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Where My Heart Will Take Me

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" Where My Heart Will Take Me " is the main title song of Star Trek: Enterprise played over the opening title sequence . Originally titled " Faith of the Heart ", it was written by Diane Warren and originally performed by Rod Stewart for the 1998 movie Patch Adams .

At the conclusion of ENT Season 1 , Brannon Braga acknowledged fan feedback on the theme song ("some love it, some hate it... [but] it's staying.") " I think the song is cheesy, but I like cheesy things. We wanted a sentimental theme song with just the right lyrics that obliquely capture the spirit of human exploration. I feel the song nails it. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 3, Issue 2 , p. 11)

In In Conversation: Rick Berman and Brannon Braga , a bonus feature available on ENT Season 1 Blu-ray , Rick Berman describes himself as having been "grilled over the coals" for the theme song. He states that he cannot blame Brannon for that one. He continues that all of the previous series and films had big sweeping orchestral scores with one major theme and that he thought it would be cool if they were doing something new and different to find a song to put over an opening credit that would show a history of flight and even before. He interviewed a number of songwriters before discovering Diane Warren and felt the song fit perfectly into what the show was about and what it meant. He describes the decision to remix the song in the third season as being Paramount 's decision, but the ultimate result being a "bust."

  • 1 Song history
  • 2.1 Full length version
  • 2.2 Star Trek: Enterprise version
  • 3 Other versions
  • 5 External link

Song history [ ]

The version for Enterprise was performed by Russell Watson . It remains the only Star Trek theme song besides Star Trek: The Original Series that is not completely an instrumental, orchestral piece, the only theme to have sung lyrics, and is the only theme that is not a composition original to the franchise.

"Where My Heart Will Take Me" was played for the crew of the space shuttle Discovery as their morning wake-up call on 2 August 2005. [1] The song was also used as a wake-up call for the crew of the Endeavour during STS-118 on 9 August 2007. [2] The song was used again for the STS-125 Hubble Telescope repair crew on board Space Shuttle Atlantis on 24 May 2009. [3] In December 2014, Russell Watson recorded a special version of the song to help wake the New Horizons space probe from hibernation prior to the craft performing the first flyby of Pluto. [4]

Three versions of the theme were recorded: one for the entire full length song and two for the opening credits of Enterprise , with a revised arrangement being introduced in Season 3:

  • Full length version  file info
  • Season 1 & 2 version  file info
  • Season 3 & 4 version  file info

Full length version [ ]

It's been a long road , getting from there to here. It's been a long time , but my time is finally near. And I can feel a change in the wind right now. Nothing's in my way. And they're not gonna hold me down no more. No they're not gonna hold me down. Cause I've got faith of the heart . I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul . No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star . I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart. It's been a long night, trying to find my way. Been through the darkness. Now I'll finally have my day. And I will see my dream come alive at last. I will touch the sky. And they're not gonna hold me down no more. No they're not gonna change my mind. Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. Faith of the heart. I've known the wind so cold, and seen the darkest days. But now the winds I feel are only winds of change. I've been through the fire and I've been through the rain. But I'll be fine. Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. No one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got strength of the soul, and no one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart. It's been a long road.

Star Trek: Enterprise version [ ]

It's been a long road, getting from there to here. It's been a long time, but my time is finally near. And I will see my dream come alive at last. I will touch the sky. And they're not gonna hold me down no more, no they're not gonna change my mind. Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe. I can do anything. I've got strength of the soul. And no one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart.

Other versions [ ]

During previews for Enterprise on UPN , the song " Wherever You Will Go ", performed by the musical group The Calling , was played instead of the regular theme song.

A unique one-off instrumental version of the song "Where My Heart Will Take Me" plays over the closing credits of " Broken Bow ".

  • In the LD : " No Small Parts " episode, Captain William T. Riker was seen quoting the lyrics to Deanna Troi aboard the USS Titan .

External link [ ]

  • " Where My Heart Will Take Me " at Wikipedia
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Star Trek: Enterprise Opening Credits

The first thing people notice about the credit sequence might be the title song, a first forStar Trekin that it actually contains lyrics. But thevisuals to the opening sequence are also a first in that they are a composite of historical images — past, presentandfuture — that serve as a tribute to man's spirit of exploration and discovery.

Star Trek: Enterprise Theme Song Lyrics

Why Star Trek: Enterprise Had THAT Terrible Theme Song

"Where My Heart Will Take Me," the opening theme to Star Trek: Enterprise, had reason to be scorned. Over time, however, its reputation has improved.

Among Star Trek: Enterprise ’s more contentious quirks was its opening theme song: a reworked version of Rod Stewart’s “Faith of the Heart” entitled “Where My Heart Will Take Me.” It’s very much a product of its time, and in the ensuing years has become something of a guilty pleasure among the Star Trek faithful. It’s the kind of infectious earworm that takes days to get rid of, and it’s definitely an anomaly among Star Trek themes. Fans at the time did not take it well.

Before Enterprise , Star Trek shows stuck resolutely to classic orchestral themes. That started with Alexander Courage’s iconic introduction to the original Star Trek , and was emulated by The Next Generation, Deep Space 9 and Voyager. Star Trek: The Next Generation appropriated Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, which is telling: all of them aimed for an operatic sound indicative of epic theatrical films. When Enterprise began, the producers wanted to break from that tradition in a big way.

RELATED:  Star Trek's Longest Running Series, Revealed

It Was Supposed to Help Enterprise Bridge Our Present with Trek’s Future

Enterprise was posited as a prequel to the original series: detailing the early days of humanity’s exploration of the stars, and the eventual formation of the Federation. Producer Brannon Braga told Starlog magazine that he felt the era had more unexplored dramatic potential than something closer to the original series, and that the characters would respond to challenges differently than the characters in other Trek series had. The song was intended as part of that principle: a firm break from what Trek had become, but also a link between the present day and the bright future the franchise promised.

That, however, could have found better expression elsewhere. The song adopted a soft-rock power ballad format, presumably in order to reach as wide an audience demographic as possible. But the supposedly inspiring lyrics fell flat against Enterprise’s impressive visual title montage of real-life heroes like Amelia Earhart and Gus Grissom. And while the orchestral scores from earlier Trek shows felt evergreen, this one dated itself almost as soon as it had dropped.

RELATED:  Star Trek: The Next Generation - Why the Beloved Series Ended

The Song Itself Had a Difficult Background

The choice of song was strange too. Rather than commissioning their own, the producers simply reskinned the Stewart song with new lyrics, giving it the air of a cheap knock-off. Stewart himself – a notorious womanizer – left his second wife less than a month before the song hit the charts, rendering its heartfelt tone disingenuous from the start. A few hastily added lyrics weren’t going to change that. Furthermore, Stewart wrote it for Patch Adams , the infamous Robin Williams tearjerker reviled for its excess sentimentalism.

In short, it felt very corporate: assembled for reasons that had little to do with Star Trek and presented as a change of pace that went badly off the mark. Trekkies responded as Trekkies sometimes do: with anger, rejection and organized demands to replace the song with something else. Enterprise stuck with it, however, and kept it as part of the opening credits for the whole of its run.

The song has since attained a kind of scruffy charm among the Trek faithful, and an apt companion to Enterprise, which similarly took some time for parts of the Star Trek community to warm to. Today the two are intertwined, and the high quality of the show itself lends the comparatively clunky theme song an affection it might otherwise merit. It even earned a playful dig on Star Trek:  Lower Decks   -- as sure a sign as ever that Trekkies are ready to forgive if not forget.

KEEP READING:  Why Star Trek: Enterprise's Series Finale Is So Hated by Fans

The Story Behind The Star Trek Franchise's Most Controversial Theme Song

Star Trek: Enterprise NX-01

It's hard to imagine there are many Trekkies in the world who are immensely fond of Russell Watson's rendition of "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the theme song to "Star Trek: Enterprise." Imagine if Rod Stewart were straining to produce a particularly stubborn bowel movement, and you can hear the gravelly strains of Mr. Watson's vocals. The insipid lyrics wax elegiac about the progress we've made "getting from there to here," and how the singer's "time is finally near." No one can hold back the song's narrator as he has "faith of the heart." Nothing's gonna bend or break him. The effect of the song is more or less equivalent to a black-bordered inspirational poster hung on a corporate office wall next to a cubicle. You have strength of the soul. 

One might be able to see why the makers of "Star Trek: Enterprise" wanted a pop song, with lyrics, to lead into their new 2001 TV series. The previous "Star Trek" shows all began with bold, orchestral themes that evoke the excitement and exhilaration of jetting off into the cosmos. "Enterprise" was to be the fourth new "Trek" series in 14 years, and would be the first to run by itself since the debut of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" in 1993. The series wanted to set itself apart, and a pop song seemed like the way to go. 

In the helpful oral history book "The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams," edited by Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross, the shows creators, writers, and directors all talked about the theme song and what led to their (dubious) decision to include Russell "The Voice" Watson's dulcet groans into official "Star Trek" canon. 

It's been a long road...

