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"Science Fiction / Double Feature" is a song from theatrical and cinematographic productions of The Rocky Horror Show since 1973 to this day, including the 1975 original film, the 2015 tribute production celebrating 40 years, and the 2016 reimagining film. Music and lyrics were composed by Richard O'Brien back in 1972 while the original musical arrangements are from Richard Hartley. This is one of the seven songs that appear in every important soundtrack of Rocky Horror productions.

It was originally performed by Patricia Quinn in the original 1973 stage production, by Jamie Donnelly in the 1974 Roxy production in Los Angeles and the original Broadway production, by Kate Fitzpatrick in the 1974 Australian production, by Richard O'Brien in the 1975 original film, by Mary Maddox in the 1990 West End Revival, by Daphne Rubin-Vega in the 2001 Broadway Revival, by Naya Rivera in the 2010 Glee episode, and by Ivy Levan in the 2016 reimagining TV film.

Context[]

The Usherette is a character (usually played by the same actress who plays Magenta) that introduces the show with this song that contains several references to sci-fi movies. This is because the show itself is a parody/tribute to horror B movies (low budget). The song has a reprise version that the Usherette sings to close the show.

Lyrics[]

  • Lyrics from the 1973 original London stage production:

The Usherette:
Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man

Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outerspace
And this is how the message ran

The Usherette (company):
Science Fiction (uh-uh-uh) double-feature (wuh-uh-uh)
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature (wuh-uh-uh-uh)
See Androids fighting (uh-uh-uh) Brad and Janet (wuh-uh-uh)
Anne Francis stars in (uh-uh-uh) Forbidden Planet

The Usherette:
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, at the late night
Double Feature, Picture Show

I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Jeanette Scott
Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills

Dana Andrews said prunes give him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills
And when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride
I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills, like a

The Usherette (company):
Science Fiction (uh-uh-uh) double-feature (wuh-uh-uh)
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature (wuh-uh-uh)
See Androids fighting (uh-uh-uh) Brad and Janet (wuh-uh-uh)
Anne Francis stars in (uh-uh-uh) Forbidden Planet

The Usherette:
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,
At the late night Double Feature, Picture Show
I wanna go, oh-oh-oh-oh
To the late night Double Feature Picture Show
By R.K.O., oh-oh-oh
To the late night Double Feature Picture Show
In the back row oh-oh-oh-oh

The Usherette (with company):
To the (late night) Double Feature (Picture Show)

  • Lyrics from the 1974 Los Angeles, USA stage production:

The Usherette:
Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man

Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outerspace
And this is how the message ran

The Usherette (company):
Science Fiction (uh-uh-uh) double-feature (pau-pau-pau)
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature (pau-pau-pau)
See Androids fighting (uh-uh-uh) Brad and Janet (pau-pau-pau)
Anne Francis stars in (uh-uh-uh) Forbidden Planet

The Usherette:
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, at the late night
Double Feature, Picture Show
Oh! Oh! Oh!

I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Jeanette Scott
Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills

The Usherette with company:
Dana Andrews said prunes give him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills

The Usherette (with company):
And when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride
I'm gonna (give you some terrible thrills), like a

Company:
Science Fiction uh-uh-uh double-feature pau-pau-pau
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature pau-pau-pau
See Androids fighting uh-uh-uh Brad and Janet pau-pau-pau
Anne Francis stars in uh-uh-uh Forbidden Planet
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

The Usherette:
At the late night Double Feature, Picture Show
I wanna go, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
To the late night Double Feature Picture Show
By R.K.O., oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
To the late night Double Feature Picture Show
In the back row oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

The Usherette with company:
To the late night Double Feature Picture Show

  • Lyrics from the 1975 original film and the 2010 Glee episode:

Lips:
Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man

Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outerspace
And this is how the message ran

Lips (company):
Science Fiction (uh-uh-uh) double-feature
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature
See Androids fighting (uh-uh-uh) Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in (uh-uh-uh) Forbidden Planet

Lips (with company):
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, at the (late night)
Double Feature, Picture Show

Lips:
I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Jeanette Scott
Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills

Dana Andrews said prunes give him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills
And when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride
I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills, like a

Lips (company):
Science Fiction (uh-uh-uh) double-feature
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature
See Androids fighting (uh-uh-uh) Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in (uh-uh-uh) Forbidden Planet

Lips (with company):
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,
At the (late night) Double Feature, Picture Show
I wanna go, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
(To the late night Double Feature Picture Show)
By R.K.O., oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
(To the late night Double Feature Picture Show)
In the back row oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
(To the late night Double Feature Picture Show)

