The Friends Theme But It’s Joy Division

Just what it says on the tin, and just as good you might hope it’d be.

When the producers of Friends failed to get the rights to R.E.M.‘s “Shiny Happy People,” they recruited The Rembrandts to record “I’ll Be There for You,” and the rest was history. “I’ll Be There for You” is undoubtedly one of the most well-known TV theme songs of all time, and for good reason: it’s catchy as all get-out, and its jangly guitars and handclaps instantly worm their way into your subconscious.

The only thing it’s missing, it seems, is some post-punk gloom, which is where Joshua Woo comes in. Woo specializes in creating offbeat covers, like Pink Floyd in the style of the Bee Gees or The Police in the style of The Smiths. Or in this case, a Joy Division-esque take on “I’ll Be There for You.”

Sure, it’s kind of gimmicky, but it works surprisingly well, especially when Woo takes to his Telecaster. Indeed, it sounds like something that could’ve emerged from the current crop of post-punk revivalists. As one commenter put it, it’s the sort of song that Interpol has made a career out of.

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