I didn't mention Rod Stewart above by accident. "Where Will Heart Will Take Me" actually began its life as a 1998 Stewart song called "Faith of the Heart," written by serially Oscar-nominated songwriter Dianne Warren. It was initially penned for Tom Shadyac's execrable, treacle-smeared Hollywood biopic "Patch Adams," and the song's ultra-sentimental tone perfectly matches the corniness of the movie itself. "Faith of the Heart" hit #20 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, and peaked at #4 in Canada. A 1999 cover by Christian/Country artist Susan Ashton made it as far as #51 on the Hot Country Songs chart. 

Russell Watson began his singing career as a mere lad and began winning radio singing contests in his 20s. In 1999, he sang "God Save the Queen" at the rugby Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, and England really took notice. Two years later, Watson released his first album, "The Voice" (not related to the TV game show of the same name) and it was a massive success; "The Voice" is the first album to hold the #1 spot on both the U.S. and U.K. classical charts at the same time. Watson, lacking in the "stuffy" pretensions of modern opera and willing to sing pop songs, gained the nickname of "The People's Tenor." He was also called, rather theatrically, "The Voice," after that first album. In short, he was hot s*** in 2001.

Brannon Braga and Rick Berman, the creators of "Star Trek: Enterprise," likely knew all about Watson and his cresting popularity. The two wanted a pop song — mostly at Berman's insistence — but, as it turns out, not that pop song. Braga remembers what he wanted to use, and how awful he thought "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was.

Getting from there to here...

Braga originally wanted a temp track they were using to become the actual "Enterprise" theme song. He was a big U2 fan, it seems. He was not, however, a fan of Russell Watson. Braga said: 

"Rick and I felt that a song would set the slightly more contemporary feeling we were going after with Enterprise. For the longest time, we had a temporary song we cut the main titles to, U2's 'Beautiful Day.' If we had used that—or could have afforded it-that would have been a great song. Those main titles with U2 are amazing. It's hip and cool, whereas the song we ended up with is awful. I'm a big fan of Diane Warren, she's a great songwriter, but this particular song and the way it was sung was tacky." 

For the record, "Beautiful Day" doesn't really have the "bold" qualities of classic "Star Trek" orchestral openings, but it is a sight better than what we got. Braga continued: 

"I still cringe when I hear it and, by the way, I think the song had a lot to do with people's adverse reaction to the show. If you look at the main titles themselves, it's a really cool sequence. But the song is awful, just awful." 

If it was that awful, why was it selected as the theme song for "Enterprise"? Berman revealed that it was the culmination of ideas that all seemed great at the time, but that ultimately combined very poorly. Opening montage, lyrics about progress, talented songwriter, hot pop singer. It seemed like all the pieces were correct, and everything was on track to be great. They could reach any star.

It's been a long time...

Berman remembers the process well. He said: 

"This is another example of my being stubborn, right or wrong. I thought it would be nice to have a theme song. Nobody had ever done it before. I knew that I wanted the animation at the opening instead of just being the flying-through-space stuff that had existed on all the other 'Star Trek' shows. But I wanted it to be sort of a compilation of the science and the people that led up to the space flight. Our visual effects people put together an amazing visual montage. Then we went to a very famous, contemporary composer named Diane Warren, who's written huge hits."

So far, so good. For the record, the opening montage is wonderful. It begins with footage of the first sailing ships on Earth in long-ago times, and quickly walks the audience through the history of navigation. There is a three-masted sailing vessel, a modern ship, a space shuttle. At some point, the montage passes from real-world ships into the fictional crafts of "Star Trek." It ends with the title vessel, warping into adventure.  

Berman recalls Warren:

"...[W]ent through a whole bunch of songs and we came up with this tune that she had written. The lyrics seemed perfect. Then she got all excited, there was a British singer named Russell Watson and he was a very hot performer — kind of semi-operatic and pop performer — and he agreed to sing it. It basically spoke to exactly what we were looking for a dream of going out into the unknown and the whole idea of bringing one's heart to what matters. We recorded the song and put it to the animation and everybody thought it was terrific. And the audience hated it."

But my time is finally near...

Indeed. The semi-operatic sound of "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was hated pretty much unilaterally. The idea of opening a "Star Trek" show with a pop song wasn't a bad idea in itself, necessarily, but audiences made it quite clear that Watson's wailings weren't wanted. Eventually, at the start of the show's third season, the song was remixed to add more electric guitars and drums, hoping to trick audiences into thinking it was more upbeat. Watson's vocals, perhaps unfortunately, remained. Berman liked the remix. No one else did. He said: 

"In the second or third year, the network said to us, 'Can you rewrite the song and could you make the song hipper?' We left the vocal on, but we did a completely different instrumental with a lot more electric guitars and things to make it a little more rock 'n' roll. I don't know if anybody was truly satisfied with that. I, for one, can tell you that I thought it was a great opening and I'm not alone in that. I don't think I'm in the majority, but I'm not alone." 

