"Phineas and Ferb Theme" is the ska-rock theme song for Phineas and Ferb, performed by the band Bowling For Soup. First heard in the pilot episode "Rollercoaster", the music mainly accompanies an introductory cinematic describing the plausible summer hijinks of Phineas and Ferb. Various renditions have been composed to fit unique occasions, often related to holiday festivities and real events with special participations by the boys and their friends. An extended version, "Today is Gonna Be a Great Day" is spotlighted in the inceptive album. In 2008, it was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.
Exceptions to the regular opening number occur in "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!", "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!", Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, "That's the Spirit", "The Curse of Candace", "For Your Ice Only", "Happy New Year!", "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel", "Phineas and Ferb Save Summer", "Night of the Living Pharmacists", "Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars", "Last Day of Summer", "O.W.C.A. Files", Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe, and "Summer Block Buster".
Lyrics[]
There's a(nother)[1] hundred and four days of summer vacation
Then school comes along just to end it
So the annual problem for our generation
Is finding a good way to spend it
Like maybe...
Building a rocket
Or fighting a mummy
Or climbing up the Eiffel Tower
Discovering something that doesn't exist
Phineas: Hey!
Or giving a monkey a shower
Surfing tidal waves
Creating nanobots
Or locating Frankenstein's brain
Phineas: It's over here!
Finding a dodo bird
Painting a continent
Or driving our sister insane!
Candace: Phineas!
As you can see
There's a whole lot of stuff to do
Before school starts this fall
Phineas: Come on Perry!
So stick with us
'Cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!
So stick with us
'Cause Phineas and Ferb are gonna do it all!
Candace: Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a title sequence!
Season 1[]
In Season 1, at the end of the song, the images are taken from the Original Pitch pictures, depicting some of the pictures of the boys' contraptions in the future episodes. Although not all of the contraptions in the Original Pitch are seen in Season 1 yet, the pictures depict images of contraptions/events from "Rollercoaster"/"Rollercoaster: the Musical!", "The Fast and the Phineas", "Sleepwalk Surprise", "Are You My Mummy?", "Swiss Family Phineas", and "Toy to the World".
Season 2[]
In Season 2, at the end of the song, the images from the Original Pitch are changed to images of Phineas and Ferb in Season 1. In order, these scenes are taken from "Leave the Busting to Us!", "The Fast and the Phineas", "Rollercoaster", "Greece Lightning", "Out to Launch", "Flop Starz", "Mom's Birthday", and "S'Winter".
Starting with the episode "Don't Even Blink", when the song gets to the "like maybe" part, Phineas' smile broadens as the camera zooms in. Before that, he has a neutral expression on his face.
Season 3[]
In Season 3 at the end of the song, images from Season 1 are changed to images from Season 2 which were taken from "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!", "Ain't No Kiddie Ride", "Spa Day", "Tip of the Day", "Wizard of Odd", "Hide and Seek", "The Baljeatles", and "Atlantis".
Season 4[]
In Season 4 at the end of the song, images from Season 2 are changed to images from Season 3 which were taken from Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension, "Doof Dynasty", "Moon Farm", "The Remains of the Platypus", "Escape from Phineas Tower", "Tri-Stone Area", "Excaliferb", and "Bully Bromance Breakup".
Season 5[]
In the fifth season, at the end of the song, images from Season 3 are changed to images from the current season, specifically from "Cloudy With a Chance of Mom", "Summer Block Buster", "Biblio-Blast!", "License to Bust", "Submarine Sandwich Submarine", "Dry Another Day", and "Deconstructing Doof" along with an image from "Rollercoaster". There's also a producer credit for Brandi Young before the creator credit.
While Phineas' lines get re-recorded, and his shirt is modified to match his Season 5 appearance, the theme song now includes some remixing and backing vocals previously not as prominent. In addition, part of its instrumentation was updated (e.g., at the end of the track). Up until "The Candace Suit", the opening line is changed to "There's another 104 days" to signify that as of this season, the show covers a different summer vacation than the one from the first four seasons.
"Doof 101"[]
In the Season 4 episode "Doof 101", Dr. Doofenshmirtz sings a line of the theme song with altered lyrics.
