Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)/Theme song (2024)

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme Song, for the 1987 TV series is the most iconic song in the franchise. The instrumental version plays during the action scenes and the end credits. In the Red Sky episodes, the song was remade.

Lyrics[]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Heroes in the half shell
Turtle Power!

They're the world's most fearsome fighting team (We're really hip!)
They're heroes in a half shell and they're green (Hey - get a grip!)
When the evil Shredder attacks
These turtle boys don't cut him no slack

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Splinter taught them to be ninja teens (He's a radical rat!)
Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines (That's a fact, jack!)
Raphaelis cool but (c)rude (Gimmie a break!)*
Michelangelo is a party dude (Party!)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Heroes in the half shell
Turtle Power!

Intro on YouTube

Censored UK version[]

Teenage Mutant Hero TurtlesTeenage Mutant Hero TurtlesTeenage Mutant Hero Turtles>Heroes in a half-shell>Turtle power!They're the world's most fearsome fighting team (We're really hip!)They're heroes in a half-shell and they're green (Hey - get a grip!)When the evil Shredder attacksThese turtle boys don't cut him no slack!Teenage Mutant Hero TurtlesTeenage Mutant Hero TurtlesSplinter taught them to be fighting teens (He's a radical rat!)Leonardo leads, Donatello does machines (That's a fact, jack!)Raphael is cool but (c)rude (Gimme a break!)Michelangelo is a party dude (Party!)Teenage Mutant Hero TurtlesTeenage Mutant Hero TurtlesTeenage Mutant Hero TurtlesHeroes in a half shellTurtle power!

2nd Version[]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Turtle Power!
They're the world's most fearsome fighting team
They're heroes in a half shell and they're green
When the evil Shredder attacks
Turtles fight back
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Turtle Power!

2nd UK Version[]

Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Turtle Power!
They're the world's most fearsome fighting team
They're heroes in a half shell and they're green
When the evil Shredder attacks
Turtles fight back
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles
Turtle Power!

Crude or Rude?[]

Throughout the years, it has been disputed whether the theme song defines Raphael as "cool but crude" or "cool but rude". The dispute stems from the fact both terms have similar meanings, both can apply to the character, and multiple official sources using both terms:

• Archive screenshots from the official website say a few different things: The first screenshot from 1/29/00 says "cool but brute"; screenshots from 3/7/00 to 6/14/01 say "cool but rude"; the screenshots from 12/3/01 until the last archived screenshot on 6/20/12 say "cool but crude".
• Chuck Lorre's website says "cool but rude".
• Both forms have been used in advertising and merchandising.
• The lyric is clearly "cool but crude" in the cover used in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.
• The subtitles for the DVD set use "cool but rude"
• If you listen carefully in the intro without voices. It says "cool but rude" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1jN46jys1w

Trivia[]

• In the European version a few lyrics words were replaced in the song, "Ninja Turtles" to "Hero Turtles" and "ninja teens" to "fighting teens". Also the scene with Michelangelo's nunchaku were removed and was replaced with footage from the show.
• This song was used by the Disney MGM Studios for the TMNT performance.
• The Red Sky version of the theme song remained unchanged in the 9th and 10th seasons even though they had Lord Dregg replace the Shredder as the main antagonist.
• Chuck Lorre, the famous sitcom creator's, first real television credit was penning the lyrics for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song.
• Three sitcoms created by Lorre mentioned the theme song.
  • In Two and a Half Men the main character, Charlie, tells his nephew, Jake, this theme song was one of his first works and plays its beginning on the piano.
  • In The Big Bang Theory Sheldon sings the beginning of the theme song while listing his favorite theme songs of all time. His friends Leonard, Howard and Raj follow him saying "Turtle Power" at the end.
  • In Young Sheldon, Missy asks Pastor Jeff if he can sing the theme song in one episode and even plays in the background at the end of another
• Lorre also voiced the turtles' speaking parts of the song.
• There is a cover version of this theme made by the band Bonded by Blood included in their 2008 debut album Feed the Beast.
• Some of the song's lyrics have been re-used for the opening themes of the 2012 TV series and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
• Michelangelo often hums this theme song in the 2012 TV series.
• This theme song is also the T-Phones ringtone in the 2012 TV series.
• In the 2014 film, the theme song was referenced via the honking of the Turtle Van's horn.
• Whilst not a reference to the theme itself, in the game Injustice 2 one of Raphael's taunt animations depicts him splat his pizza towards the camera, which references the opening animation where his 1987 TV counterpart did the same thing.
• The opening FMV for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge features a cover by Mike Patton for this classic theme song from the 1987 TV cartoon.

Videos[]