Now that IT: Welcome to Derry has ended its first season, can we have a real talk about the opening song? Long before the prequel ever dropped on HBO, the series’ opening theme, a deceptively sweet 1956 tune called A Smile and a Ribbon, seemed like an odd choice for a Stephen King-verse horror prequel. But now that choice has turned into social media gold, with fans obsessing over the juxtaposition of the song’s innocence and the dread lurking beneath Derry’s idyllic surface.
Initially recorded by sister duo Patience and Prudence and featured on their album Your Careless Love, “A Smile and a Ribbon” was a gentle pop number with lyrics like “A smile is something special / A ribbon is something rare.” The track popped up in other pop culture moments, including the 2001 indie film Ghost World, but Welcome to Derry has brought it to a whole new audience. Watch the song and opening below:
The song is used unironically as the show’s opening credits theme, pairing cheerful 1950s-style music with Rockwell-esque scenes that slowly reveal Derry’s dark underbelly, featuring eerie imagery and hints of Pennywise. Behind the scenes, director Andy Muschietti and the title design team used the song to lull viewers into a false sense of security, mirroring Pennywise’s own “come-closer” tactics and setting a tone that’s both nostalgic and unsettling.
The result? Fans can’t stop talking about its earworm power. On Reddit, one fan wrote that the “accursed jingle has wormed deep into my brain,” calling the theme “so damn catchy it’s on a constant loop.” On Instagram reels and TikToks, clips of the opening sequence — with the chorus “A smile is something special / a ribbon is something rare,” are soundtracked over everything from dancing memes to mashups with Pennywise clips.
That contrast, sweetness over creeping dread, is part of why the song works so well as a cultural earworm. Media commentators have pointed out that the choice plays like a mask for something sinister, much like Pennywise’s own lures. One entertainment guide described it as “a perfectly deranged juxtaposition,” with the vintage track giving way to uncanny, horror-tinged visuals that unsettle long after the credits finish.
Take a look at some of the memes below:
Whether fans are splicing it into memes, sharing the lyrics over spooky clips, or just humming it with creeping dread, “A Smile and a Ribbon” has become nearly as memorable as the cotton-candy terror of the town itself — proof that a 1950s pop song can get a second life as a modern horror anthem.
All eight episodes of IT: Welcome to Derry are streaming on HBO Max.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
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