There are few television theme songs as instantly ingratiating as that of WKRP In Cincinnati. That sublime little tune, co-written by series creator Hugh Wilson with Tom Wells and originally performed by Steve Carlisle, tells the story of a nomadic radio professional whose experiences have taken him from one city to another. In just a minute, it sets up the premise of WKRP and makes the viewer eager to know what happens to that guy in the song.
If the theme can be used to sell a prime-time sitcom, maybe it can be used to sell a political candidate, too. Bonecage, the creator of “Olive Garden Butthole” and other pop culture-based songs, has done his own version of the WKRP song, this time with lyrics about real-estate mogul and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. The song begins by reaffirming Trump’s commitment to the Second Amendment and keeping America safe from illegal immigrants: “Baby, if you’ve ever wondered / What it’s like to kill a human being / We’ll wall up Mexico and hunt the heathens / Vote for me, I’m T-R-U-M-P.”
Bonecage tells The A.V. Club that he has no particular ax to grind with Trump, despite the candidate’s polarizing statements on a variety of issues. “I’m not a rabid anti-Trump person,” he insists. “I just did this song because had the idea, and I wanted to keep busy [and] put some content out. I might do a Hillary one for fairness/balance if this doesn’t get me killed by crazies.” Should he choose to do so, he has decades of television theme songs from which to choose, many of them with melodies nearly as catchy as the one from WRKP.