Many of the other producers and writers on "Enterprise" were fine with moving away from a Jerry Goldsmith or Alexander Courage-penned orchestral overture, but none of them liked "Where My Heart Will Take Me." Writer Mike Sussman liked the shake-up, but not "kind of shaking it up in many of the wrong ways. Let's say all the wrong ways." Producer Antoinette Stella recalled that everyone was "shocked" when they heard the song at the series' first screening. "Everybody talked about it after we saw the pilot," she said. "Sometimes you try to be different and they work ... and sometimes they don't."

I will see my dreams come alive at night...

Chris Black, one of the staff writers on "Enterprise" noted that the song was perhaps terrible, but that it was ultimately perfect for the tone of the show. It was about aspiring and touching the furthest star, etc. etc. There were worse things in the world that one should reserve their hate for. Black said: 

"If you listen to the lyrics of that song, they're appropriate. Are the lyrics cheesy? Absolutely. But is it saying something about the characters of the Star Trek universe that I think is appropriate? Absolutely. I don't hate it or love it. Everybody hates it. I don't hate it. I hate Nazis. I don't hate the theme song from 'Enterprise.'"

The editor of Film Score Monthly, Lukas Kendall, noted that "Where My Heart Will Take Me" has aged like fine milk. It was derided in 2001 and still has no fans 22 years later. He asked:

"Is there anybody who likes that song? The choice was ridiculed at the time and comes across no better today. I would not be opposed to the use of a song in principle, but it was the wrong one-a Diane Warren power ballad from 'Patch Adams?' Really? Even the producers seemed to hedge when they had the backing track redone for season three, but they had too much invested to dump it entirely."

In the pages of /Film, it was previously written that modern pop music always feels a little out of place in "Star Trek." The franchise takes place in a post-capitalist society. Adding recognizable commercial pop into the proceedings adds an unavoidable corporate element to Trek. Kendall noted the clash between Trek's typically classical bent and its own need for an insufferable power ballad. 

I will touch the sky

Kendall continued: 

"The producers broke one of their own rules: 'Star Trek' has become pop culture, but there is no pop culture within 'Star Trek,' because it punctures the reality. They tried rebranding with a mainstream radio song instead of another 'space theme for nerds,' so to speak — the desperate attempt to reach a bigger audience — but it was cheesy and lame." 

Many years later, the makers of "Star Trek: Lower Decks" got to affectionally (?) take a swipe at "Where My Heart Will Take Me." William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), while serving as captain on board the U.S.S. Titan, liked to while away his free time interacting with the "Enterprise" characters on the ship's holodeck. This was a reference to the final episode of "Enterprise," wherein Riker did that very thing. As he returned to the bridge after one of his holographic sojourns, he idly commented that he loved visiting the past and that "it's been a long road, getting from there to here." Trekkies instantly recognized Dianne Warren's opening lyric. 

It's worth noting that all the "Star Trek" shows to follow "Enterprise" went enthusiastically back to the "space theme for nerds" model, providing each series with a unique orchestral score. The third season of "Stra Trek: Picard" even repurposed Jerry Goldsmith's theme for "Star Trek: First Contact" wholesale.

Fun trivia: in what might have been a fit whimsical irony, "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was used as the wake-up alarm for mission specialist Richard Mastracchio on the Space Shuttle Endeavour  in 2007.

Hearts were broken. Lessons were learned. "Star Trek" will never again have The Voice.

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Every STAR TREK Opening Theme Song Ranked from Worst to Best

Maurice Mitchell

Find out which is the greatest opening in Star Trek television history. Star Trek is the most iconic television show ever. It’s also spawned one of the most successful movie franchises ever made.

Part of its success is the Star Trek theme song. The original song is so iconic people know it even if they’ve never seen an episode of the show. Over the years there have been many spin-offs of the show which each used a new theme song. Some have been brilliant and some have been horrible.

Most recently Star Trek: Discovery is airing   on CBS All-Access . Soon the upcoming Picard series will introduce a new theme song. We don’t know if the opening for Picard will match up with some of the others. But it’s time to look back at the history of the Star Trek opening songs and rank them from worst to best.

Make it so.

11. Star Trek: Enterprise Season 3-4 (2003–2005)

Composed by Dennis McCarthy

Enterprise’s theme song is the first (and last) time Star Trek uses a contemporary song for the opening. Dennis McCarthy scored the pilot episode. Executive producer Rick Berman promised something new for Star Trek’s sixth spin-off series. He said the opening would “be using a little bit more contemporary kind of music. […] It’s not all of a sudden that the show is going to be scored with electric guitars. It’s going to be a little hipper.”

