It’s one of the most memorable sitcom theme songs of the 1990s, but what is the Frasier “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” meaning? One thing is certain, after over a decade on the air and a reboot on the way, the Frasier theme song meaning remains elusive. Dr. Frasier Crane first appeared during season 3 of Cheers as the new love interest of Diane, and while he was only supposed to last a few episodes, Kelsey Grammer’s performance proved so popular he ended up appearing in over 200 episodes. When Cheers shut its doors for the final time in 1993, Frasier immediately earned his own spin-off.
Frasier found the title character moving to Seattle to take a radio hosting job while reconnecting with his ex-cop father. The series was acclaimed for its superb comic writing and performances and would ultimately run for 11 seasons. Now, however, Grammer will return in the Frasier reboot, releasing on October 1st, 2023 on Paramount+. The original Frasier‘s distinctive theme “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” is sung by Kelsey Grammer himself, and ranks alongside the likes of Friends’ “I’ll Be There For You” as one of the most recognizable sitcom themes of the era. Here’s the Frasier theme song meaning explained, and what its future might be in the new series.
Frasier’s Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs Are His Radio Callers
The Frasier theme song meaning is elusive thanks to its lyrics. The mystery was solved on former Frasier and Simpsons‘ writer Ken Levine’s blog, where he spoke with composer Bruce Miller to decode the meaning of “Tossed Salads And Scrambled Eggs.” Miller’s direction for the theme was to create something jazzy whilst avoiding direct references to the subject matter, including Frasier Crane’s name and psychiatrist job. He contacted musician friend Darryl Phinnesse, who suggested using “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs,” since they’re both things that are mixed up, like Frasier’s patients. More directly, the lyrics mean:
- “Hey baby, I hear the blues a-callin” refers to the people calling his radio show to air their problems.
- “And maybe I seem a bit confused / Yeah maybe, but I got you pegged!” means he’s also a little mixed up, but he does his best to understand their problems.
- “But I don’t know what to do with those Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” means he’s not sure what to do with the constant flood of callers.
Frasier’s Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs Are His Family & Friends
The Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs meaning could also refer more specifically to Frasier’s friends and family. While there’s no doubt that Frasier’s callers are a bit mixed up, the same can be said for Frasier‘s other quirky main characters besides Frasier, namely Niles and Martin Crane, and Daphne Moon. If the lyrics “And maybe I seem a bit confused / Yeah maybe, but I got you pegged!” mean that Frasier understands his callers fairly well, then it makes sense that the line “But I don’t know what to do with those Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” would refer to the more confounding issues of his personal life.
Frasier’s Tossed Salads & Scrambled Eggs Song Can’t Work In The Reboot
With a Frasier reboot coming soon, it may finally be time to rework or replace the iconic intro song Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs meaning. In an interview with RadioTimes, Frasier actor Kelsey Grammer spoke about how the Frasier reboot’s story would be distinct and different from the original Frasier, confirming, “The first principle is that it is a different story, basically. The same group of characters, but in a different setting. Something has changed in their lives… [Frasier]’s past the radio show.”
At the end of Frasier, Frasier moves to Chicago for a fresh start, however, the new series will see the psychiatrist back to his Cheers stomping grounds in Boston and focus on his relationship with his now-adult son Freddy. As Grammer also explicitly states, Frasier has gotten out of the radio psychiatry game. Because of this key factor, the Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs meaning won’t work quite as well as the Frasier reboot’s intro song. If the lyrics are meant to refer mainly to Frasier’s callers, as seems to be the case, then the absence of said callers will make the song something of a non sequitur.
At the same time, however, if the Frasier theme song meaning is meant to refer more to the people in Frasier’s personal life, the song could still apply to the reboot as the Frasier reboot show also features eccentric friends and family members. On an even more basic level, it might not even matter whether the song applies in the same way to the Frasier reboot, since it stands on its own as an iconic, recognizable intro. Continuing to use “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs,” or at least making reference to it, could be a great way for the new Frasier to pay homage to its roots and please audiences.
Fraiser Almost Didn’t Have Tossed Salad & Scrambled Eggs
With all the confusion around the Frasier theme song meaning, it’s a wonder that studios didn’t choose something else. Well, that was the original plan, but it ultimately wouldn’t have worked better than “Tossed Salad and Scrambled Eggs.” Vanity Fair did a piece celebrating Frasier‘s 25th anniversary a while back and in the article, it was revealed that studios originally planned to use Joni Mitchell’s 1974 song “Twisted.” Though Joni Mitchell’s rendition of the jazzy ballad is the most well known, it was a cover of a jazz tune written by Annie Ross and composed by Wardell Gray.
However, licensing the song to become Frasier‘s theme tune turned out to be too involved of a process for studios. As it were, Frasier‘s original plan for a theme tune wouldn’t have worked to its benefit. Forgoing Mitchell’s “Twisted” allowed Grammer to add his own personal touch and made an impact by having the main character sing the show’s theme song. In addition, the “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” meaning mystery did add a unique element to the series, whereas Mitchell’s lyrics in “Twisted” are a little too on the nose for what Frasier was ultimately going for.
