‘Wandavision’: Episode 5’s Theme Song Was Created To Motivate Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Marvel’s Wandavision features a stellar soundtrack that has been moving viewers since episode one became available several months ago. The records, written by the award-winning duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, are inspired by the sound of TV show music from each era that the show focuses on.
Lopez and Anderson-Lopez put a lot of time, thought, and effort into crafting the original songs that play on each episode of Wandavision, and there’s a strong intention behind every song viewers hear.
In fact, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez recently confirmed that the song “Making It Up As We Go Along” from episode five was written to help families currently facing hard times due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Episode 5’s music was inspired by 1980s rock and pop
The songwriting team shared the details behind the record during a recent interview with Marvel.com
“Episode 5 was us channeling every 1980s rock singer and pop singer we could,” Anderson-Lopez said. “So there’s a little bit of Jennifer Warnes in there, a little bit of Michael McDonald, and Kris Kristofferson, and Huey Lewis, and even Taylor Dayne. A little like— [singing] there will be days we won’t know which way to go.”
Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez related to Wanda and Vision’s family
Lopez found himself attracted to the music on 1980s TV shows because they’re so full of emotion. He felt like the records related to the experiences people are having around the world today.
“Part of what was so great [about 80s shows like] Punky Brewster and Growing Pains, those songs were so touchy-feely and ballad-like, and they were so long that we were able to afford ourselves a little more time and to really try and land the emotion of it because it agreed with the style that we were going for,” Lopez said. “And it felt a lot like the time of life that we’re in now.”
Lopez also saw a connection between his family and the family of Wanda and Vision, which inspired him even more.
“We have [children that are the same age as Wanda and Vision’s family], and we feel that way, that we’re crossing our fingers and just trying to make things work even as the world kind of crumbles around us. We’re keeping a force field around our family with love, and I think it was really easy to tap into that. And it was a song and style that we, kind of, wanted to write anyway.
They wrote the song to help motivate families currently going through tough times
More than anything, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez knew they wanted to craft a record that inspired families that might be facing hard times in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So that’s the perspective we were resonating with, but those lyrics, the idea of like, [singing] when the going gets tough, when push comes to shove, we’re breaking it all,” Anderson-Lopez said. “I hope it resonates with every family member out there dealing; every single day is tough. And you just gotta be like, OK, you can’t go to school, and I can’t go to work. Let’s make up how this goes.”