The song “Faith of the Heart” is written by Diane Warren and sung by Rod Stewart for Robin Williams’ comedic-drama Patch Adams (1998). The song was a hit and charted at number three on the US Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks and number 60 on the UK Singles Chart. It’s used for Star Trek and sung by Russell Watson . It’s a good song and some of the lyrics match up with the idea of space travel.

You have to inspire the courage of the producers for trying something new but it doesn’t work. There’s a tradition of Star Trek shows opening with a grand orchestral theme. This song sounds like a Rod Stewart concert. After fans complained the song is different in the third and final season of Enterprise .

The new version has a higher pitch and is sped up. They added tambourine and a more pronounced electric guitar. Star Trek managed to make a bad decision even worse.

10.  Star Trek: Enterprise  Season 1-2 (2001–2002)

Dennis McCarthy first made music for the Next Generation pilot episode and scored dozens of other episodes. McCarthy later composed the theme for the shows  Deep Space Nine and  Voyager. Plus he scored the soundtrack for movies like  Star Trek: Generations . 

The opening of  Enterprise uses the song “Faith of the Heart” sung by British crossover opera singer Russell Watson. Fans hated it so much that fans created many petitions to get rid of it. “[We] urgently request that you remove [‘Faith of the Heart’] and in its place utilize a score that is without vocals, as traditionally used by [the] ‘Star Trek’ television series,” one petition said.

“We wish to express our unmitigated disgust with the theme song that has been selected for the new ‘Enterprise’ series,” another online petition said. “It is not fit to be scraped off the bottom of a Klingon’s boot.”

“I’m in the horrible minority of people who like the song,” Rick Berman defended the song telling Sci-Fi Wire . “I think it fits beautifully. I think it’s a song that’s got a lot of hopefulness and uplifting qualities to it. And I like it. I’ve met a lot of other people who like it, but I’ve also heard a tremendous amount of banter about people who don’t. And what’s a Star Trek series without something for people to hate?”

Whatever you think of the song it was used as a wakeup call for NASA missions .

9. Star Trek: Enterprise Season 4 “Mirror Darkly” (2005)

Composed by Dennis McCarthy & Kevin Kiner

In 2005 the series Enterprise traveled to an alternate “evil mirror universe” for several episodes. To complete the feel that the show had traveled to another world they changed the opening. The theme song has a more militaristic tone and a darker feel.

It works well, especially when shown along with images showing how Earth entered into a long-standing war. Considering it replaced a pop song it’s even more impressive. Unfortunately, it only lasted a few episodes before going back to “Faith of the Heart”.

8. Star Trek: Discovery  (2017-2019)

Composed by Jeff Russo

When CBS started work on the Star Trek prequel Star Trek: Discovery they hired Jeff Russo to compose a new opening theme. Russo has started in a ’90s alternative rock band named “Tonic”. After that, he started composing songs for video games and television shows. He won an Emmy for his work on the FX series Fargo .

He describes himself as a life-long fan of Star Trek and Jerry Goldsmith’s work on The Next Generation in particular. The theme for Discovery sets itself apart because they decided to focus on emotion rather than exploration. It starts with the familiar fanfare for Star Trek and then uses stringed instruments to give a sense of mystery and hope. It ends with the theme again which implies the future of the franchise.

It’s a solid piece that relies on fan recognition. So it doesn’t stand out on its own.

7. Star Trek: The Original Series (1966–1969)

Composed by Alexander Courage

The theme for Star Trek played over every episode in the show’s three seasons. It’s called “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. It’s an instrumental piece and opens with a monologue by William Shatner starting with “Space. The final frontier”. The song itself relied on wind instruments and percussion by bongo drums, which was a popular instrument at the time.

Alexander Mair “Sandy” Courage Jr. was an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning composer, arranger, conductor, and orchestrator of television shows and movies like Jurassic Park (1993), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and Hello, Dolly! (1964).

Courage was inspired by the Richard Whiting song “Beyond the Blue Horizon,” giving him the idea for a song which was a “long thing that…keeps going out into space…over a fast-moving accompaniment.”

The original song is a masterpiece of its time evoking a feel of adventure and excitement and has been used in several pieces for Star Trek since then. Unfortunately, it feels dated. Bongo drums fell out of fashion decades ago. The operatic singing by  Loulie Jean Norman feels out-of-place. Iconic, but not quite as good as others.

6. Star Trek: The Animated Series (1973–1974)

Composed by Ray Ellis (Yvette Blais), Norm Prescott (Jeff Michaels)

Raymond Spencer Ellis arranged many hit records in the 1950s and 1960s. He later started working with Filmation on their animated series. He used his wife’s name “Yvette Blais” as a pseudonym. Norman Prescott was co-founder and executive producer at Filmation Associates and worked with Ellis on the theme song. He used the pseudonym “Jeff Michael” after his sons Jeff and Michael.

