--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Basically, what happened was, Lena was on…" description: "\"Basically, what happened was, Lena was on the fence as to whether or not she wanted 'Girls' to have a theme song. She asked me to write one, so I did.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/michael-penn-11939_basically_basically-what-happened-was-lena-was-on_1834512.jpg" --- # Basically, what happened was, Lena was on the fence as to… ![“Basically, what happened was, Lena was on the fence as to whether or not she wanted 'Girls' to have a theme song. She asked me to write one, so I did.” quote by Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/michael-penn-11939_basically_basically-what-happened-was-lena-was-on_1834512.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/michael-penn-11939_basically_basically-what-happened-was-lena-was-on_1834512.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/95d/michael-penn-11939_basically_basically-what-happened-was-lena-was-on_1834512.jpg) > “Basically, what happened was, Lena was on the fence as to whether or not she wanted 'Girls' to have a theme song. She asked me to write one, so I did.” [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A theme song can give a TV show identity; collaboration turns ideas into reality. **In simple terms:** Theme songs shape a show's brand. Key Takeaway Collaborate to craft a memorable theme. Themes collaboration branding music television Mood creative strategic Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - TV series - advertising - podcast intros - event an Key Concepts creative process media identity Questions to Reflect On - How does a theme influence audience perception? - When should a theme be revised? A Different Perspective A theme may limit creative flexibility later. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) ## Related quotes > [Well, Neighbours wanted to do a song on the show, and they asked me what songs I had. I told them I'd just written…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/delta-goodrem/well-neighbours-wanted-to-do-a-song-on-the-show-and-they-asked-me/) [Delta Goodrem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/delta-goodrem/) > [I once sent him a song and asked him to mark a cross wherever he thought it was faulty. Brahms returned it untouched, saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-wolf/i-once-sent-him-a-song-and-asked-him-to-mark-a-cross-wherever-he/) Hugo Wolf > [“After Lou heard my Guthrie song, he asked me if I ever wrote any songs about baseball players.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-dylan/after-lou-heard-my-guthrie-song-he-asked-me-if-i-ever-wrote-any-songs/) [Bob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-dylan/) > [“I went to my grandmother... and asked her to write a letter. I hardly knew her. I didn't have any interest in knowing her.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/i-went-to-my-grandmother-and-asked-her-to-write-a-letter-i-hardly/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [“He often said he had to be a writer because he wasn't good at anything else. 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Especially right after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-portnoy/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-a-book-several-times-i-ve-had-several/) [Mike Portnoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-portnoy/) > [I've been asked to write an autobiography, and I've started it a couple of times, on different angles, and maybe one day I will,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-saxon/i-ve-been-asked-to-write-an-autobiography-and-i-ve-started-it-a/) John Saxon > [They asked me to write it and zoomed me over there to do it. But they ended up sacking me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-campbell/they-asked-me-to-write-it-and-zoomed-me-over-there-to-do-it-but-they/) [Eddie Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-campbell/) > [I think probably the thing I'm worst at is the most ephemeral stuff, like blogs. I find it really hard to write. And I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-think-probably-the-thing-i-m-worst-at-is-the-most-ephemeral-stuff/) [Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/) ## More by Michael Penn > [To me, playing with words is like playing with your food. You shouldn't do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/to-me-playing-with-words-is-like-playing-with-your-food-you-shouldn-t/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [That was a real debate for me whether to change my name, which I felt was a lie, or to make up a band…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/that-was-a-real-debate-for-me-whether-to-change-my-name-which-i-felt/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [Knowing when it is over is the beginning of a new life and the end of an old one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/knowing-when-it-is-over-is-the-beginning-of-a-new-life-and-the-end-of/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [What if I were Romeo in black jeans?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/what-if-i-were-romeo-in-black-jeans/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [If folk is the music of the common people and not the intellectual elite, then that's what rock is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/if-folk-is-the-music-of-the-common-people-and-not-the-intellectual/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I'm an oblique guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-m-an-oblique-guy/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I just had a real visceral, negative reaction to show-biz familes. They tend to be a freakish celebrations of dysfunction. Like a circus sideshow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-just-had-a-real-visceral-negative-reaction-to-show-biz-familes-they/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I used to be paranoid for a couple reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-used-to-be-paranoid-for-a-couple-reasons/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I've never been too comfortable with the whole between-song-banter thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-ve-never-been-too-comfortable-with-the-whole-between-song-banter/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [Just talking about the schedule and logistics of a tour is fine, but if the interview gets into lyrics and the music in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/just-talking-about-the-schedule-and-logistics-of-a-tour-is-fine-but/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I got into music when I was pretty young, and there were a lot of shining lights to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-got-into-music-when-i-was-pretty-young-and-there-were-a-lot-of/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I wouldn't balk at having a hit single, because it would allow me some of the freedom to do some of the things I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-wouldn-t-balk-at-having-a-hit-single-because-it-would-allow-me-some/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [I've been writing songs since I was a kid. You just hope that you get better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/i-ve-been-writing-songs-since-i-was-a-kid-you-just-hope-that-you-get/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [If you talk about, say, 'Romeo and Juliet,' most people will think of it as a play about the highest form of romantic love.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/if-you-talk-about-say-romeo-and-juliet-most-people-will-think-of-it/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) > [If I was good at talking about my music, I'd be a lecturer or a teacher.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-penn/if-i-was-good-at-talking-about-my-music-i-d-be-a-lecturer-or-a-teacher/) [Michael Penn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) [Explore all 57 Michael Penn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-penn/) ## More Basically quotes > [When I graduated from Brown, I had a very limited conception of jobs, careers, and what I wanted to do. Basically, I figured I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-yang/when-i-graduated-from-brown-i-had-a-very-limited-conception-of-jobs/) [Andrew Yang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-yang/) > [You basically have a group of four spies who are chosen for a mission they feel for the fact of how competent they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-leblanc/you-basically-have-a-group-of-four-spies-who-are-chosen-for-a-mission/) [Matt LeBlanc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-leblanc/) > [I think we should have basically the same tax policy that Germany, Japan, the U.K., everybody else has, which is a tax rate in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-immelt/i-think-we-should-have-basically-the-same-tax-policy-that-germany/) [Jeffrey R. 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Basically, everyone's equal, but you, my children, are a bit better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/my-mum-was-labour-voting-but-wanted-us-to-know-we-were-important/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [When I heard that the bees were in trouble, the fact that they're disappearing and not coming back to the hive, which is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louie-schwartzberg/when-i-heard-that-the-bees-were-in-trouble-the-fact-that-they-re/) [Louie Schwartzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louie-schwartzberg/) > [It would be amazing if we were just basically judged on the merits of what we do, but we're not. That's not part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aspen-ladd/it-would-be-amazing-if-we-were-just-basically-judged-on-the-merits-of/) [Aspen Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aspen-ladd/) > [In my own case, I'm an artist, and I'm really interested in expanding the vocabulary of human action, and basically empowering people through interactivity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/golan-levin/in-my-own-case-i-m-an-artist-and-i-m-really-interested-in-expanding/) [Golan Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/golan-levin/) > [Civilian law around aviation is much looser than those governing military. Civilian planes can basically fly wherever they want in the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-paglen/civilian-law-around-aviation-is-much-looser-than-those-governing/) [Trevor Paglen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-paglen/) > [Nuclear DNA encodes all the proteins and enzymes that make you you, basically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/nuclear-dna-encodes-all-the-proteins-and-enzymes-that-make-you-you/) [Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/) > [“I basically have nothing to offer to others. If you think about it, I don’t even have anything to offer myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-basically-have-nothing-to-offer-to-others-if-you-think-about-it-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [I have been performing in the street for more than 50 years: magic for basically 60 years, and the high wire 45 years. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philippe-petit/i-have-been-performing-in-the-street-for-more-than-50-years-magic-for/) [Philippe Petit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philippe-petit/) > [Basically, I listen to voices. If they write good songs and they can sing, I'll probably like it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/india-arie/basically-i-listen-to-voices-if-they-write-good-songs-and-they-can/) [India Arie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/india-arie/) > [There's something about the air and the sky and the atmosphere in the South of France that must be very conducive to work, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-collins/there-s-something-about-the-air-and-the-sky-and-the-atmosphere-in-the/) [Joan Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-collins/) Browse all 1,129 Basically quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Basically, what happened was, Lena was on the fence as to whether or not she wanted 'Girls' to have a theme song. 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