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Michael Stipe and producer Andrew Watt have teamed up with Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam) and Travis Barker for “I Played the Fool,” the theme song to HBO’s new series Rooster, starring Steve Carell. Stream it below.
Stipe co-wrote and produced the song with Watt, who also performs on the track alongside Klinghoffer on guitar and piano and Barker on drums. Klinghoffer’s lively piano and Barker’s steady-handed percussion anchor “I Played the Fool (Main Title Theme),” which features Stipe singing, “A sea change came/ It knocked me down/ I’m setting up the punchline now/ Look who tried too hard to play it cool.”
“I’m thrilled to lend my voice to Rooster — as a giant fan of everyone involved, it’s a real honor to be included with ‘I Played the Fool,'” Stipe said in a press statement. Watt added, “Michael Stipe is a hero of mine. A chance to write a song with him was that of a dream… He is one of the true great songwriters of this lifetime and he did what only he could do on this song. He sets Rooster off to the moon by making you laugh and cry at the same time with the best clapping TV theme song since Friends.”
Series co-creator Matt Tarses explained that he always had Stipe in mind for the Rooster theme song, but didn’t expect it to happen. “Our plan had always been to use music from our own time in college in the ’80s. No band was more important to me then than R.E.M.,” he stated. “When Andrew Watt told us he thought he could get Michael Stipe to write and record a new song for us, we said, ‘Cool, good luck with that.’ … A few months later, Andrew sent an early demo of ‘I Played the Fool.’ And when I listened to it on my phone, I cried. I really did. Saying we are excited to have this great song and this iconic voice on our main title is a huge understatement.”
“I Played the Fool” marks Stipe’s first new song since contributing “Future If Future” to Brian Eno’s 2022 Earth Day charity album. He has since appeared on Billy Bragg’s 2023 single “My Youngest Son Came Home Today.”
Rooster, which premiered this past Sunday, March 8th, comes from Tarses and Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Ted Lasso). The series sees Carrell playing author Greg Russo, a college professor navigating a complicated relationship with his daughter, Katie (Charly Clive). The comedy also stars Danielle Deadwyler, Phil Dunster, John C. McGinley, and Lauren Tsai.
English (US) · 