Every ‘Friends‘ fan knows the feeling: the second those lyrics drop, life instantly feels a little less chaotic. No matter how messy things get, your job’s a joke, your bank account looks tragic, or your love life flatlines; that theme song has a way of reminding you you’re not alone.
But behind that comforting anthem we’ve hummed, clapped to, and played on repeat for decades, there was a moment when this song was not going to be there at all.
The ‘Friends’ Theme Song Almost Wasn’t There For You
Before “I’ll Be There For You” became the unofficial friendship anthem of an entire generation, the ‘Friends‘ creators had a very different plan. Marta Kauffman and David Crane originally set their hearts on R.E.M., a band already ruling the early ‘90s. Their album Out of Time had exploded worldwide, delivering hits like ‘Losing My Religion‘ and “Shiny Happy People,” and that last track was their first dream pick for the Friends theme.
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Years later, Michael Stipe stated that the show’s team approached R.E.M. first, and they declined the request. Mike Mills added that he only recently learned ‘Shiny Happy People‘ had been the studio’s pick. And the unaired pilot, ‘Friends Like Us‘, actually used the track. In fact, you can still find that version floating around online, and it feels bizarrely wrong. Even Stipe later admitted the song’s sugary tone could’ve pushed viewers away instead of welcoming them in for ten seasons of heartfelt chaos.
Meanwhile, when The Rembrandts later reminisced with news, they remembered a different R.E.M. hit on the pilot tape they received, ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).’ Danny Wilde believed the producers picked it for the tempo. Kevin S. Bright, already a fan of the band, wasted no time and contacted their manager. And just like that, fate nudged the show toward the sound that fans would one day call sacred.
The Song Came Together Faster Than Ross Fell In Love
Once Wilde and Phil Solem met musical director Michael Skloff, everything happened at Chandler-speed sarcasm. Skloff already had the basic melody drafted. Allee Willis, Kauffman’s husband, arrived with bits of lyrics that needed shaping. The Rembrandts joked that they “Rembrandt-ified” those lines by tweaking them into words they would naturally use.
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Only a few days later, they all jumped into the studio. Solem remembered how they worked out harmonies and the whole arrangement while Willis faxed new lyric lines nonstop. Wilde admitted that they enjoyed a few beers as the night rolled in. But even with the long hours and low lighting, that nearly one-minute masterpiece came together shockingly fast. By the time they stepped outside, it was dark, and within moments, the theme was on NBC.
When ‘Friends‘ premiered in 1994, the theme song became a huge hit. However, none of them expected a Nashville radio station to turn it into a nationwide phenomenon accidentally. Program director Charlie Quinn kept getting requests for the theme. So, he looped the short version four times to create a three-minute edit. The Rembrandts’ label panicked, but worked in a good way. Their album was already finished, but the label halted everything. The band rushed back to the studio to record a full-length version with Skloff, Willis, and several ‘Friends’ producers tossing in ideas.
The full-length version landed on their 1995 album L.P., but it didn’t blend naturally with the rest. Solem said they originally wrote a darker verse to better fit the album, but the Friends producers vetoed it. That alternate version still quietly exists somewhere, but it never made it to the fans’ ears. At first, the Rembrandts had a hard time accepting that the bouncy song had suddenly earned fame for their band. But, over time, the band made peace with that.
