FALLING APART AT THE THEMES

BY BELINDA M. PASCHAL

"Goldfingahhhhhhhhhh!"

"Live and let diiiie … dunt, DUNNNNN!"

"Nobody does it better … baby, you’re the best!"

"For your eyes only, only for yoooooou …"

Despite never having watched a single James Bond flick in its entirety, I can sing the theme songs to many offerings from the Connery and Moore eras, which ran from the early 60’s through mid-80’s, when Tim Dalton took over in "The Living Daylights." It speaks volumes that all I can remember about that film’s theme is the title – because it’s the same as the movie’s – and the performer – a-Ha – because they did that really cool (for 1985, anyway) video that looked like a comic book.

There was a time when you couldn’t escape hearing silver screen theme songs – in the car, the dentist’s chair, an elevator – wherever you went. My eye still twitches when I hear the opening strains of Celine Dion’s "My Heart Will Go On."

The songs were as big as the movies themselves. We were born to be wild like "Easy Rider." We strutted our stuff with John Travolta ‘cos we, too, were "Stayin’ Alive." We shared misty, watercolor memories with Barbra Streisand. And when Isaac Hayes’ backup singers demanded that we shut our moufs, we innocently replied, "I’m talkin’ ‘bout Shaft!"

Whatever happened to definitive theme songs? There’s been the occasional hit in the last decade, but the stream of true blockbuster songs has pretty much run dry. They just don’t write ‘em like that anymore.

In honor of these odes of yore, below are a few of my favorite movie theme songs. They’re all from the 1980’s because was my theatergoing heyday. I spent much of my free time at the movies because my neighborhood wasn’t wired for cable, VCRs were the size of Buicks and I hadn’t yet become too crabby to tolerate the annoying habits of other moviegoers – you know, talking … popcorn-crunching … soda-slurping … breathing.

* "Eye of The Tiger" – Survivor, "Rocky III" (1982). Show me a high school marching band that can't play this song and I’ll show you a geekatorium where Mathletes is the most popular team sport.

* "Flashdance ... What A Feeling" – Irene Cara, "Flashdance" (1983) This song/movie showed me my true calling as a breakdancer. In the Locked Bedroom Door Contemporary Dance Troupe, that is.

* "I Melt With You" – Modern English, "Valley Girl" (1983)

* "Ghostbusters" – Ray Parker Jr., "Ghostbusters" (1984)

* "Purple Rain" – Prince, "Purple Rain" (1984)

* "Don't You (Forget About Me)" – Simple Minds, "The Breakfast Club" (1985) – I was a combination of the “brain” and the “basket case,” according to a scientific study (translation: a Seventeen Magazine quiz).

* "We Don't Need Another Hero" – Tina Turner, "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" (1985)

* "Glory Of Love" – Peter Cetera, "The Karate Kid Part II" (1986). As twentysomething Ralph Macchio's age finally began to show, his turn as 17-year-old Daniel-san felt like a little bit of a stretch in this fairly decent sequel. I mean, the guy doesn't look a day under 19!

* "Take My Breath Away" – Berlin, "Top Gun" (1986)

* "Who Wants To Live Forever?" – Queen, "Highlander" (1986)

* "In Your Eyes" – Peter Gabriel, "Say Anything" (1989). This song and the scene it underscores inspired countless lovestruck teenage boys to let their boomboxes say what their knotted-up tongues couldn’t. It also inspired countless irate parents to file restraining orders.