"Ancient Voices" is the main theme song of the reality television series, Survivor. It is used mainly for the opening credits for each episode, where it contains photographs or very short motion pictures of the castaways.

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About

Composition

"Ancient Voices" was musically scored by American composer Russ Landau. Contrary to popular belief that the song was mere gibberish, its lyrics are actually based on a Russian folk song, Poidu Vyidu na Ulitsu (Пойду выйду на улицу, meaning "I'll go and get outside").[1][2][3] It may include local instruments, like the Aboriginals' didgeridoo, which was used in the theme song of Survivor: The Australian Outback, while renditions made for Survivor: Thailand and Survivor: China included oriental tones.[4]

Survivor

"Ancient Voices" has been used by the US version of Survivor from its inception in 2000 until 2019, and it has been rehashed every season to fit in with the location's culture.[5] The opening credits have a montage of the survivors in their candid moments.

While shortened versions of "Ancient Voices" are used in the opening credits of the series, which lasts about a minute to a minute and ten seconds, each rendition has its own "extended version" that is available through iTunes and soundtracks released by CBS.

Since Survivor: Micronesia, opening sequences are gradually shortened every week, with the eliminated contestant(s) getting cropped away from the credits. In later seasons, a short 3-5 second theme song is displayed at the beginning of each episode, without contestant pictures or it is not shown at all. Since Survivor: Ghost Island, the opening sequence has been completely removed from the episodes.

Following Russ Landau's departure after Survivor: Blood vs. Water, previous renditions of the music are mashed-up for future opening sequences.

Survivor: Island of the Idols is the first and currently only season to not have a rendition of "Ancient Voices", either aired on television or posted online.[6] Survivor: Winners at War was initially stated to feature no rendition,[7] but later received one in celebration of the season finale.[8]

List of Renditions

Notes: '

^ 1 This was the intended theme for Survivor: Nicaragua. However, it was unapproved and replaced with a slightly extended version of the original theme from Survivor: Borneo.

Controversy

In 2001, composer Paul Winter filed an $800,000 lawsuit against Russ Landau and Survivor Executive Producer Mark Burnett for copyright infringement. Winter claimed that there are hints of his 1987 album Earthbeat that are in the Survivor theme music. Earthbeat was a collaboration between Winter's new age band and a traditional Russian group, the Dimitri Pokrovsky Singers. The result of the accusation is currently unknown.[9]

Awards

In 2001, "Ancient Voices" won a Primetime Emmy Award for "Outstanding Main Title Theme Music".

Trivia

The rendition of "Ancient Voices" for the eighth season, Survivor: All-Stars , was an amalgam of the renditions of the show's first seven seasons.

, was an amalgam of the renditions of the show's first seven seasons. For the theme of Survivor: China , Landau commissioned an all-female Chinese choir in Beijing to translate the Poidu Vyidu na Ulitsu into Mandarin and added a Chinese folk song to the edit. [10]

, Landau commissioned an all-female Chinese choir in Beijing to translate the into Mandarin and added a Chinese folk song to the edit. During the titles for Survivor: Nicaragua the theme was the original version from Survivor: Borneo . Although there was a theme created, it was dropped, though it remains available on iTunes.

the theme was the original version from . Although there was a theme created, it was dropped, though it remains available on iTunes. A question on the January 21, 2013 episode of the game show Jeopardy! was asked "This TV show's theme song, Ancient Voices, varies every season to match the locale." [11]

was asked "This TV show's theme song, Ancient Voices, varies every season to match the locale." All seasons of the Network Ten version of Australian Survivor use the Survivor: South Pacific theme.