A LOT!

 

The first thing they did was change the location.  Instead of a Boston tavern, it became a German bar.  That means that all of the exterior shots of the Bull and Finch Pub in the show were NOT used, but shots of a German bar were used instead.

 

Second, they changed the character’s names:

Ted Danson - Hubert Milbe (Sam Malone)

Shelley Long - Diane Zimmerlinde (Diane Chambers)

Rhea Perlman - Carla (no last name given) (Carla Tortelli)

Nicholas Colasanto - Rudi (no last name given) (Coach Ernie Pantusso)

George Wendt - Helmut (no last name given) (Norm Peterson)

John Ratzenberger - Uwe (no last name given) (Cliff Clavin)

 

Third, they changed the name of the show.  Cheers became “Prost,” which actually means Cheers in German, but they added to it.  The show was called “Prost Helmut.”  Look at that list of characters again…who’s Helmut?  NORM!  So the show’s title actually translates “Cheers Norm.”  With this, they supposedly (I’ve never seen this show personally) also redid the theme.  If you think about it, they would have had to, since the drawings and pictures were of the real Cheers, or in American bars.  They wanted this show to be totally German(one reason why it failed…keep reading to find out more about this).

 

They re-dubbed the show, actually using a totally different sound track, in German.  This dubbing was terrible, another reason why it flopped.  They added their own laugh track, that had a lot more clapping than laughing, for some reason.  The show was written for America, and transposing it to Germany just wasn’t going to work, but still, they did this to the first 13 episodes.

 

On January 17, 1985, when we were getting season 3, Germany got their first taste of Cheers.  ZDF, however, barely promoted it, with it’s first episode called “Trost an der Bar.”  The episode was really “Give Me a Ring Sometime,” but it doesn’t translate into that.  Here is the cast for THAT episode:

 Michael McGuire – Armin (Sumner!)

John P. Navin – Junge (The boy from the Teaser)

Ron Frazier – Oswald (Ron)

 

After the 13 episodes aired, “Prost Helmut” left the airwaves forever.  Why did it fail?  A German TV magazine said there were two main reasons:

1) The dubbing was terrible.  The show just didn’t translate into German well.

2) No one watched it.  Very few people have ever heard of “Prost Helmut” let along that it was a flopped version of German Cheers.  Rumor has it that “Prost Helmut” reached the same number of people in 1985 that “Cheers” did in 1982.

 

For 10 years, Germany heard about the “great American television show,” Cheers.  In 1995, RTL, another national German TV channel, picked up Cheers in syndication, so they now get it as we do(only in German.  This time, the dubbing was A LOT better). (Actually, since ‘syndication’ is technically national only, Germany is getting the original NBC airings, with the regular themes.) Actually, the RTL theme is NOT the same as the American theme…while it is the regular version(Verse 1/Main Refrain), it is in the lower tone like Theme 1.3.  I DO NOT know if they use this theme for ALL seasons or just 4-11.

 

The recording of the theme aired for all 13 episodes of “Prost Helmut.”  It is sung by an unknown German with a very non-musical voice! J While it IS a totally different recording than our theme, it’s pretty obvious they tried to copy ‘our’ season 1 theme.  One, during the line “Wouldn’t you like to get away?”, a chorus sings in the background, just as the weird instrument played there for the NBC season 1.  Two, the harmonies sound like the NBC season 1 theme(just how they sing).  Three, the piano arrangement during the “You wanna go where you can see…” part.  It’s also obvious that they tried to make it sound a little German too.  I don’t have the German words for it(I’ll try to get them), but here is the translation:

 

To survive the everyday anger

Costs much time

If you work for hours

You're exhausted

Who doesn't want to get away from everything?

 

Then you search for a bar,

Where you feel at home.

And you can drink away our worries.

Where you meet your friends,

And talk, and drink, and drown your sorrows,

And be happy until the early morning.

 

Discussions, and fighting, and then we make up

In a close group!

Where Everyone Knows Your Name.

 

A far take off from our version, but it gets the same message across (with the exception of actually mentioning a bar).  Though those are the lyrics for the “Prost Helmut” version, lyrics were written (but never recorded) for OUR version too (This is the 200th anniversary version):

 

Sich im Alltag zu behaupten

Nimmt alles, was du hast

Leg' mal deine Arbeit nieder

Und goenn' dir eine rast

Lass' deine Sorgen hinter dir!

 

Du hast die Nacht wieder durchgemacht

Dein Scheck liegt in der post

Und dein Schatz zuhause

Macht dir nicht mal Hausmannskost

Und dein freund laesst nichts mehr von sich hoer'n

 

Komm mit und folge mir

Dorthin, wo alle deine Freunde steh'n

Die sich freu'n, wenn sie dich seh'n

Leg eine kleine Pause ein

Lass dich einfach gehen

Folg' mir dorthin, wo deine Freunde steh'n

 

Du schlaefst nochmal ein, der Kaffee kommt rein

Dich weckt der Sonnenstrahl

Und dein Doc flieht nach Europa

Und schreibt dir nicht einmal

Und dein Gatte waere gern 'ne Frau

 

Du kannst dich freu'n, es gibt 'nen Ort

Wo alle deine Freunde steh'n

Die sich freu'n wenn sie dich seh'n

Und hast du auch mal 'nen schlechten Tag

Das werden sie versteh'n

Folg' mir dorthin, wo deine Freunde steh'n

 

Wo alle deine Freunde steh'n

Die sich freu'n wenn sie dich seh'n

Wo alle deine Freunde steh'n

Die sich freu'n wenn sie dich seh'n…

 

Theme 4

A punk rock version by Me First and the Gimme Gimmies.

 

Theme 5

This is a parody of the Cheers theme from The Simpsons.  It is sung by Weird Al Yankovic.  While it IS a parody of the theme song, it is NOT the same melody, or song at all(so don’t try singing the lyrics to the Cheers melody…the first few lines work, but then it doesn’t work.  I know.  I tried. lol)

 

Lyrics:

When the weight of the world has got you down

And you want to end your life

Bills to pay, a dead end job

And problems with the wife

But don't throw in the towel

'Cause there's a place right down the block

Where you can drink your misery away

 

At Flaming Moe's <Let's all go to Flaming Moe's>

<Let's all go to Flaming Moe's>

Where liquor in a mug

Can warm you like a hug <Flaming Moe's>

And happiness is just a Flaming Moe away

Happiness is just a Flaming Moe away

 

<Song ends/Barney walks in the bar, like Norm>

Bar Crowd: Barney!

Bartender that reminds me of Woody: How's the world treating you, Mr. Gumbel?

<Barney burps>

 

Theme 6

A instrumental/harmony-only karaoke version of the theme.  Sing along the melody!

 

Theme 7

An a-capella version by the Cornell Hangovers.

 

Theme 8

The version sung by Martin Short (and who else??) from the NBC 75^th Anniversary Special.

 

Theme 9

A parody from the Comedy Central show, “That’s My Bush.”

I know there’s a lot more versions out there, such as the original demo w/ the different Verse 1, the version the cast sang during the post-finale Jay Leno special in front of the real Cheers bar in Boston, the version from SNL, a rap version, a version where N’sync sings it, and more?

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