What do the lyrics to the song Gilligan’s Island mean?

In this author’s view, there are four quintessential television songs in the history of the medium. As for instruments, the two best themes are Jack Marshall’s surf-like music he composed for “The Munsters” and Danny Elfman’s platonic, idealistic haunted-house music for “Tales from the Crypt.”

For theme songs with The lyrics, two of the best ever, not coincidentally, were written by Sherwood Schwartz. He and Frank De Vol composed the instructive and engaging theme for Schwartz’s sitcom “The Brady Bunch,” while Schwartz collaborated with George Whale to compose “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle.” These two songs, each only 60 seconds long, manage to succinctly explain – in rhyme – the premise of their show while also introducing each of the characters. Additionally, the songs are catchy earworms that burrow deep into listeners’ brains, sticking in the memory and never letting go. When I’m in my 90s and my mind is rid of all the memories of my life and my family, I’ll still be able to sing “Gilligan’s Island.”

“The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle” explains to potential viewers that the show’s seven main characters were on a three-hour tour of the Hawaiian Islands when their ship, the SS Minnow, ran into bad weather. The ship was damaged and washed up on an uncharted deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. The seven characters are listed: Gilligan (Bob Denver), the skipper (Alan Hale Jr.), the millionaire (Jim Backus) and his wife (Natalie Schiffer), the movie star (Tina Louise), the professor (Russell Johnson), and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells).

There is a lot of history to “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle”, and many interesting stories about its making. Firstly, the familiar “Ballad” was not the first proposed lead single. On the other hand, the band that recorded it had to gather in the studio under duress. Of course, there is the widely known question of “and the rest” controversy. Read on to know all the facts.

Original pilot for “Gilligan’s Island” It was completely different from the show that had already aired. While Denver, Hill, Backus, and Shaver were involved, the professor was originally a high school teacher played by John Gabriel. There was a character named Ginger, but she wasn’t a movie star. She was a secretary played by Kate Smith. There was no Mary Ann, but a second secretary, Ginger’s best friend, Bunny, played by Nancy McCarthy. After some workshops, Sherwood Schwartz reworked the professor with Russell Johnson and invented the Ginger and Mary Ann we know today.

The theme song for this original pilot, which stayed in the spirit of the show’s nautical themes, had a distinct calypso sound, complete with a different set of lyrics. The original theme was written by future film music maestro John Williams, and the lyrics were sung by Schwartz himself. Schwartz was said to have imitated a famous calypso master named Sir Lancelot. (No, it’s not Mel Blanc who sings it.) The original pilot, called “Marooned,” was not available to the public until TBS aired it on October 16, 1992. Now, of course, John Williams original song Widely available online.

Perhaps feeling that the Calypso song was too silly (and needed to rewrite the lyrics to accommodate the new characters), Schwartz settled on the famous sea shanty we all know and love today. This new song dedicated to the first season of “Gilligan’s Island” was performed by a band called The Wellingtons. Despite their name, the Wellingtons were not from England, but from Illinois. They also changed their original name, Lincoln, to take advantage of the British invasion. The Wellingtons even appeared in an episode of “Gilligan’s Island.” She plays a fictional band called the Mosquitoes.

There’s an amusing story Schwartz told about recording “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle.” With Wellington. Apparently he needed the theme on tape as quickly as possible, but due to some scheduling errors, all the local recording studios were closed. Fortunately, a close friend of his had one at his house, and the Wellingtons were quickly transported to it. Unfortunately, the close friend was preparing for a party, so the Wellingtons were only able to record in between the party’s hype.

“The Ballad,” as many know, had to be re-recorded after the first season of “Island” due to a credit dispute. Tina Louise, who played Ginger, apparently negotiated to have her credit listed last, forcing Schwartz and Wellington to sing “And the Rest” when Russell Johnson and Don Wells’ credits appeared on screen.

