Townes brought up the idea of him and Smith making the theme song after learning the music for the series (composed and produced by Quincy Jones) were made and presented what would become the music for the theme song. Smith wrote the lyrics after reading up on the scripts from the pilot episode.[4] Smith then presented the song to Jones and he immediately loved it and accepted it as the theme song.
The song was released as a single in the Netherlands and Spain by Jive Records in 1992, with "Parents Just Don't Understand" as its B-side,[3] and it was re-released in 2016 by the record label Enjoy the Ride.[5] It became a hit in these countries, peaking at number three in the Netherlands and number two in Spain, and it received a Silver sales certification in the United Kingdom in February 2018. The song appeared on DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince's Greatest Hits album, along with a number of compilation albums.[6]
Lyrically, the song is storytellingnarrative,[7] describing how its protagonist was "born and raised" in West Philadelphia, but after a violent encounter he was sent to live with family in Bel Air, Los Angeles. As one account maintains, the protagonist "raps about his mother sending him to live with his aunt and uncle because she was afraid that he would fall victim to [his] tough West Philadelphia neighborhood".[8] It has thus been described as an example of the tendency of rappers to "present pathological perspectives of their own communities".[8] The song further "explains how a boy from the ghetto would end up living in Bel-Air", and thereby "ushers in a fantasy" of an implausible scenario in which a poor person escapes to wealth.[9]
Single track listing
7" vinyl
A-side – "Yo Home to Bel-Air" (7" Radio Mix) – 3:23
The single was released exclusively in the Netherlands and Spain in 1992. In the former country, it spent 10 weeks on the Dutch Top 40, peaking at number three.[1] In Spain, it debuted at number two, its peak, and stayed in the top 20 for seven weeks.[10] Although it was not released in the United Kingdom, the song earned a Silver sales certification from the British Phonographic Industry in February 2018 for sales and streams of over 200,000.[11]
An article on the MTV.co.uk website stated about the song, "Say what you want, but considering the sitcom wrapped up over 20 years ago and people are still able to start spitting out those lyrics on cue, its lasting appeal is undeniably impressive."[12] Tom Eames of Digital Spy ranked the song 3rd in a list of 25 sitcom theme songs.[13] and Rolling Stone readers ranked the song 6th out of a list of 10 television theme songs.[14]
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
References
^ abc "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^Bodenner, Chris. "Track of the Day: 'The Fresh Prince of Bel Air'". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
^ abc"DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Yo Home to Bel-Air" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^Rap Radar: Will Smith, retrieved December 2, 2021
^"Yo Home to Bel Air/Parents Just Don't Understand – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince | Releases | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
^"AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands". AllMusic. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
^Jeremy Orlebar, Jonathan Bignell, The Television Handbook (2007), p. 90.
^ abJennifer A. Sandlin, Brian D. Schultz, Jake Burdick, Handbook of Public Pedagogy: Education and Learning Beyond Schooling (2010), p. 225.
^Rinaldo Walcott, "'It's My Nature': The Discourse of Experience and Black Canadian Music", in Joan Nicks and Jeannette Sloniowski, eds., Slippery Pastimes: Reading the Popular in Canadian Culture (2002), p. 271.
^ abSalaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN84-8048-639-2.
^ ab"British single certifications – Dj Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince – The Fresh Prince of Bel Air". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
^"What You Missed In Music: Sky Axes Controversial Michael Jackson Comedy, Ed Sheeran Covers Fresh Prince | MTV UK". MTV.co.uk. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
^Eames, Tom (October 5, 2016). "Ranking the top 25 TV sitcom themes EVER". Digital Spy. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
^"Readers Poll: The Best TV Theme Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 9, 2017.
