Frasier's Theme Song Was Deeper Than You Think - But Now It Makes No Sense
With the "Frasier" reboot becoming the toast of the streaming realm, sitcom lovers everywhere are once again trying to figure out what exactly they should do with those tossed salads and scrambled eggs. That eternal question has, of course, been posed via the jazzy theme song playing over the end credits of "Frasier" since its 1993 debut, and according to the man who wrote the song, said lyrics are a little bit deeper than you might've realized.
The songwriter in question is Bruce Miller, and, as he told Ken Levine in 2012, the lyrics came about as a way to reference Frasier's radio show hosting gig without doing so directly. "It was necessary to stay away from words about psychiatry, radio shows, the name 'Frasier,' and anything else directly indicating aspects of the show," Miller said, before noting that the music came easily, but composing the lyrics proved a struggle.
Miller ultimately turned to his songwriter pal Darryl Phinneas for help, and it was Phinneas who came up with the "tossed salads and scrambled" idea, signifying items that are mixed up like Dr. Crane's call-in patients. In that context, the song's opening line, "Hey baby, I hear the blues a-callin'," also makes a lot more sense, as do the rest of the lyrics. But with Frasier no longer hosting the radio show in the reboot, it's somewhat odd the lyrics didn't get a refresh as they don't really make sense anymore. It's even odder given that a new version of the song was recorded for the revival.
Kelsey Grammer was not the first pick to sing Frasier's beloved theme song
In case you hadn't figured it out for yourself, it is indeed "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer who sings the series' end credits theme for both the original series and the reboot. While the song's lyrics don't make much sense these days, it's pretty much impossible to imagine an episode of "Frasier" ending without ruminating over tossed salads and scrambled eggs. And even as Bruce Miller and Darryl Phinneas are credited for music and lyrics, respectively, few could argue Grammer didn't put his own distinct mark on the song while recording it.
That includes Miller, who freely admitted as much in the Ken Levine blog post, stating, "[Grammer] really made it his own with his interpretation." The musician only made that admission after claiming Grammer's was not the voice he had in his head when he was writing the theme. In fact, Miller notes that it was a legendary jazz vocalist who he initially heard singing about all those blues calling in to unload their various troubles on Dr. Crane. "When I first wrote the song, I instantly thought of the great jazz singer, Mel Torme," Miller claimed. "He would have been perfect..."
If you're at all familiar with Torme's vocal stylings, it's pretty hard to argue with Miller's original concept for the "Frasier" theme, but the series' creative team was apparently set on Grammer belting out the number instead. Miller wisely relented on the matter and set about recording the track with Grammer singing. And the rest, as they so often say, is history.