The next in our line of interviews with the people behind some of the most iconic themes is the writer of the iconic Bob the Builder song.
There was a time in the U.K. – remarkably for about one year – that Bob the Builder and its insanely catchy theme song ‘Can We Fix It?’ were simply inescapable. Not since the psychedelic Teletubbies had a children’s TV show gripped the cultural landscape in such a feverish manner; ‘Can We Fix it?’ grooved into your mind and didn’t leave for days.
The song actually celebrated its 20th anniversary in December of last year (feeling old?), having been released on December 4th, 2000. It soon became the U.K.’s official Christmas number one single, going on to sell over one million copies overall in the country. And Bob fancied world domination: in September, 2001, ‘Can We Fix It?’ made it to the top spot in Australia too.
We all know that as soon as we mentioned the name ‘Can We Fix It?’, you immediately remembered all of the the lyrics like it was a primary school afternoon again.
It just so happens that we were lucky enough to track down the original creator of those lyrics, the esteemed composer Paul K. Joyce, and the story of his career and the Bob the Builder theme song is more wild than you probably first thought!
Read on to find out what inspired the ‘Can We Fix It?’ lyrics, Joyce’s surprising pre-Bob the Builder life, the crazy accolades that followed the song, and the amazing place it was recorded.
Way before Bob the Builder, you used to be in a synth pop band called Sense and even toured with Depeche Mode! What were those days like?
It was a wonderful experience, mainly because Depeche Mode were so generous and gave us full access to their PA. We therefore had a great sound and were really well-received by audiences. We always hit the clubs after each gig, so we lived life to the full!
How did the pivot to writing theme songs for television come about?
Despite every effort, Sense didn’t manage to keep going and I couldn’t face trying to build up a band again from scratch. I had contacts in the business who presented other opportunities and one thing led to another. My first gig in TV was performing the theme and incidental music for a little-known animation series called The Little Green Man which featured the U.K. actor Jon Pertwee.
So how did you come to write the theme song for Bob the Builder? Were you the first person asked?
By 1998 I was established as a writer and performer for TV, particularly children’s TV, and yet I was still one of about ten composers who were asked to pitch for Bob the Builder. Composers often pitch for free, so what did producers have to lose by asking several composers to compete against each other?
How did the words first come to you?
There was no way to find a rhyme for ‘builder’ so I had to make the emphasis in the chorus something other than that. That was when the idea of a question and answer format came to me. Writing for children and young people isn’t as straightforward as you might think.
To write well, particularly lyrics, they have to really sit easily in a young person’s mouth and be easy to say. For Bob, I wanted the words to be really definite and easy to sing at volume. We recorded it at Abbey Road studios which was a great experience.
Check out the evolution of the Bob the Builder intro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OQFoigSzaU
What was your reaction when it reached the Christmas number one in the U.K.?
Surreal. I’d worked for so long in bands trying to achieve success, and here it was in the most unlikely form of an animated fellow called Bob. It was a wonderful, unforgettable experience.
Did it feel good to beat someone like Westlife to the top spot?!
As they’d had plenty of number one records I thought that they could cope without one more…
It also became number one in our country, Australia, the following year – did you ever expect to write a song with such a worldwide impact?
Yes, quite frankly. I think it is self-belief that propels and sustains artists in their perilous journey through the entertainment industry. You have to believe in your own ability.
The song was inescapable for about a year. Did you reach the point of being sick of hearing it played everywhere?!
Never! It was all the sweeter for being so unexpected. I put everything I’ve got into every song and instrumental I write and Bob was no different. It seemed to bring so much pleasure into people’s lives.
Do you consider it to be the biggest children’s theme song of all time? Be honest!
I guess it depends on your definition of ‘biggest’. If you mean ‘biggest selling’, then maybe. If you mean ‘most influential’, then yes. It’s nearly 23 years since I wrote it and here we are, still talking about it!
Do you have any children/grandchildren? Were they aware that you were the person behind the Bob the Builder theme song?
I have one niece. She was about 7 when it all happened and was mortally embarrassed when I made an appearance at her school so that the kids could meet me. She just wanted me to go! These days she thinks slightly differently.
Check out the production music for Noddy’s Toyland Adventures:
What was it like to receive the prestigious Ivor Novello for working on Bob the Builder?
Nerve-wracking. As I walked up to the podium I looked down and there in the front row were Stevie Wonder and Annie Lennox. The Clash were there too, as were Kylie Minogue and Roger Daltrey. A lifetime of songwriting and sacrifice went into achieving that moment so I took a deep breath and accepted it with pride.
You’ve written so many theme songs, including for The Worst Witch and Noddy’s Toyland Adventures – is Bob the Builder even your favourite of your work?
Yes and no. My favourite theme, musically, is Noddy which for me captures a more sentimental, almost old-fashioned idea of childhood and what music you might remember when you’re older. Bob, at least the TV theme, does have that little extra something that once you’ve done it, you can’t quite remember how you did it. I wrote it over about three days and it just came instinctively as I’d been well-briefed by the producers.
Check out the Bob the Builder intro:
