Original artwork, not a still
Opening theme 'Tank!'
3, 2, 1, let's jam!
— Cowboy Bebop · 1998
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It works as a starting gun for the show itself: three, two, one, and the chaos of a space-cowboy week begins. A jazz band counting itself in suits a series built on bebop's improvised, loose-limbed spirit, and the words have outlived the show as fan shorthand for 'let's go'. The countdown is why many fans remember Cowboy Bebop's first five seconds as well as any scene.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Cowboy BebopShow the scene
The countdown is not said by Spike in any scene. It is the spoken intro to "Tank!", the big-band jazz opening theme of Cowboy Bebop (1998), composed by Yoko Kanno and played by the Seatbelts. A male voice, credited to Kanno's long-time collaborator Tim Jensen, says it is time to blow this scene and get everybody and their stuff together, then counts down into the song and the brass comes in. The theme plays over the opening titles of every episode, or session, so the countdown opens each one.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: Music of Cowboy BebopTheme songs, 'Tank!' sectionReference checked
- Cowboy Bebop Wiki: Tank!article body and Introduction LyricsReference checked
Context reviewed
