What Is The Song In The McDonald's 'My House My Rules' Commercial?

Over the years, McDonald's has become one of the biggest fast-food chains in the world, starting from a single restaurant in 1937 to now having franchises in over 100 countries, per The Chicago Tribune. As of 2018, the company ranked second on the list of largest private employers around the world (via World Economic Forum).

However, the "My House My Rules" commercial from the company highlights a different avenue for their customers to enjoy their food — home delivery. The commercial starts with an outdoor shot of an individual receiving a McDonald's delivery before pulling the curtains, then cuts across people enjoying their food in a variety of ways. A young woman opens a drawer to reveal an extensive collection of sauces, choosing to dip her nuggets in a variety of them before eating them while her cat watches. Meanwhile, a man noticeably relaxes as he takes a spoonful of ice cream, a person carefully arranges fries across their burger, and a woman cuts into a burger with a fork and knife while two others watch confusedly, before ending on a father chewing on a stray leftover from a burger as he cleans up after dinner. 

Through it all, a song plays in the background, and it may have had numerous people scratching their heads, unable to quite place it. This is the song in the McDonald's "My House My Rules" commercial.

The song is called "I Think We're Alone Now," and was first recorded in 1967 by the band Tommy James and the Shondells. The song was a big hit for the group, ending up in the Top 10 across numerous charts, such as the Billboard Hot 100 and the WLS Silver Dollar Survey, where it peaked at No. 1 and remained popular during the year.

The tune gained new life 20 years later when it was covered by pop star Tiffany Darwish, better known as Tiffany. The cover introduced the song to a new generation of listeners, and became massively popular, garnering the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and ending up parodied by Weird Al Yankovic in a song called "I Think I'm a Clone Now." It has become the defining song of Tiffany's discography in the process, with the singer herself re-recording the song in 2019.

Both versions have been heard in numerous films and TV shows, with the 1967 version appearing in the 1980 film "Mother's Day" and the 2016 film "10 Cloverfield Lane." The 1987 version, meanwhile, has been heard in both the 2012 film "Ted" and its 2015 sequel "Ted 2," as well as in the second season of the ABC series "Full House."

The song has also been covered by numerous other singers and groups, such as Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong. Its presence in the McDonald's commercial proves the song's enduring popularity, and audiences have surely not heard the last of it.