Many iconic television theme songs birth earworms that are not easy to eradicate. Their lyrics catchy chords memorable, and tunes were sometimes more impactful on the viewer than the cast. Theme songs can be categorized in 3 ways: the instrumental, the plot narrative and, my favorite, the original theme song.

The instrumental can be just a whistle like The Andy Griffith Show that makes you want to skip a stone across a crick. Or the uber plucky, awkward bass chords from Seinfeld that personifies Elaine's dance moves. Or as detailed and masterful as the Game of Thrones symphony. I dare say you can't hear a sultry, smooth cello without thinking of a dashingly handsome little person, dragon queen, or white walker. Those wordless wonders brand their shows with notes.

There are theme songs that describe the plot of the show. For example, when you hear "yabba-dabba-do," you flash to a show about the modern Stone age family. Two snaps brings your mind to Morticia and her creepy and kookie family. And "In West Philadelphia born and raised…" tells the background story of Will moving to Bell Air with his Aunt and Uncle. Sometimes we know what the show is about just by watching the opening credits.

My babies love to hear me sing the Monkees theme song. The lyrics are as cute as Davy Jones and send an adorable message. "Hey, hey, we're the Monkees. And people say we monkey around, but we're too busy singing to put anybody down. We're just tryin' to be friendly. Come and watch us sing and play. We're the young generation, and we've got something to say…" Another excellent example of a theme song with a plot narrative.

The kinds of theme songs that stick with me are those with a message. "I'll be there for you…" from the Friends theme song makes me want to call my bestie. "Where everybody knows your name…" brings hometown heart, toasts, and Cheer. And when you're "Searching your soul tonight," you morph from a caterpillar to butterfly-like Ally McBeal.

My absolute favorite and perhaps my mantra for 2020 comes from my pals Laverne and Shirley. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, shlemiel, schlemazel, hasenpfeffer incorporated. We're gonna do it! Give us any chance, we'll take it. Read us any rule, we'll break it. We're gonna make our dreams come true, doin' it our way. Nothin's gonna turn us back now. Straight ahead and on the track now. We're gonna make our dreams come true, doin' it our way…There is nothing we won't try. Never heard the word impossible. This time there's no stopping us. We're gonna do it..our way, yes our way. Make all our dreams come true for me and you." Doesn't that just make you smile, bring out your best you, and have an overwhelming desire to monogram every shirt you own?

Thank you, composers and songwriters, for your impactful work. I am listening. For what its worth, I find all of these songs so fun that they are on my workout playlist. If you see me jammin' away with headphones on, know that a shlemiel is not too far in the distance.