Doof: There's 261 days til next summer vacation
"Last Day of Summer"[]
In the Season 4 episode "Last Day of Summer", one lyric from this song is altered and can be heard as part of the song "Curtain Call/Time Spent Together".
Phineas and the cast: There's been 104 days of summer vacation. We've had a lot of fun, and sung a lot of songs. So we think it's time for a big celebration. And it's been a great summer, so we thank you for comin' along!
Winter Vacation[]
- Main article: Winter Vacation
Little League World Series[]
In 2011, the song was adapted by Disney sibling networks ESPN and ABC for the Little League World Series. This would go on to be reanimated and aired again in 2025 during that year's Little League World Series, as well.
There's limited days left in summer vacation
and we figured out how to spend them
The Little League World Series
in Williamsport, PA
to try and get on ESPN
Like maybe...
Hitting a home run
or throwing a Ferb ball
or making the crowd do the wave!
Blowing a bubble while stealing a base
Doofenshmirtz: Safe!
Or giving Dugout a quick shave!
Turning double plays
creating rally caps
or eating a hot dog at bat
Doofenshmirtz: Ball 4!
Giving base running signs
making a perfect bunt
or catching a ball with a hat!
Brent Musburger: Amazing!
A worldwide pool of teams have come here to play
and they're tryin' to win it all!
ESPN and Phineas and Ferb are ready to play ball!
ESPN and Phineas and Ferb are ready to play ball!
Umpire: Play ball!
Candace: Mom! Phineas and Ferb are taking over the Little League World Series again!
Halloween Variations[]
For the 2011 Halloween specials "That's the Spirit" and "The Curse of Candace", the original song was used, but the ending of the title sequence was changed as follows:
- New background images during Phineas and Ferb's dance with spiders coming down on a silk thread, a hand reaching out of the ground next to a grave, and Doonkelberry Bats flying.
- The fly-by pictures include scenes from The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein and One Good Scare Ought to Do It!, along with a production/concept picture for "Are You My Mummy?"
- Candace complains, "Mom! Phineas and Ferb are making a Halloween special!"
- A theremin is heard in the last few bars over the song and over Candace's line.
For the 2013 Halloween episodes "Drusselsteinoween", "Face Your Fear", and "Terrifying Tri-State Trilogy of Terror", the theme song was rethemed for Halloween. The following changes were made:
- Some ghoulish music is added.
- Female background vocals going, "Wah-wah-oooh" like in "Monster Mash" by Bobby (Boris) Pickett and the Crypt Keepers.
- Many scenes are dimmed to give off the appearance that they take place at night.
- The sun is replaced with a live-action moon.
- A spooky voice says, "Like maybe..."
- A skeleton is seen behind Ferb on the rocket.
- The unicorn-turtle is replaced by a goblin wearing a sorcerer hat behind a tombstone.
- The monkey is replaced by a skeleton.
- Another skeleton is seen behind Ferb in the garage when they create nanobots.
- Rover is seen in a graveyard instead of the backyard.
- The racecar is being painted purple and a skull replaces the digit 2.
- A skeleton is added between 1 of the kids and Isabella in the rollercoaster.
- A scary voice akin to Boris Karloff says "Come on, Perry" instead of Phineas.
- A skeleton pops out of the holes in the Whack-a-Pest game.
- Also in the Whack-a-Pest scene, there are more singers than the original one.
- The ending from the 2011 Halloween special is reused with different background music.
Second Winter Theme Song[]
- Main article: Phineas and Ferb Winter Vacation
Dr. Doofenshmirtz Theme Song Takeover[]
In celebration of the show's upcoming revival, Disney Channel made a Theme Song Takeover short of Dr. Doofenshmirtz singing about how he will take over the Tri-State Area with his inators in the form of the show's theme.
Doofenshmirtz: There's hundreds of more ways that I can be evil;
No super villain is greater.
Before I tell you the goals that I plan to achieve,
I'll show you my new inators.
Like this one…
This one will turn you into a giant
And fill your pants with macaroons.
If you argue with me, this one will make you compliant.
This one turns your fingers into spoons.
