1981
Performed by Lee Majors (later Blake Shelton)
Words and Music by Glen A. Larson, Dave Somerville, and Gail Jensen
What could be cheesier (or more singalong fun) than a TV theme song? How about one that sets up (week after week) the premise of the show? Think of such classics as the themes to The Beverly Hillbillies, The Flinstones or Gilligan’s Island? Granted, “The Unknown Stuntman,” the country-ish theme song for the eighties TV show The Fall Guy (1981-86, ABC), never quite reached that iconic status, but the fromage-quotient still remains high, thanks to the fact that it was even sung by the show’s star, Lee Majors, who played a Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a bounty hunter.
Even better? When they resurrected the premise as a big-budget summer blockbuster, they revamped some of the forty-year-old lyrics, notably dumping the cringey name-dropping (it hasn’t aged well), and got a gen-u-wine country crooner, Blake Sheldon, to sing it.
Below are the lyrics to both versions:
THE LEE MAJORS VERSION
Well, I’m not the kind to kiss and tell,
But I’ve been seen with Farrah.
I’ve never been with anything less than a nine, so fine.
I’ve been on fire with Sally Field,
Gone fast with a girl named Bo.
But somehow they just don’t end up as mine.
It’s a death-defyin’ life I lead,
I take my chances.
I die for a livin’ in the movies and TV.
But the hardest thing I ever do is watch my leading ladies
Kiss some other guy while I’m bandagin’ my knee.
I might fall from a tall buildin’,
I might roll a brand-new car.
‘Cause I’m the unknown stuntman
That made Redford such a star.
I’ve never spent much time in school,
But I’ve taught ladies plenty.
It’s true I hire my body out for pay,
A hey, hey!
I’ve gotten burned over Cheryl Tiegs,
Blown up for Raquel Welch,
But when I wind up in the hay, it’s only hay,
A hey hey!
I might jump an open drawbridge,
Or Tarzan from a vine,
‘Cause I’m the unknown stuntman
That makes Eastwood look so fine.
THE BLAKE SHELTON VERSION
Well I’m not the type to run and hide
When I come close to danger
I’ve never been afraid to take the fall, And I fall
I walk the wire through rain and fire
Go fast and I’ll go slow
Somehow I get stronger through it all
It’s a death defying life I lead
But I’ll take my chances
I’ve died for a livin’ in the movies and TV
But the hardest thing I’ll ever do
Is watch my leading ladies
Kiss some other guy while I’m bandagin’ my knee
I might fall from a tall building
I might roll a brand new car
‘Cause I’m the unknown stuntman
Who’d die to havе your heart
I’ve nevеr spent much time in school
Oh, but I did my learnin’
I drove my heart through a burnin’ rain of fire
Been hurt and I’ve been broken down
But somehow I’m still yearnin’
‘Cause through it all she’s still on my mind
I might fall from a tall building
I might roll a brand new car
‘Cause I’m the unknown stuntman
Who’d die to have your heart
I might fall from a tall building
I might roll a brand new car
‘Cause I’m the unknown stuntman
Who’d die to have your heart
Yeah, I might fall from a tall building
I might roll a brand new car
‘Cause I’m the unknown stuntman
Who’d die to have your heart
FURTHER INVESTIGATION
- Colt Seavers (The Fall Guy)
This site’s entry on Colt - It’s Only Words
Lyrics to Some Songs About Private Eyes and Other Miscreants
“Even better? When they resurrected the premise as a big-budget summer blockbuster, they revamped some of the forty-year-old lyrics, notably dumping the cringey name-dropping (it hasn’t aged well), and got a gen-u-wine country crooner, Blake Sheldon, to sing it.”
There’s nothing ‘better’ about it. The original song was making fun of big stars because Lee Majors knew them and could get away with it, They just made it worse by taking the humour out. And ‘cringey’? Jeez.
But Majors wasn’t going to sing it, was he? So Shelton singing about “being” with Farrah would have been extra cringey. Besides the fact that a good chunk of the audience wouldn’t have a clue who Farrah or any of the other “big stars” from the 1980s were.