South Park's Opening And Closing Theme Music Is Actually The Same Song

Comedy Central's signature animated sitcom "South Park" features one of the most eccentric theme songs of all time. The theme song, composed by the American rock band Primus, captures the bizarre, chaotic nature of the town and its residents, including the four main boys singing along, most notably Kenny McCormick, whose muffled delivery masks shockingly inappropriate lyrics. In a series often dominated by music, fans with a savvy ear may notice that the end credits theme mirrors the opening theme.

Les Claypool, lead singer and bassist for Primus, discussed composing the main "South Park" theme with Rick Beato. "The funny thing is [that] what you hear at the end of the 'South Park' episode is what we actually gave them, it's much slower," Claypool acknowledged, as he vocally mimicked his bandmate, Larry "Ler" LaLonde's guitar riff from the theme song, which he described as "one of the greatest guitar parts Ler has ever written." When series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone received the initial theme, they thought it was great, but said that Comedy Central felt that it was too slow, requesting that it be sped up, which ultimately became the iconic intro for nearly 30 years. That original, slower version ultimately became the show's closing theme.

While Primus' musical contributions to "South Park" are an attribute to the entire series, given that viewers are welcomed and sent off to the band's composition, the series has held a prominent musical identity thanks to other contributors. Notably, Trey Parker has written and composed original, and often offensive, songs for both the series and the film "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut," as is evident with numerous songs such as "Blame Canada" and "Gay Fish." Parker and Matt Stone's most notable musical project outside the series is the Broadway hit "The Book of Mormon."

In addition to Parker and Stone's writing and vocal performances, Chef voice actor Isaac Hayes regularly performed songs on the series. "Chocolate Salty Balls," which was released as a single in 1998, topped the singles chart in the United Kingdom and Ireland. All of that musical creativity helps explain why "South Park" has such a distinctive sound, right down to its theme music. The fact that the opening and closing themes are simply two versions of the same song feels fitting for a series that has always played with tone, timing, and expectation.