Who wrote Phoebe's songs?
Phoebe's character has many songs she performs throughout the series. Was there a single person dedicated to writing songs for the character to perform? Was Lisa Kudrow improvising?
Who wrote the songs Phoebe performs on Friends?
Best Answer
The lyrics are most likely written by the team of screenwriters that were involved in the show, but that's just my guess. I don't think you'll be able to get a definite answer without actually asking someone on the show since there doesn't seem to be any information about this online, and I can't recall hearing, or seeing anything about it on the "behind the scenes" footage or in the interviews that comes with the DVD box set. Though, the fact that most songs are about or at least related to things that happens in the episodes in which they're performed strengthens this theory.
What is mentioned in the DVD extras, though, is that the melodies and the chords are all, or at least partly made up by Lisa Kudrow.
UPDATE
Having done some digging, I managed to find these two Friends CDs:
Album: Friends
Snowman/Ashes/Dead Mother medleyLyrics by Adam Chase (Friends Producer/Writer), Ira Ungerleider (Friends Producer/Writer)
Music by Lisa Kudrow
Album: Friends - Again
Smelly CatWritten by Adam Chase, Betsy Borns (Friends Writer), Chrissy Hynde, Lisa Kudrow
The song credits posted above proves that the producers/writers of Friends were the ones writing Phoebe Buffay's songs, with the exception of "Smelly Cat" which Lisa Kudrow and Chrissy Hynde (the frontwoman of The Pretenders) seems to have been at least partly responsible for.
Sure, these are only two songs, but I see no reason why the rest would be any different.
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Who wrote Phoebe songs in Friends?
In addition to portraying Phoebe, actress Lisa Kudrow co-wrote the music to "Smelly Cat", which she would perform consistently throughout the show's ten seasons.Who sings for Phoebe in Friends?
However, viewers were treated to an upgraded version of the much-loved ditty when Phoebe, played by Lisa Kudrow, was joined on the set by popstar Lady Gaga in the reunion special. Kudrow sat down at the recreated Central Perk and sang the song, strumming her guitar, almost 26 years since that first performance.Who wrote the song Smelly Cat?
"Smelly Cat" was just one of Phoebe's amateur songs, most of which she performed at Central Perk. It premiered in the second season in 1995, and was written by Adam Chase, Betsy Borns, Kudrow and the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde (who guested on the episode).How Phoebe Bridgers Writes Authentic Lyrics | Artist Analysis S1E5
More answers regarding who wrote Phoebe's songs?
Answer 2
It must have been the scriptwriter. The songs are witty & funny. It is less likely that some naive person would have written them. In my opinion, Pheobe's songs were very smartly written, so it is more likely that a professional i.e. the scriptwriter must have wrote them.
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