^"Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1992". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
^"Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
fresh, prince, theme, song, home, informally, known, fresh, prince, theme, song, performed, jazzy, jeff, fresh, prince, theme, song, sitcom, fresh, prince, lyrics, were, composed, sitcom, star, will, smith, performing, under, stage, name, fresh, prince, song, . Yo Home to Bel Air informally known as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme 1 is a song performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff amp The Fresh Prince It is the theme song to the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 2 Lyrics were composed by sitcom star Will Smith performing under his stage name The Fresh Prince and the song was produced by Jeffrey Townes under his stage name DJ Jazzy Jeff 3 Yo Home to Bel Air Artwork for Dutch and German releasesSingle by DJ Jazzy Jeff amp The Fresh PrinceReleasedSeptember 21 1992 1992 09 21 Recorded1990GenreEast Coast hip hopLength2 58LabelJiveSongwriter s Willard Smith Jeffrey TownesProducer s DJ Jazzy JeffDJ Jazzy Jeff amp The Fresh Prince singles chronology The Things That U Do 1992 Yo Home to Bel Air 1992 I Wanna Rock 1992 Townes brought up the idea of him and Smith making the theme song after learning the music for the series composed and produced by Quincy Jones were made and presented what would become the music for the theme song Smith wrote the lyrics after reading up on the scripts from the pilot episode 4 Smith then presented the song to Jones and he immediately loved it and accepted it as the theme song The song was released as a single in the Netherlands and Spain by Jive Records in 1992 with Parents Just Don t Understand as its B side 3 and it was re released in 2016 by the record label Enjoy the Ride 5 It became a hit in these countries peaking at number three in the Netherlands and number two in Spain and it received a Silver sales certification in the United Kingdom in February 2018 The song appeared on DJ Jazzy Jeff amp The Fresh Prince s Greatest Hits album along with a number of compilation albums 6 Contents 1 Theme 2 Single track listing 2 1 7 vinyl 2 2 12 vinyl 2 3 CD single 3 Reception 4 Charts 4 1 Weekly charts 4 2 Year end charts 5 Certifications 6 References 7 External linksTheme EditLyrically the song is storytelling narrative 7 describing how its protagonist was born and raised in West Philadelphia but after a violent encounter he was sent to live with family in Bel Air Los Angeles As one account maintains the protagonist raps about his mother sending him to live with his aunt and uncle because she was afraid that he would fall victim to his tough West Philadelphia neighborhood 8 It has thus been described as an example of the tendency of rappers to present pathological perspectives of their own communities 8 The song further explains how a boy from the ghetto would end up living in Bel Air and thereby ushers in a fantasy of an implausible scenario in which a poor person escapes to wealth 9 Single track listing Edit7 vinyl Edit A side Yo Home to Bel Air 7 Radio Mix 3 23 B side Parents Just Don t Understand 5 1212 vinyl Edit A side Yo Home to Bel Air Extended Version 5 18 Yo Home to Bel Air 7 Radio Mix 3 23B side Yo Home to Bel Air Summertime Mix 5 25 The Fresh Prince of Bel Air 2 57CD single Edit Yo Home to Bel Air 7 Radio Mix 3 23 Parents Just Don t Understand 5 18Reception EditThe single was released exclusively in the Netherlands and Spain in 1992 In the former country it spent 10 weeks on the Dutch Top 40 peaking at number three 1 In Spain it debuted at number two its peak and stayed in the top 20 for seven weeks 10 Although it was not released in the United Kingdom the song earned a Silver sales certification from the British Phonographic Industry in February 2018 for sales and streams of over 200 000 11 An article on the MTV co uk website stated about the song Say what you want but considering the sitcom wrapped up over 20 years ago and people are still able to start spitting out those lyrics on cue its lasting appeal is undeniably impressive 12 Tom Eames of Digital Spy ranked the song 3rd in a list of 25 sitcom theme songs 13 and Rolling Stone readers ranked the song 6th out of a list of 10 television theme songs 14 Charts EditWeekly charts Edit Chart 1992 1994 PeakpositionNetherlands Dutch Top 40 1 3Netherlands Single Top 100 3 4Spain AFYVE 10 2 Year end charts Edit Chart 1992 PositionNetherlands Dutch Top 40 15 34Netherlands Single Top 100 16 82Certifications EditRegion Certification Certified units salesUnited Kingdom BPI 11 Silver 200 000 Sales streaming figures based on certification alone References Edit a b c Nederlandse Top 40 week 47 1992 in Dutch Dutch Top 40 Retrieved February 17 2020 Bodenner Chris Track of the Day The Fresh Prince of Bel Air The Atlantic Retrieved March 9 2017 a b c DJ Jazzy Jeff amp The Fresh Prince Yo Home to Bel Air in Dutch Single Top 100 Retrieved February 17 2020 Rap Radar Will Smith retrieved December 2 2021 Yo Home to Bel Air Parents Just Don t Understand DJ Jazzy Jeff amp the Fresh Prince Releases AllMusic AllMusic Retrieved March 9 2017 AllMusic Record Reviews Streaming Songs Genres amp Bands AllMusic Retrieved March 10 2017 Jeremy Orlebar Jonathan Bignell The Television Handbook 2007 p 90 a b Jennifer A Sandlin Brian D Schultz Jake Burdick Handbook of Public Pedagogy Education and Learning Beyond Schooling 2010 p 225 Rinaldo Walcott It s My Nature The Discourse of Experience and Black Canadian Music in Joan Nicks and Jeannette Sloniowski eds Slippery Pastimes Reading the Popular in Canadian Culture 2002 p 271 a b Salaverri Fernando September 2005 Solo exitos ano a ano 1959 2002 1st ed Spain Fundacion Autor SGAE ISBN 84 8048 639 2 a b British single certifications Dj Jazzy Jeff amp Fresh Prince The Fresh Prince of Bel Air British Phonographic Industry Retrieved February 17 2020 What You Missed In Music Sky Axes Controversial Michael Jackson Comedy Ed Sheeran Covers Fresh Prince MTV UK MTV co uk Retrieved March 9 2017 Eames Tom October 5 2016 Ranking the top 25 TV sitcom themes EVER Digital Spy Retrieved March 9 2017 Readers Poll The Best TV Theme Songs Rolling Stone Retrieved March 9 2017 Top 100 Jaaroverzicht van 1992 Dutch Top 40 Retrieved February 22 2022 Jaaroverzichten Single 1992 in Dutch MegaCharts Retrieved February 17 2020 External links EditFull version on YouTube Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song amp oldid 1119810832, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