Paramount decided to revive the original series for a Saturday morning cartoon. They decided to make the theme more modern.

Like the original song, it starts with Shatner’s monologue “where no man had gone before”. Then it moves onto a song with a much faster pace and tone than the original. The tone is slightly different as well but manages to capture the same feel of the original song. Plus, there’s no singing.

5. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 1-3 (1993–1995)

Jerry Goldsmith was contacted to do the theme song but declined because of scheduling problems. Dennis McCarthy has done a ton of work on Star Trek and he admired the Star Trek: The Next Generation song. He said that he loved the trumpets and French horns in the theme so McCarthy used wind instruments to write the song for DS9 .

It’s different from other songs because it’s the first show to focus on a starbase instead of a spaceship. So the feel of the song is very different for the fourth television spin-off. Berman said he wanted to emphasize the loneliness of the station. McCarthy told SyFy he wanted the theme to say, “We are alone” and he accomplished it. It’s different but beautiful. In 1993 he won an Emmy for “Outstanding Individual Achievement in Main Title Theme Music” on DS9.

4. Star Trek: Picard (2019-)

Composed by Jeff Russo

CBS All Access went in a different direction with the theme song for Picard. Instead of relying on strings and a large orchestra to play the song it goes smaller. The song is thoughtful, serene and melodic. It’s not bombastic like the N ext Generation  theme or slow like  Deep Space Nine.

But it does owe a debt to the 90s Star Trek series. In the TNG episode “The Inner Light” Picard is knocked unconscious by an alien probe. He lives 40 years of life as an alien scientist named Kamin in the span of a few minutes. During the episode, he hears a flute song played by his “son” Batai (Daniel Stewart). After Picard returns to his normal life, he still remembers how to play and plays a melody on a flute. That flute and song have a special place in Picard’s life since it’s the family he never had but “lost”. It’s not a coincidence. The composer said he wanted to use a flute to evoke some of the feelings from the episode.

Russo told  The Ready Room  he wanted to “change to a feeling of emotional contentment for him because as we come to see, he lives on a chateau. And it’s sort of what we always thought would happen at the end of The Next Generation, and those movies where he would always sort of end up … That was his happy place. And then I wanted to … evoke how he has been awoken again.”

It ends with a small section of the theme from  Star Trek: The Next Generation . It’s lovely, thoughtful and moving.

3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 4-9 (1996–1999)

For the fourth season to the final season, the song changed. It’s actually better in many ways. The show had changed by the fourth season. New characters joined the show like Leeta (Chase Masterson) the Dabo girl. Other characters, like Worf (Michael Dorn) from Next Generation, returned. The starship USS Defiant was added to allow the show to travel to different parts of space.

All these changes led the producers and McCarthy to rework the theme song to make it lighter. The reworked song makes the show brighter and gives more hope. Star Trek is all about hope and it fits wonderfully.

2. Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

Composed by Jerry Goldsmith

Jerry Goldsmith is a legend in the industry with a long list of awards including 18 Academy Award nominations. He won an Oscar for The Omen (1976) and was nominated for Star Trek: The Motion Picture in 1979.

Unlike The Next Generation which used music from his movie Star Trek: The Motion Picture, he decided to write a new song. The song is a beautiful sweeping theme that has stunning pictures of the ship soaring through space. The Voyager theme is somber and lonely but not sad. It’s uplifting.

The Voyager opening theme song is wonderful.

1. Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1-7 (1987–1994)

Composed by Dennis McCarthy, Jay Chattaway, Ron Jones, Alexander Courage, Jerry Goldsmith

When the producers were planning out the first Star Trek show in decades they wanted to make sure the music would meet fan expectations. So they turned to the work of Jerry Goldsmith and used a piece from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Specifically, they took a piece that played several times in the soundtrack. The first time is before the Enterprise’s first warp test.

The song is perfect for the opening as it has a feel of hope and majesty. The original song was performed by a 100-piece orchestra. Too much for a TV show so they scaled it back and McCarthy led the original orchestration of a slightly different version of the song.

It opens with the opening of the original Star Trek theme. Then Patrick Stewart says a version of the “Where no man has gone before” monologue. After that, the song begins and blows the doors off. It’s the best theme Star Trek has ever had and set the standard for all other openings.

Which is your favorite Star Trek theme song? Which one do you hate? Let us know in the comments below!

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Enterprise almost had a u2 theme song (& why it didn't).

