The Pink Panther Theme Lyrics
About
One of the most famous pieces of music ever written by Mancini, this heavily chromatic instrumental jazz theme and Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau both wound up stealing the spotlight from the featured players in Blake Edwards' 1964 farce. The music was originally played over an animated opening sequence about a pink panther. The theme would then be repeated in both the movie’s numerous sequels and the animated cartoons about the panther. The track, which features a tenor saxophone solo played by Plas Johnson, won three Grammy Awards and reached the top 10 of Billboard’s adult contemporary chart.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In his autobiography Did They Mention the Music?, Mancini wrote:
I told [the animators] that I would give them a tempo they could animate to, so that any time there were striking motions, someone getting hit, I could score to it.
I had a specific saxophone player in mind – Plas Johnson. I nearly always precast my players and write for them and around them, and Plas had the sound and the style I wanted.
- 1.The Pink Panther Theme
- 2.Charade
- 4.Moon River
- 9.Dear Heart
- 12.Mr. Lucky
- 15.Crazy World
- 17.Music on the Way
