Watching some episodes.

Damn it, am I the only one who thinks the original version of the theme was much better (and more 70s) than the version down by Cheap Trick?

Didn't realize that there were different versions(of the same song right?). Anyhow, I always hated that song. So, I wouldn't care who did it.

Same song. Don't know who did the first one, but after the show became a hit they sold out and got super-group Cheap Trick to redo the theme.

Okay, substitute "they sold out" with "they" and "super-group Cheap Trick" with "Cheap Trick."

Hmm. Seems like I remember reading the credits once and seeing a bands name I recognized did the theme song, evidently I didn't commit it to memory.

Bleah.

I thought the original, with the Charlotte Rae solo, was much better.

You take the good,
You take the bad,
You take them both and there you have the facts of life.
The facts of life.

There's a time you gotta go and show
You're growin' now,
You know about the facts of life.
The facts of life.

When the world never seems,
To be living up to your dreams.
And suddenly you're finding out,
The facts of life are all about you.
All about you.
You-u-u-u,
A-ll about you.
It takes a lot to get em right,
But you're learnin the facts of life.
Learnin the facts of life.
Learnin the facts of life.
Learnin the facts of li-fe.

I like the REAL original version, by Big Star.

http://www.imwan.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=38265#38265

Big Star's version wasn't "sitcom slick" enough for them to use.

It was also more laid back and less headbanging.

Another theme song that goes with the Facts of Life tune is Firefly/Serenity.

My wife HATES it when I sing it that way!

Take my love
Take My land
Take me where I cannot stand
The facts of life...
The facts of life........

I agree.

OMG, Hugh... now that will be stuck in my head for WEEKS!

You can't take this guy from me

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I think the original version of the theme song benefited from being very overtly 70s on purpose. Even most of the memorable songs of the 70s aren't *that* 70s. The theme, like the show, just reflects back pure 70s, without the traces of previous decades like in the real 70s. The theme was just goofy and fun in a very 70s manner... not very good (like the show), but it had a certain charm.

Cheap Trick's version... just sounds like 70s band that can't hack it anymore. Whatever passion and energy they once had is a fond memory. It's just fat and lazy now.

Haven't bothered to listen to the original original. I'm sure it's a much better version than the original theme, but until I started looking this up, I had never even heard of it.

There's a clip of it in the thread I linked. It's very different, Twangier guitars, Chilton sounds like he's been sucking helium (hard to believe this is the same guy who sang "The Letter" and "Cry Like A Baby") and it's about 3/4 the speed of the TV version.