Working primarily in the genres of science fiction, action, and horror, his filmography includes Fright Night and its sequel, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Blue Steel, True Lies, and Johnny Mnemonic.
Raised in Bayville, New York on Long Island, Fiedel graduated from The Barlow School. After college, he became a popular and progressive composer, and in the 1980s, he worked on several successful movies, predominantly in the action and thriller genres, and pioneered the use of electronic instruments and synthesizers—almost disappearing from the mainstream at the end of the 1990s. He was the keyboardist for Hall and Oates.
He began his career in film in the late 1970s, and wrote extensively for television films and minor cinema releases, until director James Cameron hired him to score the science fiction film The Terminator in 1984, setting the wheels in motion for a successful career.
Since then, Fiedel has scored many popular and successful movies, including Fright Night (1985) and its sequel Fright Night Part 2 (1988), The Big Easy (1987), The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988), The Accused (1988), Blue Steel (1990), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Blink (1994), and True Lies (1994), although in recent years, Fiedel has moved on to other creative areas, writing original musicals and designing and building a surf resort in La Saladita, Mexico.
His last major theatrical score was in 1995, and although he enjoyed a brief period of renewed interest following the release of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines in 2003, when Marco Beltrami wrote an orchestral arrangement of his theme, he shows no sign of returning to the film music field.
Fiedel has been married to actress Ann Dusenberry since 1975; the couple has two children.
Main Title
Brad Fiedel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ran across it just this afternoon
And I realized that I don't ever use it anymore
In fact last time I did I think it was with you
When we were down in Cozumel
We had the whole beach to ourselves
And it's crazy now to think
That it's all there on that film
To be developed but what for
I can still see everything just fine
And who needs pictures with a memory like mine
Standin' there I couldn't help but think about
Everything that might be on that roll
I think it even has another trip we took
I guess that must've been at least three years ago
When we were down in Baton Rouge
And there wasn't much to do
So we drove into New Orleans every afternoon
And I swear that you would think
That it was only yesterday
'Cause I can still see everything just fine
And who needs pictures with a memory like mine
Somewhere in my closet
There's a cardboard box just sittin' on a shelf
It's full of faded memories
And it's been there ever since the night you left
Oh, just forgotten photographs to remind me of the past
Oh, but I can still see everything just fine
Who needs pictures with a memory like mine
Yeah, who needs pictures with a memory like mine
The lyrics to Brad Fiedel's Main Title describe a person reminiscing on past memories and realizing that they don't need physical evidence, such as pictures, to remember these moments. The singer discovers an old Kodak camera and reflects on the last time they used it, which was during a trip to Cozumel with someone special. They go on to mention another trip they took to Baton Rouge and New Orleans, pondering what memories may be stored on the roll of film in the camera. The singer concludes that they don't need pictures to remind them of these memories as they are still clear in their mind.
The lyrics evoke a sense of nostalgia and the power of memory. The camera and faded photographs act as tangible reminders of past events, but the singer realizes that they don't need these physical items to recall these moments. The memories are still alive in their mind and heart. The song reminds us that our memories and experiences are valuable and meaningful, and the power of our minds to recall them is a gift.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an old Kodak camera in my dresser drawer
I have an old Kodak camera that is stored in my dresser drawer
I ran across it just this afternoon
I came across it just today
And I realized that I don't ever use it anymore
I became aware that I no longer use it
In fact last time I did I think it was with you
The last time I recall using it was when I was with you
When we were down in Cozumel
The time I was with you and used it was during our trip to Cozumel
We had the whole beach to ourselves
We had the entire beach for ourselves
And it's crazy now to think
Now it seems insane to think that
That it's all there on that film
All of those moments are captured on that roll of film
And I could take it to the store
I could take it to the store to get it developed
To be developed but what for
But what's the point?