Bob Denver felt that Louise’s stipulation was unfair to Johnson and Welles — they were as important to “Gilligan’s Island” as any other cast member — so he essentially classified her. Denver also apparently had a stipulation allowing him to be included for him Credit wherever he wants. As such, he threatened to put his credit after Louise, knowing that he was playing the character bearing his name, and had the right to do so. Rather than fight Denver, Louise surrenders, and a new song is written to replace “And the Rest” with “The Professor and Mary Ann.”

The new theme song used in the second and third seasons of the show was performed by A group of singers called the Equalists. The Wellingtons had a slightly more professional music career beyond their “Gilligan’s Island” gig, but the Eligibles were more of a quick gig and didn’t do much outside of singing “Ballad.” We know they toured with Eartha Kitt.

The original “Gilligan’s Island” series only ran for 98 episodes over three seasons. The story goes that a new CBS executive wanted to cancel the long-running hit western “Gunsmoke” to make room for some new shows, but the wife of an older executive complained. “Gunsmoke” was her favorite series. So, the Gunsmoke crew was rehired — at higher salaries — and CBS was forced to cancel Gilligan’s Island to compensate.

Although “Gilligan’s Island” only ran for three years, it was put into endless syndication, and reruns were broadcast on television for decades. Interest in the series remained high, so spinoffs inevitably came in the form of follow-up TV movies and two animated shows. The entire cast returned for all sequels and spin-offs, with the exception of Tina Louise, who was happy to step back from work on other projects.

The first two anime shows It was 1974’s The New Adventures of Gilligan, which merely continued the adventures of the castaways on the same island. Because it was produced by Filmation and broadcast on ABC, the new show, although also created by Sherwood Schwartz, required the rights to “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle” for use. When the production was unable to secure said rights, the showrunners opted for a spoken word alternative to the song “Ballad” read by the actors. It was…close to the original song, but legally distinct. Curiously, Denver did not read any of the opening poem.

The same “spoken word” approach was adopted in 1982’s “Gilligan’s Planet,” an animated sci-fi adaptation of the original show that moved the setting to a faraway alien world (!). This show, which was also produced by Filmation and aired on ABC, only lasted one season. It was, as of this writing, the last piece of approved “Gilligan’s Island” media to be produced (not counting a few crossovers with shows like “ALF” and “Baywatch”).

Here, for posterity’s sake, is the full transcription of the lyrics to “The Ballad of Gilligan’s Isle:”:

• Just sit and you will hear a story, a story of a fateful journey,
• It started in this tropical port, on this little ship.
• His mate was a great sailing man, and the captain brave and confident.
• Five passengers set sail that day on a three-hour tour. Three hour tour.
• (thunderclap)
• The weather was starting to get rough, and the little ship was turning over.
• Without the courage of the brave crew, the ship would have been lost. The minnow will be lost.
• The ship landed on the shore of this unknown desert island.
• With Gilligan, also the skipper, the millionaire and his wife.
• Movie star and the rest*
• Here on Gilligan’s Island!

* “And the rest” as mentioned above was replaced by “The Professor and Mary Ann” in the second season.

Schwartz also composed the lyrics for the song “Ballad”, played during the show’s closing credits, which was sung in the same tune. They went:

• Now, this is the story of our outcasts. They are here for a very long time.
• They will have to do their best, it is an uphill climb.
• The first mate and his commander will also do their best
• To make others comfortable in their tropical island nest.
• (Speaking) There is no phone! No lights! (Sung) No cars. Not one luxury.
• Like Robinson Crusoe, it is as primitive as can be.
• Join us here every week, my friends, and you’re sure to make yourself smile
• Of the seven stranded castaways, here on Gilligan’s Island.

The bit about phones and lights, and the reference to Robinson Crusoe, by the way, was also borrowed by “Weird Al” Yankovic For his hit song “Amish Paradise”.

Now, dear readers, I challenge you to forget the lyrics. It may never happen.