It's a Jungle Out There (song)

Last updated
"It's a Jungle Out There"
Song by Randy Newman
Released2003
Genre Jazz
Length1:49 (2003 Version)
  • 3:20 (2017 Version)
Songwriter(s) Randy Newman

"It's a Jungle Out There" is a song written by Randy Newman and used as the theme song starting with the second season of the TV series Monk . In 2004, it won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music. As the first season's theme song "Monk Theme" had won the same award the previous year, Monk became the first series to have two different theme songs win an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music in consecutive years. [1] The song is not to be confused with the Harry Nilsson song of the same name from his 1975 album Duit on Mon Dei .

Contents

Themes

The lyrics allude to Adrian Monk's plethora of fears and warn that some degree of caution and attention is necessary to stay alive, given everyday life's many dangers. The song was used twice in each episode—but see the exception below.

History

After the end of the first season of Monk, producer David Hoberman approached Randy Newman to create a new theme song. Newman composed the song and played it for Hoberman and Tony Shalhoub. The song debuted in the second-season premiere "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School". It remained unpopular with some fans. USA Network reported that they received many complaints from viewers who wanted the series to continue using Jeff Beal's "Monk Theme". [2] Some references to this were made in season 2, episode 12, "Mr. Monk and the T.V. Star", where a character is upset about the detective show changing its theme song, and she claims no one else likes the new song. At the end of the episode, Adrian Monk agrees not to change the theme if he ever gets a T.V. show, and the old theme plays at the end of the episode.

Although the theme song remained the same, the clips used in the title sequence changed three times over the course of the series:

Newman wrote another song, "When I'm Gone," for the final episode, "Mr. Monk and the End". The song won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.

As the show appears on Peacock, the first two-part episode has been edited to include the Randy Newman theme.

Other versions

Snoop Dogg covered the song for the season 6 episode "Mr. Monk and the Rapper", in which he also played a guest role as Murderuss, a rapper accused of murder.

A rerecorded and expanded version of "It's a Jungle Out There" appears on Newman's 2017 album Dark Matter . [3]

Awards

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<i>Monk</i> (season 2) Season of television series

The second season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from June 20, 2003, to March 5, 2004. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Bitty Schram, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on October 11, 2004.

<i>Monk</i> (season 3) Season of television series

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<i>Monk</i> (season 4) Season of television series

The fourth season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 8, 2005, to March 17, 2006. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on June 27, 2006.

<i>Monk</i> (season 5) Season of television series

The fifth season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 7, 2006, to March 2, 2007. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on June 26, 2007.

<i>Monk</i> (season 6) Season of television series

The sixth season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from July 13, 2007, to February 22, 2008. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on July 8, 2008.

<i>Monk</i> (season 7) Season of television series

The seventh season of Monk was originally broadcast in the United States on USA Network from July 18, 2008, to February 20, 2009. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on July 21, 2009.

<i>Monk</i> (season 8) Season of television series

The eighth and final season of Monk originally aired in the United States on USA Network from August 7 to December 4, 2009. It consisted of 16 episodes. Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford reprised their roles as the main characters. A DVD of the season was released on March 16, 2010.

References

  1. ↑ Paula M. Block; Terry Erddman (2007). Monk: The Official Episode Guide. St. Martin's Press. p. 99. ISBN   978-1429903967.
  2. ↑ Paula M. Block; Terry Erddman (2007). Monk: The Official Episode Guide. St. Martin's Press. p. 53. ISBN   978-1429903967.
  3. ↑ Deluca, Dan (September 27, 2017). "Why Randy Newman thinks he's put out his best song yet". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Sioux City Inquirer.
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