I can still see everything just fine
I can still remember everything clearly
And who needs pictures with a memory like mine
I don't need pictures when I have such vivid memories
Standin' there I couldn't help but think about
As I was standing there, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about
Everything that might be on that roll
All of the moments that may be captured on that roll of film
I think it even has another trip we took
I think it even has another trip we went on together
I guess that must've been at least three years ago
That must have been a minimum of three years in the past
When we were down in Baton Rouge
When we were in Baton Rouge
And there wasn't much to do
And there wasn't much available activities to do
So we drove into New Orleans every afternoon
So, as a result, we drove to New Orleans nearly every afternoon
And I swear that you would think
You would believe that
That it was only yesterday
It feels as if it just happened yesterday
'Cause I can still see everything just fine
Because I still remember everything so vividly
Somewhere in my closet
Somewhere in my closet at home
There's a cardboard box just sittin' on a shelf
There's a cardboard box that's resting on a shelf
It's full of faded memories
It's filled with vague recollections
And it's been there ever since the night you left
It's been resting there since the night you departed
Oh, just forgotten photographs to remind me of the past
Oh, memories captured on film that I may have forgotten, but they still remind me of the past
Yeah, who needs pictures with a memory like mine
Yes, pictures aren't necessary when the memories are just as clear and rich as mine.
Writer(s): Brad Fiedel, Danny Elfman Copyright: Fox Film Music Corp., 919 Music
Contributed by Declan G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@niewesoa5299
@@baggierols73 T1 has more charm to me. A low-budget film no one believed in, with great acting (or well-cast actors, since Arnold's general skill is debatable-edit), an iconic climactic chase that is truly nightmarish, Sarah's and Kyle's human reactions to all the crap they have gone through, and the bittersweet ending of a time loop. Sarah, having been through hell, proceeds forward, fully aware that the awaiting triumph of John Connor will be preceeded by the equally inevitable, and inconceivable suffering of Judgement Day - and that the victory was paid for by the largely unacknowledged sacrifice of Kyle.
Also, the music flipping slaps.
Having said that, T2 completes the story amazingly and has (probably) even better acting, wonderful storytelling of 'it seems hopeless, but I will defy fate', logical conclusions to T1, as well as a bigger, well-spent budget, so I understand people who prefer the second film.
I love the story of T1-T2 so much I even played Terminator: Resistance, which is heavily based on those storylines (big recommend, by the way).
Either way, sorry for the word vomit 😅Which one do you prefer?
@stevenmorris2234
Lists of classic sci-fi films of the 1960s-90s
Planet Of The Apes,
Space Odyssey 2001
Star Wars original trilogy
Mad Max & Mad Max 2 Road Warrior
Blade Runner
The Terminator & Terminator 2 Judgment Day
Robocop (original)
Total Recall (original)
The Matrix
Close Encounters
ET
Back To The Future
@LucasMartinezLukeDiRT
Los Angeles 2029 A.D.
The machines rose from the
ashes of nuclear fire.
Their war to exterminate
mankind had raged for
decades, but the final
battle would not be fought
in the future.
It would be fought here,
in our present.
Tonight...
@niewesoa5299
I'm 24 and I watched this film for the first time only last Saturday. What a masterpiece.
@baggierols73
Do you prefer T1 or T2, out of interest?
@niewesoa5299
@@baggierols73 T1 has more charm to me. A low-budget film no one believed in, with great acting (or well-cast actors, since Arnold's general skill is debatable-edit), an iconic climactic chase that is truly nightmarish, Sarah's and Kyle's human reactions to all the crap they have gone through, and the bittersweet ending of a time loop. Sarah, having been through hell, proceeds forward, fully aware that the awaiting triumph of John Connor will be preceeded by the equally inevitable, and inconceivable suffering of Judgement Day - and that the victory was paid for by the largely unacknowledged sacrifice of Kyle.
Also, the music flipping slaps.
Having said that, T2 completes the story amazingly and has (probably) even better acting, wonderful storytelling of 'it seems hopeless, but I will defy fate', logical conclusions to T1, as well as a bigger, well-spent budget, so I understand people who prefer the second film.
I love the story of T1-T2 so much I even played Terminator: Resistance, which is heavily based on those storylines (big recommend, by the way).
Either way, sorry for the word vomit 😅Which one do you prefer?
@baggierols73
@@niewesoa5299 that OK mate, thanks for the answer 👍. Love both films but got to say T2, as I think they increased the scope of the story & as you say, great acting all round
@user-yj1on3bf1v
@@niewesoa5299 Have you watched the first two films of Alien? highly recommend, terminator and alien are the best sci-fi and thriller movies.
@MikerodRod
You would of loved the 80's my friend😊
@_TheComedian_
I love those typical 80s synthesizer sounds. Brings back the good memories of the years when I was a little boy.
@johnny711
typical? no no no. true i like it better
@broden4838
I agree, this and the opening to Escape From New York were the best movies with synthesizers for the music back in the 80s
@ViktorKomarov1995
I think it's a Roland Jupiter-8. ;)