Bonanza Theme

TV Theme Music

The NBC Television series “Bonanza” aired for fourteen seasons (430 episodes) from September 12, 1959 until January 16, 1973. This western was shot on film as part of NBC's Sunday evening one-two punch to popularize color television (the other show was "The World of Disney"). NBC at the time was owned by RCA, a manufacturer of color television sets.

The theme song “Bonanza” was written Jay Livingston & Ray Evans. The lyrics (to the right) were only used in the pilot. Apparently these lyrics were so bad that not only were they abandoned but were subsequently stripped off the pilot for reruns. After the pilot, the theme was strictly an instrumental piece.

The Music
Bonanza Theme
[ 1:53 ] [ 16k ]

The Song
The song in this book which is sung to the tune of
"Bonanza Theme"

1. Get It Up, Get It In

Bonanza Theme

We chased lady luck, 'til we finally struck, Bonanza
With a gun and a rope and a hat full of hope, we planted our family tree.

We got a hold of a pot full of gold, Bonanza
With a horse and a saddle, and a ring full of cattle,
How rich can a fellow be?

On this land we put our brand, Cartwright is the name,
Fortune smiled, the day we filed the Ponderosa claim.
Here in the west, we're livin' in the best, Bonanza

If anyone fights any one of us, he's got a fight with me, Bonanza
Hoss and Joe and Adam know every rock and pine,
No one works fights, or eats, like those boys of mine

Here we stand in the middle of a grand, Bonanza
With a gun and a rope and a hatful of hope, we planted our family tree,

We got a hold of a potful of gold Bonanza
With a houseful of friends where the rainbow ends,
How rich can a fellow be?

On this land we put our brand Cartwright is the name,
Fortune smiled, the day we filed the Ponderosa claim
Here in the west we're living in the best, Bonanza

With the friendliest, fightingist, lovingist band,
That ever set foot in the promised land
And we're happier than them all.
That's why we call it

Bonanza...bonanza.. bonanza