The History Of Everything: Unpacking The Big Bang Theory Theme Tune Lyrics And 7 Mind-Blowing Facts

As of today, December 11, 2025, the theme song for *The Big Bang Theory* remains one of the most recognizable and intellectually dense opening tunes in television history, a rapid-fire science lesson set to a catchy, upbeat rhythm. Titled "The History of Everything," the song perfectly encapsulates the show's core premise: two brilliant but socially awkward physicists, Leonard Hofstadter and Sheldon Cooper, navigating a world that often baffles them. The lyrics, penned and performed by the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies, manage to condense nearly 14 billion years of cosmic and human evolution into a mere 30-second blast of pop-rock. This deep dive will not only provide the complete, full-length lyrics for the song but also reveal the surprising, almost accidental story of its creation, cementing its place as an iconic piece of pop culture topical authority.

The Complete 'The History of Everything' Lyrics

The theme song, officially released in its full-length version, is a masterwork of scientific storytelling. It’s a lyrical journey from the universe's birth to the dawn of man, featuring key scientific and historical entities. While the TV version is a short edit, the full Barenaked Ladies track, "The History of Everything," provides a much deeper narrative.

Artist: Barenaked Ladies

Writer: Ed Robertson

Full Title: The History of Everything (The Big Bang Theory Theme)

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Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...

The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (We built the pyramids!),
Math, science, history, unravelling the mysteries,
That all started with the Big Bang!

(Chorus)
Since the dawn of man is really not that long,
As every galaxy was formed in less time than it takes to sing this song.
A fraction of a second and the elements were made.
The bipeds stood up straight,
The dinosaurs all met their fate,
They tried to leap but they were late
And they all died (They froze their asses off!).
The oceans and T-Rex, dinosaurs and sex,
Unravelling the mysteries,
That all started with the Big Bang!

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It all started with the Big Bang!

Music and mythology, Einstein and astrology.
It all started with the Big Bang!

It all started with the Big Bang!

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It's expanding ever outward but one day
It will pause and start to go the other way,
Collapsing ever inward (We won't be here, it won't be missed),
Our best and brightest figure that it'll make a lovely mess.

Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state,
Then nearly fourteen billion years ago expansion started. Wait...

The Earth began to cool,
The autotrophs began to drool,
Neanderthals developed tools,
We built a wall (We built the pyramids!),
Math, science, history, unravelling the mysteries,
That all started with the Big Bang!

It all started with the Big Bang!

It all started with the Big Bang!

7 Shocking Facts About The Big Bang Theory Theme Song's Creation

The theme song is more than just a quick jingle; it’s a meticulously crafted piece of musical comedy that almost didn't happen. The story behind how Barenaked Ladies’ frontman, Ed Robertson, came to write the song is filled with surprising twists and last-minute decisions, adding layers to the show's rich history.

1. It Was Written in a Shower in Just 15 Minutes

The most famous piece of trivia surrounding the theme is its incredibly quick composition. Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies was initially hesitant about writing a theme song for a TV show. However, after a phone call with co-creator Chuck Lorre, Robertson was inspired. He claims he wrote the bulk of the rapid-fire, science-packed lyrics in a mere 15 minutes while taking a shower, capturing the essence of the show's intellectual energy instantly. [cite: 5, 7 of previous search]

2. The Original Theme Was a Completely Different Song

Before Ed Robertson was enlisted, the pilot episode of *The Big Bang Theory* featured a different, pre-existing song. [cite: 3 of previous search] The creators decided it wasn't the right fit, and the show's co-creator, Bill Prady, who was a fan of Barenaked Ladies, suggested they approach the band. This last-minute decision led to the creation of the iconic tune that defined the series.

3. The Title Is 'The History of Everything'

While everyone knows it as "The Big Bang Theory Theme Song," the full-length version of the track is officially titled "The History of Everything." [cite: 4 of previous search] This title perfectly reflects the song's lyrical ambition, which attempts to summarize the entire timeline of the cosmos, from a "hot, dense state" to the development of human civilization.

4. The Band Was Approached After a Sting Concert

The collaboration between the show's producers and Barenaked Ladies was born out of a chance encounter. Co-creators Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady attended a Sting concert and saw Barenaked Ladies perform as the opening act. [cite: 8 of previous search] Impressed by their unique blend of humor and musicality, they immediately knew the band was the perfect fit to capture the show's quirky, intelligent tone.

5. It Contains a Scientific Theory About the Universe's End

The lyrics aren't just about the beginning of the universe; they also touch on a possible ending. The verse, "It's expanding ever outward but one day / It will pause and start to go the other way, / Collapsing ever inward," refers to the concept of the "Big Crunch." [cite: 3 of previous search] This theory, which posits that the expansion of the universe will eventually reverse, causing it to collapse back into a singularity, demonstrates the lyrical depth and commitment to scientific accuracy.

6. The Song Features a Famous Historical Debate

One of the most memorable lines in the song is the quick-fire exchange: "Neanderthals developed tools, / We built a wall (We built the pyramids!)." This spontaneous ad-lib, which was kept in the final recording, adds a layer of humorous historical debate to the track. It’s a perfect reflection of the fast-paced, often contradictory arguments that Sheldon and Leonard would have on the show.

7. The Theme Song Was Nominated for an Award

The cultural impact of "The History of Everything" was recognized by the industry. The track was nominated for a Satellite Award for Best Original Song in 2009, highlighting its quality as a standalone piece of music and its effectiveness as a television theme. This cemented Ed Robertson's 15-minute shower inspiration as a critically acclaimed composition.

The Topical Authority of the Theme Song: Science in Pop Culture

The genius of "The History of Everything" is its ability to serve as a bridge between complex scientific entities and mainstream pop culture. The song is a dense collection of key scientific concepts, making it a unique educational tool disguised as a catchy jingle.

The Big Bang and Cosmic Entities

The opening line, "Our whole universe was in a hot, dense state," immediately establishes the most critical entity: the Big Bang theory itself. This phrase is a direct, albeit simplified, reference to the singularity from which the cosmos began. Other cosmic entities referenced include the expansion of the universe, the formation of galaxies, and the creation of elements in the first fraction of a second. This rapid-fire delivery not only sets the stage for the show's characters—who are theoretical physicists—but also introduces fundamental concepts of astrophysics and cosmology to a massive global audience.

Evolutionary and Historical Entities

The lyrics then transition seamlessly into evolutionary biology and human history. Entities such as autotrophs (organisms that produce their own food), Neanderthals, and bipeds are name-checked, illustrating the progression of life on Earth. The mention of the dinosaurs and their "fate" due to a catastrophic event is a nod to paleontology. Furthermore, historical entities like the pyramids and intellectual disciplines like math, science, and history are included, painting a full picture of the universe's timeline. The song, therefore, functions as a highly concentrated, memorable summary of key academic fields, a perfect sonic backdrop for a sitcom about brilliant scientists.