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This Is Why the 'House of Cards' Theme Song Is Killer

Song Exploder deconstructs 'House of Cards (Main Title Theme)' with the show's composer, Jeff Beal.
Image via Netflix

You know each sobering trumpet note and the twinkle of every key by heart—not least because it's all you've been watching this weekend—but do you know how the House of Cards title song came to sound the way it does? As it turns out, the Emmy-nominated theme is the evolving result of composer Jeff Beal's work with executive producer, David Fincher. On the seventh episode of music podcast Song Exploder, Beal breaks down the show's chilling opener, explaining things like Supertramp's influence on the sound, what Fincher thinks of the song's bubbling bassline (spoiler alert: he calls it "Riptide" for a reason), and why the cellos take on a more sinister role in the show's second season.

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The episode debuted in 2014, which means Beal has yet to sound off on the theme's third season, but with another eight episodes available on demand, there's never been a better time to check out Song Exploder Episode 7: Jeff Beal.

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