U2’s hit single “Beautiful Day” was the original choice to be Star Trek: Enterprise’s theme song, but “Where My Heart Will Take Me” won out.

U2's hit single "Beautiful Day" was the original choice to serve as the theme song to Star Trek: Enterprise , but the Russell Watson power ballad "Where My Heart Will Take Me" eventually won out. By 2001, franchise fatigue was setting in for Star Trek . There had consistently been a Star Trek television series on the air since 1987. The film series hadn't stopped to take a breath since Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuted in 1979, and demand for more films featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation was clearly winding down. Despite the writing on the wall, the United Paramount Network (UPN) still wanted an immediate follow-up series to Star Trek: Voyager .

Longtime Star Trek Executive Producer Rick Berman realized the franchise needed an overhaul for the 21st century, and the eventual result was Enterprise . A prequel series set a century before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series , Enterprise followed the adventures of Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) and the NX-01 Enterprise, humanity's first vessel capable of prolonged interstellar travel. In an effort to refresh the franchise, Enterprise eschewed many common Star Trek trappings; notably, the words " Star Trek " did not initially appear in the show's title until season 3. But Enterprise 's most controversial move was its theme song.

Related: Enterprise Pitched A Spock & T’Pol Team-Up Before Strange New Worlds

How Enterprise Almost Had A U2 Theme Song

The decision was made early on in the development of Enterprise that the show would not feature a traditional orchestral intro theme, but rather a pop song, similar to most UPN shows at the time. A popular choice with the show's production staff was U2's monster 2000 hit "Beautiful Day." The song was even used as a temp track as the show's opening credits were being developed. U2's "Beautiful Day" had a strong and vocal proponent in future Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas, who was a production assistant on Enterprise .

However, there was a somewhat predictable problem with using "Beautiful Day." U2 were, by many measures, the biggest band in the world in 2001, and licensing their songs for use in movies and television was notoriously expensive. Producer Rick Berman eventually realized using the song was not financially feasible and began looking for other options. The show's producers eventually chose Russell Watson's "Where My Heart Will Take Me," a reworking of a Rod Stewart song called "Faith Of The Heart."

Why Enterprise's Theme Song Was Controversial

The reaction to "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was, quite frankly, vicious. The cheesy power ballad was lambasted by critics and audiences alike, with fans organizing a campaign to have the song replaced. Lifelong Star Trek fan Simon Pegg, who played Montgomery Scott in the Kelvin timeline films and co-wrote Star Trek Beyond , has admitted he's never seen a full episode of Enterprise because he hates the theme song so much.

Much like Enterprise itself, opinions on "Where My Heart Will Take Me" have softened over the years. It's not exactly beloved, but it's now acknowledged as a good-faith effort to try something new. That said, it's hard not to wonder what could have been for Star Trek: Enterprise had it been soundtracked by a classic rock anthem like "Beautiful Day."

More: Enterprise Almost Featured A Weekly Musical Act

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  2. Star Trek Enterprise Theme Song Faith Of The Heart

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  3. Faith of the Heart Star Trek: Enterprise, Theme song

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  4. Star Trek Enterprise Theme Music With HD Picture Slideshow

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  1. Star Trek: Enterprise

  2. Star Trek Musical Medley

  3. Star Trek Online Main Theme (Original)

  4. Star Trek Enterprise theme but the lyrics are AI-generated images

  5. Star Trek: Enterprise Music

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COMMENTS

  1. Star Trek Enterprise Full Theme Song

    Star Trek Enterprise theme in full. Song by Russel Watson- "Where My Heart Will Take Me".

  2. Star Trek: Enterprise theme song

    Star Trek: Enterprise theme song

  3. Russell watson -star trek

    Russell watson -star trek - enterprise - main theme song - aerosmith - faith of the heart

  4. Enterprise

    Dennis McCarthy wrote an original theme song for the 2001 show "Enterprise", later renamed to "Star Trek: Enterprise". The producers have decided to use a po...

  5. Star Trek Enterprise theme song (Season 1 & 2)

    Star Trek Enterprise theme in full. Song by Russel Watson- "Where My Heart Will Take Me". (I like this version best, how about you?)Look for petitions to g...

  6. Star Trek: Enterprise Full Theme Song 10 Hours Extended

    #10hours #startrekenterprise #startrekSeries: Star Trek: EnterpriseSinger: Russell WatsonSong: Where My Heart Will Take MeExtended by Anton FasterTags10 hour...

  7. Where My Heart Will Take Me

    Song history []. The version for Enterprise was performed by Russell Watson.It remains the only Star Trek theme song besides Star Trek: The Original Series that is not completely an instrumental, orchestral piece, the only theme to have sung lyrics, and is the only theme that is not a composition original to the franchise. "Where My Heart Will Take Me" was played for the crew of the space ...