  • Lyrics from the 2001 Broadway Revival:

The Usherette:
Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man

Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outerspace
And this is how the message ran

The Usherette (company):
Science Fiction (uh-uh-uh) double-feature (pau-pau-pau)
Dr X (uh-uh-uh) will build a creature (pau-pau-pau)
See Androids fighting (uh-uh-uh) Brad and Janet (pau-pau-pau)
Anne Francis stars in (uh-uh-uh) Forbidden Planet

Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, at the late night
Double Feature, Picture Show
I can't hear you! (*cheering sounds*)

The Usherette:
I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Jeanette Scott
Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills

Dana Andrews said prunes give him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills
And when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride

The Usherette with company:
I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills, like a

Science Fiction uh-uh-uh double-feature pau-pau-pau
Dr X uh-uh-uh will build a creature pau-pau-pau
See Androids fighting uh-uh-uh Brad and Janet pau-pau-pau
Anne Francis stars in uh-uh-uh Forbidden Planet
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

The Usherette with company (company only):
At the late night (late night) Double Feature (Double Feature), Picture Show

The Usherette (company):
I wanna go (I wanna go)

The Usherette with company (company only):
To the late night (late night) Double Feature (Double Feature), Picture Show

The Usherette (company):
By R.K.O. (By R.K.O.)

The Usherette with company (company only):
To the late night (late night) Double Feature (Double Feature), Picture Show (Picture Show)
In the back row (In the back row)
To the late night Double Feature Picture Show

  • Lyrics from the 2016 TV reimagination film:

The Usherette:
Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there in silver underwear
Claude Raines was the invisible man

Then something went wrong for Fay Wray and King Kong
They got caught in a celluloid jam
Then at a deadly pace it came from outerspace
And this is how the message ran

The Usherette with company (only company):
Science Fiction (uh-ah-uh) double-feature
Dr X (uh-ah-uh) will build a creature
See Androids fighting (uh-ah-uh) (The Usherette: Woo!) Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in (uh-ah-uh) Forbidden Planet
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, at the late night
Double Feature, Picture Show (The Usherette: *laughs*)

The Usherette:
I knew Leo G. Carroll was over a barrel
When Tarantula took to the hills
And I really got hot when I saw Jeanette Scott
Fight a Triffid that spits poison and kills

Dana Andrews said prunes give him the runes
And passing them used lots of skills
But when worlds collide, said George Pal to his bride
I'm gonna give you some terrible thrills

The Usherette with company (only company):
Like a-
Science Fiction (uh-ah-uh) double-feature
Dr X (uh-ah-uh) will build a creature
See Androids fighting (uh-ah-uh) (The Usherette: Ugh!) Brad and Janet
Anne Francis stars in (uh-ah-uh) (The Usherette: Forbidden Planet)

Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, at the late night
Double Feature, Picture Show (The Usherette: I wanna go)
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, to the late night
Double Feature Picture Show (The Usherette: By R.K.O.)
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, to the late night
Double Feature Picture Show (The Usherette: In the back row)
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, to the late night
Double Feature

The Usherette:
Picture Show, oh-uh-uh-uh-mm-mm

Trivia[]

  • It would appear that, if you look at the script version of the song, Richard O'Brien was planning on doing a montage during the credits in reference of the lyrics.
  • Patricia Quinn wanted to sing the film version of the song as she did in the original stage version, but Richard O’Brien had already recorded the song; himself singing it. To compromise, Quinn lip-synced the song with her lips being the trademark lips singing the song at the start of the movie.
  • Lyrics and a alternate opening sequence include many movie references like The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), Flash Gordon (1936), The Invisible Man (1933), King Kong (1933),  It Came from Outer Space (1953), Doctor X (1932), Forbidden Planet (1956), Tarantula (1955), The Day of the Triffids (1962), Night of the Demon (1957),  When Worlds Collide (1951)

Gallery

📷 In the Rocky Horror Wiki we use galleries to order photos and video. You can visit the gallery of Science Fiction / Double Feature to see related files.

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Science Fiction / Double FeatureDammit, JanetOver At the Frankenstein PlaceSweet TransvestiteTime WarpSword of DamoclesCharles Atlas SongHot PatootieCharles Atlas Song (Reprise)Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch-a-Touch MeOnce In a WhileEddie's TeddyPlanet Schmanet, JanetThe Floor ShowRose Tint My WorldDon't Dream It, Be ItWild and Untamed ThingI'm Going HomeSuperheroesScience Fiction / Double Feature (Reprise)
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