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Man shares the delightful reason Mr. Rogers' theme song was different in every episode

Most of us never noticed, but the song was never played the same way twice in 895 episodes.

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World renowned jazz pianist Johnny Costa made each episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" one of a kind.

When the world gets heavy and humanity seems like it's struggling more than usual, so many of us wish Fred Rogers was here to offer his signature comfort and calm. For millions of Americans, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was more than just an educational show; it was—and still is—a wholesome example of genuine human goodness and a hopeful reminder of what each of us can be.

Mr. Rogers was beloved for many reasons, one being how he honored and celebrated the uniqueness and creativity of every person. And he lived that value right down to the smallest details that most people might overlook—like the piano part of his opening theme song.

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At the beginning every episode, after a brief piano intro, Rogers would enter through the front door singing, "It's such a good feeling to know you're alive…" He followed the same basic routine through the theme song—set down what he was carrying, go to the closet, change from his suit jacket to his cardigan sweater, sit down to change his dress shoes to sneakers (always tossing a shoe from one hand to the other), ending with "Please, won't you be my neighbor?"

But what most of us missed in that routine was that the piano was never played the same way, episode to episode. For over three decades, Rogers did the same routine with the same song (895 episodes in total) and every single time the piano playing was unique.

Rogers had enlisted world renowned jazz pianist Johnny Costa to serve as musical director of the show, and Costa performed the song live in studio while Rogers sang to it. Costa was an improvisational genius, and while Rogers wrote the music and lyrics for the songs on the show, including the theme song, he told Costa to arrange and add his own touches to each song. And that's just what he did.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Costa worked alongside Rogers for 25 years, with his piano and jazz trio providing live musical accompaniment throughout each show. If you recall occasional musical interjections while Mr. Rogers was talking, that was Costa's doing (until he passed away in 1996 and Michael Moricz took over his role), and most of it was improvised.

The connection between Rogers and Costa was almost magical.

“Music is rock bottom for Johnny and me, and we communicate on an intuitive substratum that would not be possible if we didn’t have a feel for music," Rogers said. "It’s true that there are no cues. We have a rundown, of course, for the program, and he knows my teleprompter copy. But when I’m working with a craft or something, invariably he’ll come in and underline an important issue.”

"I watch Fred, and there must be some kind of telepathy that we’re not aware of, because somehow I get the message to play or not to play," said Costa. "I’m sure that some of it has to do with working together all these years, but a lot of it is unexplainable."

Fred Rogers, Mister Rogers Neighborhood, Johnny Costa, jazz music, Mr. Rogers Fred Rogers and Johnny Costa were musical partners on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."Public Domain

A YouTube creator who goes by Treehouse Detective shared the story of how the theme song was different each episode, causing a wave of love for Mr. Rogers in the comments section:

"We seriously didn’t deserve Mister Rogers. He gave him a melody and allowed him the space to share his talent and make masterpieces."

"Yeah! This is beautiful! And it goes so much deeper than that! Mr Rogers treated every member of his audience as if they are on their way to becoming a sophisticated adult. That's why he chose this God level jazz musician to allow children to be exposed to high and sophisticated musical expression."

"Costa also worked for practically free. Mr Rogers repeatedly tried to pay it properly, Costa refused because he didn’t want the shows limited budget to just go to him."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

"Being an abused child. I loved watching Mr. Rogers. He was my safe-haven. I was so blessed to be Mr. Rogers neighbor in real life as an adult. He was such a truly beautiful man. He would sit and read the books he wrote to my daughter. Such a blessing."

"Another amazing fact - he started describing everything on the show - what stuff looked like, what he was doing - very gently and casually because a little girl who was blind wrote to him and said she wished she could see what he was doing."

"I wrote Mr. Rogers three letters. He answered all his own mail and each letter was carefully typed so you could tell that he had taken the time to actually read the letter and respond. A few years ago, in my classroom, we were reading a book about Mr. Rogers. The kids didn't know who he was so I found an episode on YouTube. They were glued to it. Even with their modern limited attention spans, the man hooked them into being a part of his neighborhood because he was speaking directly to them."

No matter how many new things we learn about Mr. Rogers, he truly remains the best of us.

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Compilation of Mr. Rogers' lesser-known shining moments is a masterclass in human kindness

Take 10 minutes to let Fred Rogers' wholesome goodness wash over you (but maybe grab a tissue first).

Eric Stanley/Facebook

Fred Rogers was an example for us all.

History has many heroes, but few human beings have left a direct mark on children's lives like Fred Rogers did. In a time when television had become a staple in American households, prompting fears over its potentially pernicious influence, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood shone like a beacon of wholesome delight.

Fred Rogers' conviction that educational television could make a positive difference in the lives of children has been proven true again and again. Countless people have shared how Mr. Rogers' messages of love and compassion and self-worth influenced them during their formative years, and for many, his presence provided a calm and stability that were missing in their own households.

The emotional and societal topics Mr. Rogers tackled are vast and varied, and it seems there are always more gems of goodness to uncover in the archives. Eric Stanley of "Stay Inspired" shared a compilation of clips from Fred Rogers' life that exemplify his warm, genuine kindness, some of which are unfamiliar even to ardent fans of the show.

The video includes so many examples of what made Fred Rogers so special, from his ability to talk to anyone to his selfless and humble Lifetime Achievement Award speech to how he responded when he felt he'd been too harsh with one of his grandsons. (That story is so beautiful—can you even imagine Mr. Rogers being harsh?) He also shared a conversation with children about a stuffed animal's ear coming off in the washer that exemplified how much better he understood children than most adults do.

"Mr. Rogers was one of those people who impacted multiple generations—young, old—so many people were inspired by Mr. Rogers," said Stanley in the video. "His messages transcend race, gender, how much money you make—it doesn't matter. Everyone was inspired by Mr. Rogers."