  8. Star Trek: Enterprise Opening Credits

    Star Trek: Enterprise Opening Credits The first thing people notice about the credit sequence might be the title song, a first forStar Trekin that it actually contains lyrics. But thevisuals to the opening sequence are also a first in that they are a composite of historical images — past, presentandfuture — that serve as a tribute to man's ...

  9. Star Trek: Enterprise 2001

    Loads more TV Themes at: http://teeveesgreatest.webs.com/ Star Trek: Enterprise (originally titled simply Enterprise for the first two seasons) is a science...

  10. Faith of the Heart

    Following the pilot episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Broken Bow", and the debut of the song as the series' theme tune, the reception among Star Trek fans was mostly negative. Such was the response, that online petitions were formed and a protest held outside Paramount Studios against the use of the song. [16]

  11. Star Trek: Enterprise Lyrics

    I will see my dream come alive at last. I will touch the sky. An' they're not gonna hold me down no more. No they're not gonna change my mind. No they're not gonna hold me down. 'Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith to believe.

  12. The Original Star Trek: Enterprise Theme Song By U2 Is Much Better

    Mike Sussman, an Enterprise writer and producer, also felt U2's song better captured Star Trek's essence. While many agree that U2's "Beautiful Day" would have paired much better with the opening of Star Trek: Enterprise, it sounds like it was never really in the cards. Braga noted in his interview in the book The Fifty-Year Mission ...

  13. Why Star Trek: Enterprise Used 'Faith of the Heart' As Its Theme

    Why Star Trek: Enterprise Had THAT Terrible Theme Song. "Where My Heart Will Take Me," the opening theme to Star Trek: Enterprise, had reason to be scorned. Over time, however, its reputation has improved. Among Star Trek: Enterprise 's more contentious quirks was its opening theme song: a reworked version of Rod Stewart's "Faith of the ...

  14. Star Trek

    Extended version of the Star Trek - Enterprise opening theme.

  15. Star Trek Enterprise

    Star Trek Copyright Paramount Studios That's what most copyright guff is about, right?

  16. The Story Behind The Star Trek Franchise's Most Controversial Theme Song

    One might be able to see why the makers of "Star Trek: Enterprise" wanted a pop song, with lyrics, to lead into their new 2001 TV series. The previous "Star Trek" shows all began with bold ...

  17. The Story Behind 'Star Trek: Enterprise' and Its Infamous Intro Song

    From the very beginning, Trek had a different sound for its first series. Composed by Alexander Courage, the "Star Trek" theme was written in November of 1966 and has become an iconic piece of ...

  18. The enterprise theme song is awesome. : r/startrek

    Better, but imho needs to lose the drums and guitar. Dennis McCarthy had experience writing music for prime time soap operas, and Archer's Theme sounds like a prime time soap to me when the band kicks in. Yep. For me it's that it sounds like the theme song for a 90's hallmark channel show of something, not Star Trek.

  19. Every STAR TREK Opening Theme Song Ranked from Worst to Best

    11. Star Trek: Enterprise Season 3-4 (2003-2005) Composed by Dennis McCarthy. Enterprise's theme song is the first (and last) time Star Trek uses a contemporary song for the opening. Dennis McCarthy scored the pilot episode. Executive producer Rick Berman promised something new for Star Trek's sixth spin-off series.

  20. Enterprise Almost Had A U2 Theme Song (& Why It Didn't)

    U2's hit single "Beautiful Day" was the original choice to serve as the theme song to Star Trek: Enterprise, but the Russell Watson power ballad "Where My Heart Will Take Me" eventually won out. By 2001, franchise fatigue was setting in for Star Trek. There had consistently been a Star Trek television series on the air since 1987.

  21. Enterprise Theme Song: What is it, why does it exist and can I ...

    I would call it a guilty pleasure rather than an actually good theme. It works for ENT (until they remixed the theme, anyway), but it would not have worked for the other shows. It's jarring at first listen but, does grow on you when you watch it with the opening credit sequence. Just don't listen to the whole song.

  22. Enterprise Theme Song. : r/startrek

    I thought the theme of the song fitted well with the overall theme of Enterprise. But the song itself just seemed out of place with Star Trek in general. If that makes any sense. I still wish they stuck with the original plan and used Archers Theme

  23. Enterprise theme song change for season 3? : r/startrek

    Or maybe I just don't have enough faith of the heart. While I think the 1st version of the theme song is fine, I can't stand the 2nd version. Just want to add..... I'm also finally watching Enterprise and started the 3rd series. Best so far imho. Season 3 was a mix-up (IMO) in all ways for Enterprise.