Among the most iconic opening theme songs for television is that of South Park, which was done by Primus in their earlier years. What some fans may not know is that the version used in the end credits is what the band originally sent off, but when the network determined that it was too slow for an intro, the band told showrunners Matt Stone & Trey Parker to speed it up, thus giving us the oddball tune we all know and love today.
On a recent video on Gibson TV, Primus guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde shows off how to play the theme on a Gibson Flying V, demonstrating both the original version and the capoed version that ended up as the intro. LaLonde recounts the story of getting the episode "The Spirit of Christmas" in the mail and being asked, and while the band was almost confident that the show would never make air, they soldiered forth, and now have the theme for one of the longest-tenured animated series in television under their belts.
The clip is from LaLonde's 2021 appearance on "Riff Lords," but as Primus are making the news again with new songs like "Little Lord Fentanyl" and for Les Claypool's various other projects, it's worth checking out again.
See for yourself below:
