John Williams thinks his famous Star Wars theme is “a little overwritten”

Star Wars has one of the most famous theme songs ever written. But the man who wrote it still thinks there’s room for improvement.

No movie franchise in history has an opening credits sequence as iconic and recognizable as Star Wars. The yellow words floating through space coupled with the epic theme by famed composer John Williams…we all know it very well.

The 88-year-old composer recently sat down for a rare interview with The New Yorker where recalled the early days of his career. Over the years, he’s composed themes for blockbusters like Harry Potter, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park and Superman.

But little can touch Star Wars when it comes to popularity. Williams scored each movie in what is now known as the Skywalker Saga, beginning with A New Hope in (1977) and concluding with The Rise of Skywalker (2019), nine movies altogether.

The composer revealed that the opening theme to the Star Wars saga was actually the last piece he wrote for A New Hope. And despite how famous it’s become, he’s not entirely pleased with it. “It’s probably a little overwritten,” he said. “The 30-second notes in the trombones are hard to get, in that register of the trombone. And the high trumpet part!”

It’s cool that Williams can still critique himself, but I don’t think I would change anything about that song. It’s one of the most recognizable movie themes in history for a reason, after all.

Williams also told some behind-the-scenes stories about how he got the Star Wars composer gig in the first place:

"One day, Steven [Spielberg] called me and said, ‘Do you know George Lucas?’ I said, ‘No, I have no idea who he is.’ ‘Well, he’s got this thing called Star Wars, and he wants to have a classical’—his term, he didn’t say Romantic—‘classical score, and I’ve convinced George he should meet you, because he admired the score for Jaws. ’ I came out here one night, to Universal Studios, and met George."

Oh yeah, Jaws, that’s another of Williams’ classic scores. Even if you’ve never seen it you probably know the, “Oh s*** the shark is coming” theme:

But while Williams may have things he’d tweak about his work, he’s very thankful for all he’s gotten to do. “The idea of becoming a professional film composer, never mind writing nine Star Wars scores over 40 years, was not a consciously sought-after goal,” he said. “All of this, I have to say to you, has been the result of a beneficent randomness. Which often produces the best things in life.”

Williams has put in his time and will probably be passing the baton off to a new composer for future Star Wars movies. If the music from something like The Mandalorian is anything to go by, he has some very capable successors. But that opening theme of his will never die.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels