debates

So, Is Orange Is the New Black’s Opening Song Catchy or Annoying?

While Vulture staffers are unanimous in their appreciation of Orange Is the New Black, there is one sticking point of contention: The show’s opening song. Regina Spektor’s “You’ve Got Time” was composed especially for the series, but not all of us are fans. Here, Margaret Lyons and Lindsey Weber debate its merits. Tell us what you think in the comments section.

Margaret Lyons: I watched all of Orange Is the New Black in, oh, two or three days? And while my affection for the characters grew and grew with every episode, my ability to tolerate that Regina Spektor song diminished. The first few seconds are okay, but once the first “yooouuuuu’ve / gooooot / tiiime!” kicks in, I’m done. Something about the slide from that E-flat up to the B-flat just really, really irks me. “Taking steps is easy / standing still is hard” is both dumb and completely false — take it from the couch potato who watched this show in three sittings, standing still is incredibly easy — and the sound effects of clinkity clankity cell doors slamming does nothing for me. I like Regina Spektor just fine, and I think the imagery in that title sequence is great, but man, that song just drives me crazy. Also, it’s louder than the rest of the show, so it’s always BLARING. Worst.

Lindsey Weber: Full disclosure, I really like Regina Spektor. I am known to enjoy listening to her while on my semi-regular four-hour Amtrak rides between Boston and New York. And I really like OITNB creator Jenji Kohan’s music sense. She made me cry twice by using Rilo Kiley on the first and last episodes of Weeds and also commissioned covers of “Little Boxes” for each season. Putting the two together just works for me. Understandably, if you’re choosing to binge-watch the show (and we’ve established that Netflix definitely makes it extremely easy to do so), any intro song is gonna bore itself into your brain, but I see “You’ve Got Time” as a nice palate cleanser between each episode. The song’s cell-door clanging starts each episode with a bit of threatening tension and Spektor’s quickened pace sends us in with a sense of forward motion. And, hey, at least it’s loud enough to wake you up in case you’ve fallen asleep on the couch, mid-marathon.

Is OITNB’s Opening Song Catchy or Annoying?