Not content with producing, re-writing the lion's share of the original series episode and creating Star Trek in the first place along with trying to get his girlfriend a recurring role, casting her in the pilot only for the network to fire her Gene Roddenberry demanded even more of the Enterprise-shaped pie. Which he did. By ensuring he got 50% of any royalties from the theme song. Now, Gene Roddenberry is many things, but he is not a composer. And if you check the end credits, you'll see that the iconic, operatic orchestral theme was actually the work of Alexander Courage. And yet Roddenberry gets half of the money whenever the show airs, or the theme is used elsewhere. How did he swing that? By writing lyrics for Courage's theme song. Except he made those lyrics so silly and borderline un-singable that they never got used, but his contract with the network meant he got credited as co-composer of the theme anyway. Not a fact that Courage was happy about. Still, if you want to try singing them at home, you can find Roddenberry's lost lyrics here. If you really want to, at least. They're no Rocket Man... Beyond The rim of the star-light My love Is wand'ring in star-flight I know He'll find in star-clustered reaches Love, Strange love a star woman teaches. I know His journey ends never His star trek Will go on forever. But tell him While he wanders his starry sea Remember, remember me.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