And this one guarantees that you'll grow extra knees,
But keep the same number of feet… strangely.
And here's a big surprise, this one makes apple pies,
But sadly, they're full of raw meat!
(I don't know why; it's gross!)
As you can see,
I've got a lot of inators,
But, you know, they say the more the merrier.
And that's the reason in this brand new season
I'll take over the Tri-State Area!
And that's the reason in this brand new season
I'll take over the Tri-State Area!
Candace Theme Song Takeover[]
Following up the previous Takeover, Disney Channel made a second one involving Candace, presented as her brothers wanting to give her one as their idea for the day. She naturally uses it to sing about her desire to bust them.
Candace: There's a hundred and four days of summer vacation
And this year I won't be so trusting
You might not have noticed but I've got this fixation
Get ready for some brother busting
My plans are...
Dressing myself to look like an appliance
Hearing everything you say!
In the last year I got way into science,
Now sequencing your DNA!
Disguise a microphone,
Learn how to fly a drone,
Or hiding cameras in a pie!
Make sure your plans are blown,
Using a robot clone
Training Perry as a spy!
When you get caught,
Mom will finally believe me,
She'll shower me with tons of praise!
She'll probably say
"Boys, how could you deceive me?
I'm giving Candace what she craves!"
Have my own town parade,
A statue will be made,
The President will know my name!
President: Candace!
Candace: I'll win a big award,
Get knighted with a sword,
And you'll finally get all the blame!
Phineas: Cool cage!
Candace: It's time for Mom
To see what's been happening,
You'll be grounded by the time I'm through!
So watch out now,
Cuz Phineas and Ferb, I'm gonna bust you two!
So watch out now,
Cuz Phineas and Ferb, I'm gonna bust you two!
It's true!
Phineas: Mom! Candace just sang the most amazing cover of our theme song!
Candace: You little...--- aw, thanks!
Songwriters[]
BMI Work #9365299 (original theme song)
Gallery[]
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| View the image gallery for "Phineas and Ferb Theme". |
Background Information[]
Phineas and Ferb - Opening Original Pitch
The original pitch theme song.
- According to creator Dan Povenmire on the DVD bonus feature Original Pitch from The Fast and the Phineas, the song was originally going to be done by a classical Disney chorus. He and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh wrote the lyrics, but Disney wanted to make the melody more modern. Dan Povenmire sang an approximation of it on the presentation. Povenmire finally got his classical Disney chorus for the Christmas version of the song.
- Douglas McCarthy boarded the series' initial title sequence, as requested by Dan Povenmire. On April 22, 2012, he shared some of the storyboards from the song on his blog, which are somewhat different from the current sequence:[2]
- During the line "As you can see, there's a whole lot of stuff to do...", Phineas would press button on a remote flashing through pictures of the different things that would be done over the summer on a projector, rather than short scenes of each event being shown on screen. Phineas would smile after the rest of the line "...before school starts this fall."
- The line "So stick with..." was originally "But stick with...", and Phineas and Ferb's heads would bounce into the screen like the current intro, but each of their respective names would fly from above and below behind them, instead of entering the screen from the same wavelength. After that, each of their heads would come in from the left and the right of the screen, occuring during the line "...us, cause..."
- After this, the Whack-a-Pest set-up occurred, with Phineas, Ferb, and Perry heads popping out of the machine, and the original "Phineas and Ferb" logo flying from across the top of the screen. Candace would pop out of one hole in the middle, and is hit by a mallet.
Phineas with a bag under his eye, which can be seen in the the storyboards for the theme song. It ended up appearing in the first animated version of the intro.
- Originally, the scene of Phineas and Ferb dancing and playing the guitar would begin with a close-up shot of Ferb's guitar, and the scene would truck out to the two. Phineas' dance is also slightly different, intended to be sillier. After the sequence ended, a card held by Perry reading "Created by Dan and Swampy" would've been shown.
- As seen in a more recent storyboard for the sequence, many of these ideas were revised to what would become the current version of the intro. Some of McCarthy's drawings (a baggy-eyed Phineas popping out from the bottom of the screen) were kept in the newer storyboard, and eventually ended up in the first animated version of the series' theme.
