Showtime's 'The Affair' Theme Song Tells Your Whole Life in 1 Minute
Much like in real life, Showtime’s The Affair (a new thriller series) loses it’s appeal after the first enrapturing episode. The show centers around the eponymous affair between McNulty from The Wire and Alice from Luther, in an intriguing yet impossible to maintain flash-forward flash-backward storytelling structure that makes even less sense when you factor in that it’s Pacey Whitter whom Alice is cheating on. (In what world?!) I guess if midlife crises made sense, they’d be called something else entirely.
At any rate, by the second act of the second episode, I was ready to call it quits because I could not focus on the plot without thinking about the incredibly haunting opening credits Showtime introduced with the second episode. In fact, instead of watching the rest of the episode, I rewound the tape (so to speak) to watch the credits again. Then I had to look up the song and found out it was an original song written for The Affair by Fiona Apple called, “Container,” and, from the lyrics to Apple’s a capella crooning over hallowed out sound engineering, the 1:08 song is definitely one of the most thought-provoking TV show opening songs of all time:
Here are the concise yet incredibly evocative lyrics:
I was screaming into the canyon at the moment of my death
The echo I created outlasted my last breath
My voice it made an avalanche and buried a man I never knew
And when he died his widowed bride met your daddy and they made you
I have only one thing to do and that’s / be the wave that I am and then / sink back into the ocean
I have only one thing to do and that’s / be the wave that I am and then / sink back into the ocean
These lyrics are supposed to hint at what’s going to happen in The Affair, which I’ll probably never watch again, so unless someone on Twitter or in the comments tells me, I’ll probably never know for sure. But what these lyrics absolutely do is explain the truth of all life.
The things we do in life inevitably impact other people, even those whom we don’t know, couldn’t ever know. We all have an impact and therefore we all matter. And the effects of our life linger on well after our death. But still, after we die, life goes on, people we love move forward, the world keeps turning. We’re here for a finite period of time, and whether we’re a big wave or a small one, we’ll have our impact and then sink back into the ocean where we came from. It’s not a new philosophy but it’s beautifully presented.
It’s depressing to think about life moving on without us, but comforting to understand that we each really do have a purpose and each of our short lives has mattered, does matter, will matter– and will continue to impact people, whether for good or evil. It’s the only thing we’re guaranteed in this world, to be the wave that we are. Let’s not waste it.
Pingback: The Affair: Summertime romance? | thecontentovore
To me, the writers of “The Affair” seem to be dealing with some of the most profound issues that impact women, especially, and their tendencies to immerse themselves in the personas of their male partners despite themselves. I love the stark and pointed questions placed in the mouths of the women. Allison tearfully asks Cole “Am I a slut?” Helen confronts Noah with “Why did you do this to us?” So many issues of feminine identity skillfully woven into the dialog and wonderful acting! Think about what such questions reveal about the women and you might want to scream into the canyon, too!
As with all people, male and female, we are a mixed bag of likeable and unlikeable. That each of these characters is a “mixed bag” makes them just that much more interesting. The way the men and women relate to their children is beautifully crafted. And the grandparents! Wow! I feel like I could go to Montauk a find them poking around the town.
So, so true, both its song and the character’s are both hauntingly real
I love the show and all the deeply flawed – and moving – characters. And I can’t get Fiona apples sing out of my head
It’s a great song!
It’s a great ( actually brilliant) series. I’m hooked. Container is a beautifully deep and haunting song. I love the complexity of the series and how thought provoking it is in relation to human relationships, meaning and our journey through life.
“Looses it appeal”? It’s a great ( actually brilliant) series. I’m hooked. Container is a beautifully deep and haunting song. I love the complexity of the series and how thought provoking it is in relation to human relationships, meaning and our journey through life.
The last two epusodes have been phenomenal. Kudos to the writers.
I think the lyrics summarizes Alison’s life. She’s the wave that had so much impact on several families throughout the 4 seasons and finally, literally disappeared back into the ocean.
Completely agree!
The song is ….awful.
I have to FFrwd through it every episode.
Analyzing its flaws is pointless because processing entertainment is totally subjective, however, the song is genuinely annoying and not a long way from fingernails on a blackboard for me.
“Analyzing flaws is pointless but here I am commenting anyway!”
On the song. He commented only on the song. He never analyzed the show. I hate the song too.
Ditto. After one listen, I muted or fast forwarded it into my personal oblivion. It was depressing and tonally awful.
I was ready to stop watching it after the first couple episodes, but I am now on the 4th season episode 8 and am truly bummed due to the fact I only have 2 more episodes left to watch!! (I have been binge watching it for three days now ) This show is absolutely fantastic!! It’s truly a show that shows real life Tragedies, heartwarming, happy,precious moments in humans life’s it’s almost as if ur one of the characters ( you can easily relate to at least one of them as you’re watching the show ) Keep up the good work writers! God bless, Roberta
You are spot on. I just started watching and cannot stop either. Yikes! I have a job, ya know. Lol I’m on season 2, episode 5 and can’t get enough. Oh, and the song. I didn’t like it at all in the beginning but it has since grown on me and I love it. Deep and gripping to say the least. ❤
I enjoy most episodes of the show. Yet, I absolutely despise the theme song. The lyrics, the singer’s voice – complete turn off. I always fast forward through the introduction so I can avoid that nonsense.
I have been watching the affair and was hooked from the beginning I adored
Alison and Cole never liked Noah as a character and loved Helen such a fantastic story line and yes container is a very haunting song but love it I’ve watched it twice but nose have series 5 when Cole has died and it’s about Joanie and how messed up she is the reality and acting in this film is so well presented one of the best .
wi
I said I wasn’t going to keep watching after they killed off Allison, but I’m still here. Yes, Noah is the worst! I thought last season was supposed to be him coming to terms with that reality, but he still just hasn’t. It’s so frustrating in its accuracy.
This is the only show where I never fast forward through the opening credits and I’ve been watching it from the beginning!
I don’t think the song will relate exactly to the show. I think what you said about it being about life in general is more valid. If you had stuck with it you’d see that the players had huge impacts on others even when they were gone. So you are correct! But whether the lyrics actually are exactly what happens is not so exact.
Hi Debbie. I stuck through to the end! Just watched the finale tonight. Am processing it all. What a ride!
Yes I was really hoping that the puzzle would be solved for me regarding the song. Like who was screaming Into the ocean and when he died his widowed bride ( who is that) met your daddy and they made you. I feel like I have wanted an answer to this since the first episode. Wished it wasn’t so general after all this time.
My understanding was that the show began to morph into the song lyrics once Allison was murdered. It was never meant to be reflective of the show verbatim, just the spirit of it, that trauma would impact children and wuld ripple through time. After Allison’s death it became eeriliy prescient, but was not intended.
Exactly! Whom did she kill that she never knew? Who is the widowed bride? And to whom is she singing? I, too, want answers
Allura
Been bingeing since episode one. Really like the characters, very well acted. Theme is particularly haunting (in a good way)
Oh boy, my sister and I have been watching The Affair! Everyone is great at acting. We are hooked!!!!! We are not crazy about the theme song.
This is the most horrible theme song for any show I have ever heard. I have to put it on mute every time.
I love the song and think it is unique. It goes great with the great show.