"The Muppet Show Theme" is a song originally written for The Muppet Show by Sam Pottle and Jim Henson. Although it evolved visually over the course of the show's five seasons, the musical composition remained substantially the same.
Despite The Muppet Show being released even before Disney's acquisition of the Muppets in 2004, it is one of the few memorable elements of The Muppets franchise to be actively marketed in Disney media inspired by the franchise due to the success of The Muppet Show over the decades.
In “The Muppets”, the theme (both the original version and a new recording for the movie) is heard during the flashbacks of Walter’s childhood at the beginning. The song is briefly rehearsed later in the film after the Muppets get back together. The season 3 version of the song is performed at the beginning of The Muppet Show’s one-night revival, The Muppet Telethon. With only Hobo Joe in the audience, he is the only one to sing the “why don’t you get things started?” line (in a contrasting female soprano voice).
In "Muppets Most Wanted", the Muppets perform the theme twice on their world tour. For their first stop in Germany, they attempt to open the show by performing the theme in German. However, the song is abruptly cut short when Constantine (posing as Kermit) faints in front of the audience and falls out of the sign onto the stage. Later in Madrid, the theme is fully performed in Spanish with traditional Spanish instruments and all the Muppets wearing stereotypical Spanish clothing.
Lyrics[]
Kermit:
It's the Muppet Show with our very special guest star…
(name of celebrity on episode)!
Female Chorus:
It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets
On The Muppet Show tonight
Male Chorus:
It's time to put on makeup
It's time to dress up right
It's time to raise the curtain
On The Muppet Show tonight
Statler & Waldorf:
Why do we always come here?
I guess we'll never know
It's like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show
Kermit:
To introduce our guest star
That's what I'm here to do
So it really makes me happy
To introduce to you...
(announces celebrity of the episode)
The Muppets:
But now let's get things started
Audience
Why don't you get things started?
Kermit:
It's time to get things started
The Muppets:
On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational
This is what we call The Muppet Show!
Female Chorus:
It's time to play the music
It's time to light the lights
It's time to meet the Muppets
On The Muppet Show tonight
Male Chorus:
It's time to put on makeup
It's time to dress up right
It's time to get things started
Hobo Joe in Soprano voice:
Why don't you get things started?
Statler, spoken:
I always dreamed we'd be back here.
Waldorf, spoken:
Dreams? Those were nightmares!
Statler & Waldorf:
Ho, ho, ho!
Kermit:
It's time to get things started
The Muppets:
On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational
This is what we call the Muppet Show!
It's time to put on music
It's time to light the light
It's time to meet the Muppets
On The Muppet Show tonight
It's time to put on makeup
It's time to dress up right
It's time to raise the curtains
On The Muppet Show tonight
Why do we always come here?
I guess we'll never know
It's like a kind of torture
To have to watch the show
To introduce our guest star
That's what I'm here to do
So it really makes me happy
To introduce to you...
So now let's get it started
Why don't we get it started?
It's time to get things started
On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational
This is what we call The Muppet Show!
It's the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Muppetational
This is what we call The Muppet Show!