General Discussion

Brigid

(17,621 posts) Mon Jul 14, 2014, 02:54 AM Jul 2014

Does this '70's sitcom theme song have a familiar ring to it?

Listening to the lyrics, it seem to me we're dealing with the same issues now as we were 40 years ago.

18 replies

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Does this '70's sitcom theme song have a familiar ring to it? (Original Post) Brigid Jul 2014 OP

Temporary lay offs! Good times. Easy credit rip-offs! Good times. Warren DeMontague Jul 2014 #1

"Good Times" was the most interesting of the '70's sitcoms. Brigid Jul 2014 #2

That was a good show :) shenmue Jul 2014 #3

John Amos was great in that show!! Va Lefty Jul 2014 #4

The Wiki article says his character died in a car accident Art_from_Ark Jul 2014 #17

Hangin' in a chow line... lame54 Jul 2014 #5

It's hangin in and jivin. Not hangin in a chow line. boston bean Jul 2014 #7

Both versions have been cited as accurate, the composers say it says 'hangin in and jivin'. Bluenorthwest Jul 2014 #8

You are probably right but... lame54 Jul 2014 #10

I love watching Good Times marathons aikoaiko Jul 2014 #6

Triva tidbit: Ja'net Dubois, who played Willona the neighbor on Good Times, wrote and sang the theme Bluenorthwest Jul 2014 #9

She sang the Jefferson's theme song too RockaFowler Jul 2014 #11

That's what I was saying. Bluenorthwest Jul 2014 #12

Is that true? Wow, what voices, all of them, but closeupready Jul 2014 #15

That Was A Great Show Liberal_Dog Jul 2014 #13

It's funny - growing up in one of the whitest whitebread places probably closeupready Jul 2014 #14

Ain't we lucky we got 'em? Unmenacing Dennis Jul 2014 #16

"Just lookin' out of the window" AgingAmerican Jul 2014 #18

Warren DeMontague

(80,708 posts)

1. Temporary lay offs! Good times. Easy credit rip-offs! Good times.

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 03:08 AM

Jul 2014

I dont even need to play the video, ive already got the song going.

Brigid

(17,621 posts)

2. "Good Times" was the most interesting of the '70's sitcoms.

Reply to Warren DeMontague (Reply #1)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 03:14 AM

Jul 2014

shenmue

(38,506 posts)

3. That was a good show :)

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 05:30 AM

Jul 2014

I liked it.

Va Lefty

(6,252 posts)

4. John Amos was great in that show!!

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 08:30 AM

Jul 2014

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)

17. The Wiki article says his character died in a car accident

Reply to Va Lefty (Reply #4)

Tue Jul 15, 2014, 12:50 AM

Jul 2014

but somehow I had been under the impression that he was off working in Alaska

lame54

(35,294 posts)

5. Hangin' in a chow line...

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 08:35 AM

Jul 2014

the hard to decipher lyric

boston bean

(36,221 posts)

7. It's hangin in and jivin. Not hangin in a chow line.

Reply to lame54 (Reply #5)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 08:44 AM

Jul 2014

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)

8. Both versions have been cited as accurate, the composers say it says 'hangin in and jivin'.

Reply to boston bean (Reply #7)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 09:29 AM

Jul 2014

That specific lyric is semi famously difficult to discern.

lame54

(35,294 posts)

10. You are probably right but...

Reply to boston bean (Reply #7)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:27 AM

Jul 2014

Here is my source

and hangin' in and jivin' is the only lyric in that chorus that's not a juxtaposition to "good times"

Temporary lay offs. - Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs. - Good Times.
Scratchin’ and surviving. - Good Times.
Hangin in and jivin' - Good Times.
Ain’t we lucky we got ‘em - Good Times.

which is how the line hangin' in a chow line, which is a juxtaposition, can be easily mistaken as the line

aikoaiko

(34,172 posts)

6. I love watching Good Times marathons

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 08:39 AM

Jul 2014

I suppose I could find them on netflix, but it feel more authentic on tv.

Good Times.
Any time you meet a payment.
Good Times.
Any time you need a friend.
Good Times.
Any time you're out from under.

Not getting hastled, not getting hustled.
Keepin' your head above water,
Making a wave when you can.

Temporary lay offs.
Good Times.
Easy credit rip offs.
Good Times.
Scratchin' and surviving.
Good Times.
Hangin in a chow line
Good Times.
Ain't we lucky we got 'em
Good Times.

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/goodtimeslyrics.html

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)

9. Triva tidbit: Ja'net Dubois, who played Willona the neighbor on Good Times, wrote and sang the theme

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 09:34 AM

Jul 2014

song for the Jeffersons...sang the stuffing out of it actually.

RockaFowler

(7,429 posts)

11. She sang the Jefferson's theme song too

Reply to Bluenorthwest (Reply #9)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:29 AM

Jul 2014

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)

12. That's what I was saying.

Reply to RockaFowler (Reply #11)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:30 AM

Jul 2014

closeupready

(29,503 posts)

15. Is that true? Wow, what voices, all of them, but

Reply to Bluenorthwest (Reply #9)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:37 PM

Jul 2014

particularly that wailing at the end - love it.

Liberal_Dog

(11,075 posts)

13. That Was A Great Show

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 11:41 AM

Jul 2014

I remember one episode where James & Florida find a report titled "Sexual Behavior In The Projects".

Thinking that the report belongs to JJ, James is amused. But when he finds out the report is Thelma's, he explodes, "ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING READING THIS FILTHY PIECE OF TRASH".

Even as an eleven year old boy, I was struck by the double standard that it was OK for the guy to be doing it but horrible if the girl does it.

I also remember this particular exchange between James and Florida in that episode:

James: "Guys don't get pregnant".
Florida: "No. But they're usually near the scene of the crime".

That was only one of many memorable episodes.

closeupready

(29,503 posts)

14. It's funny - growing up in one of the whitest whitebread places probably

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:35 PM

Jul 2014

in America, lol, I always loved this theme song - most people I knew hated it (the song, the show, Norman Lear and his ideas) and of course Cabrini-Green (which is the public housing complex seen here) was infamous, rightly so, but thanks for the memories of those days.

Unmenacing Dennis

(50 posts)

16. Ain't we lucky we got 'em?

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 11:11 PM

Jul 2014

Actually, no, we're not.

AgingAmerican

(12,958 posts)

18. "Just lookin' out of the window"

Reply to Brigid (Original post)

Tue Jul 15, 2014, 03:50 AM

Jul 2014

"Watching the asphalt grow. Thinking how it all looks hand me down. ..."

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