South Park Theme

Album: Chef Aid: The South Park Album (1997)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • With songs like "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" and "Tommy The Cat," it's no surprise that Primus are favorites of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the TV series South Park. After creating some widely circulated shorts featuring the exploits of Stan, Cartman, Kyle and Kenny (and Jesus... and Santa...), Parker and Stone got a deal from Comedy Central to create the show, which first aired in 1997. Their choice for the theme song was Primus.

    In our interview with Les Claypool of Primus, he explained that he saw the Spirit of Christmas South Park short before writing the theme. He quickly came up with the "Going down to South Park, going to have..." idea, and filled it in from there, building a call-and-response with the kid characters into it.
  • The original theme song Primus submitted for the show was about 30 seconds long, which was deemed too lengthy. Parker and Stone simply sped up the song to make it shorter, later having Claypool re-record his vocals. The slower version can be heard in instrumental form over the closing credits. The full original version was used in a pilot created to demo the show.
  • When Kenny sings his line, he does so in his trademark mumble. What he sings is likely not suitable for broadcast.
  • The theme has been altered from time to time with different characters sometimes getting a line. In the 2013 "Dawn of the Posers" episode, the theme is sung by the Goth kids.
  • This was included on the 1998 compilation Chef Aid: The South Park Album, which tied into an episode of the show where Primus, Ozzy Osbourne, Elton John and several other acts participate in a benefit concert for the character Chef.

Comments: 1

  • Cara from WalesI love South Park.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Mike Campbell

Mike CampbellSongwriter Interviews

Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Kerry Livgren of Kansas

Kerry Livgren of KansasSongwriter Interviews

In this talk from the '80s, the Kansas frontman talks turning to God and writing "Dust In The Wind."

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.

Ramones

RamonesFact or Fiction

A band so baffling, even their names were contrived. Check your score in the Ramones version of Fact or Fiction.