Phineas and Ferb Storyboard Intro - Early-Mid 2000s
One of the final versions of the theme song
- In reality, summer vacation lasts about 90 days at most. At San Diego Comic-Con 2013, Dan Povenmire revealed that he wrote 104 because he only expected the show to last 52 episodes, like most Disney Channel shows lasted at the time, and there were two segments per episode, totaling 104.
- The calendar in this theme song indicates that summer vacation started on June 3, the day when the episode "Rollercoaster" occurs. Hence September 14 (104 days later) is the day when the events of "Last Day of Summer" happen.
- In the episode "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", Phineas tells Xavier and Fred that Bowling for Soup is "before their time." He also might be referring to the fact that the kids that are watching this show are not familiar with the band, as it is somewhat before this show's time.
- So far, Phineas and Ferb have fulfilled at least one of the ideas mentioned in the lyrics except "climbing up the Eiffel Tower".
- "Today is Gonna Be a Great Day" is an extended version of the original theme song, with additional lyrics by Bowling for Soup's Jaret Reddick. He explained to Songfacts that he was brought to the Disney lot and shown the first 13 episodes, which he used to write the full-length song. It took him about 20 minutes to write the extra lyrics.[3]
- The song was nominated in 2008 for an Emmy Award for "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music," but lost to "Pirate Master" on CBS.
- A form of the song is used in the credits for "Phineas' Birthday Clip-O-Rama!" in which we see clips of Candace yelling "Mom!" the tag-line at the end is "Mom, Phineas and Ferb are digitally tuning my voice!"
- Pizzazium Infinionite's atomic number is [coincidentally] 104, which is (at least for Phineas and Ferb) the amount of days of summer vacation.
- The song was referenced in lots of episodes such as, "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", "Swiss Family Phineas", "Last Train to Bustville", "Canderemy", et al.
- In the title sequence for "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel", Spider-Man takes Candace's place and parodies her line as "Aunt May, Phineas and Ferb are making a crossover!"
- A skeleton of a unicorn-turtle is used as a chess table in the Gravity Falls episode "Little Dipper". Creator Alex Hirsch told Dan that it is only a coincidence, but "would prefer fans think it was on purpose."[4]
- The song is referenced twice in "Phineas and Ferb: Star Wars". The lines "Building a rocket or fighting a mummy" are heard as the boys' speeder's horn, and Linda mentions "Giving a Bantha a shower" as one of the items on Phineas' list.
- In the Russian dub of the series, the Season 1 intro used visuals from the Season 2 intro. When the second season premiered, the visuals were retained, but the song was re-dubbed and the lyrics changed slightly, due to a change of the dubbing studio. From the third season onwards, the series used the same intro as in other countries.
- In the character commentaries on the Phineas and Ferb: 104 Days of Summer! iTunes collection, Candace's line is dubbed over with "Mom, Phineas and Ferb are repurposing old episodes with new commentaries!"
- During the Whack-A-Pest scene, Perry has an angry expression on his face as if he was Agent P.
- In "Summer Block Buster", Isabella suggests a giant Whack-A-Pest for the block party, in reference to the title sequence.
- Viral phenomenon The Linda Lindas performed the song, while cosplaying as Phineas characters, live at the Season 5 premiere event at nya Studios East in Hollywood on June 1, 2025, introduced via video by Jaret Reddick.
- The calendar for August in the second verse version starts on a Thursday. The closest year to the date the show premiered that had August 1 on a Thursday when the show began was 2013, and subsequent ones after were 2019 and 2024, the years before Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe and the fifth season premiered respectively.
- According to Dan Povenmire, the brain that Phineas and Ferb discover in the corner of the laboratory is of the scientist Victor Frankenstein, rather than the monster he created, and the boys were simply looking in the monster's head.[5]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Only for episodes 2-6 of season 5.
- ↑ "Phineas and Ferb" Title design
- ↑ Jaret Reddick talks about the Phineas and Ferb theme song
- ↑ Dan Povenmire on Twitter
- ↑ Dan Povenmire on TikTok
External links[]
- Piper's Picks TV #031: Dan and Swampy sing the theme song at the 7:19 mark of this video.
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