Watch and enjoy these prime examples of Fred Rogers' humility and humanity courtesy of Eric Stanley on Facebook:

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Mr. Rogers described meeting Eddie Murphy in 1982 and it showcases his kind confidence

Letterman asked what he thought of Eddie Murphy parodying him on SNL's "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

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Mr. Rogers shared his thoughts on Eddie Murphy with David Letterman.

Few people have earned the amount of genuine, wholesome love that Fred Rogers did. Mr. Rogers made an indelible mark on countless children's childhoods with his goodness, and he even managed to maintain his reputation for being genuinely kind and caring until the end of his life and beyond.

It's a rare feat these days, to live a life in the spotlight and not be outed for some kind of scandal. But Mr. Rogers did and we love him all the more for it.

There are countless qualities that made Mr. Rogers who he was, but one clip from a 1982 David Letterman interview showcases his unique combination of kindness and self-assuredness.

In the clip, Letterman chatted with Rogers for a few minutes about his career, then pointed out that there was a performer in the building who had done imitations of Rogers.

"I just met him a little bit ago," Rogers responded, pulling out a Polaroid photo of himself smiling next to comedian Eddie Murphy.

Murphy was a regular cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1980 to 1984 and one of his most popular skits was a parody of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" called "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood."

By Eddie Murphy standards, the skits were fairly clean, but they referenced some hefty topics such as poverty, racism and gentrification while also playing up certain racial and socioeconomic stereotypes. And they weren't always very kid-friendly (as is the case with many SNL skits).

"How do you react to that?" Letterman asked Rogers. "We talked to Andy Rooney about someone doing an impression of him and he didn't seem too keen on it."

Rogers' response was honest but totally classy.

"Well, some of them aren't very funny," he said. Then he seemed to choose his words thoughtfully: "But I think that a lot of them are done with real kindness in their hearts."

Watch:

People in the comments praised Rogers for being exactly who he was during the interview.

"I love that he seems unfazed that some of the audience are not exactly laughing with him... or that Dave would ask him some baiting questions. The man is so comfortable in his own skin that he cares not what others think or say. One of the many reasons he was such a wonderful role model for us kids. A truly wonderful human being." – @OldSaltyBear

"After watching this interview, I just realized what you see on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood is basically him, he wasn't acting or trying to be someone else just for the show, that was him. Fred Rogers was Fred Rogers on and off the show. Such genuineness, it definitely, and exponentially, multiplies the kindness he shows on the show." – @arisketch9247

"Mr Rogers was truly the odd man out. Just a wonderful human being. I was never a fan of Letterman but I think he wanted this interview to go different. I’m not sure the exact intent but Mr Rodgers was just a convicted, sincere and genuine person to want kids to be kids. Even the bad, he wanted them to be true to their feelings and have a safe place to express it. He was the best." – @MurphySullivan

Others shared how much Mr. Rogers meant to them personally:

"I will always appreciate Mr. Rogers because my childhood was one of abuse and violence. Watching an adult talk to me like I mattered and in a calm way was a refuge for me. It may sound corny and dramatic, but it was my reality back in the 80's. He was a blessing and a genuine person." – @jameswhittenburg5299

"That man saved me from my childhood. Abuse surrounded me. There were no good or trustworthy adults I could rely on, but I had Mr. Rogers. I loved him when I was really young, & he taught me things I desperately needed to hear. What a wonderful, wonderful man." – @dshepherd107

"I don't think people realized that Mr. Rogers was actually a foster parent to every child that watched this show. He's still fostering children posthumously. He just had that big of a heart and good spirit. Such a good man. RIP" – @randomsteve7808

It's truly impossible to overstate the impact Fred Rogers had on generations of kids during his lifetime, and thanks to the miracle of television, his legacy continues to inspire and comfort to this day.

(And if you haven't seen "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood," here's a taste:)

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Old episodes of 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' are streaming. This is not a drill.

In a world gone mad, when war is endless and politics are chaos ... there's only one man who can reassure our troubled souls.

Photo via Everett Collection.

Unfortunately, he's no longer with us (RIP).

Fortunately, we've got a lot of Mister Rogers on tape — and for the next two weeks, you can binge him 24 hours a day.

Twitch, the online video streaming service, is currently marathoning all 866 episodes of "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" in chronological order.

Photo via Everett Collection.

That means you have until June 3 to relive the most soothing, gray sweaterful moments of your childhood.

It's an opportunity every American should be pretty grateful to seize right about now — and it's for a good cause.

The marathon is an effort to raise money for local PBS stations, many of which have trouble keeping their funding levels up.

As of this writing, over $14,000 has been donated.

Periodically, PBS has to fight to survive in the face of apathy and political calls to cut its funding. Now is one of those times.

Photo via HBO.

A budget proposed by the Trump administration in March 2017 would have eliminated funding for the network.

The initial version of the budget did not pass, and PBS remains in on the air for now, but the threat is real for the kind of enriching children's programming that Fred Rogers spent his life making and advocating for.

A 2015 study found that shows like "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" and "Sesame Street" — available to anyone with a TV set for decades — made low-income children who watched regularly 14% less likely to fall behind in school.

"These findings raise the exciting possibility that TV and electronic media more generally can be leveraged to address income and racial gaps in children's school readiness," study co-author Melissa Kearney said in a statement.

48 years ago, Rogers appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications to convince skeptical elected officials to allocate $20 million for public television.

His heart-wrenching, six-minute testimony was key to convincing the lawmakers to provide the funding.

Though Rogers may no longer be with us, this two-week fundraising marathon allows his message of kindness and empathy — broadcast for over 30 years to millions of American children from all walks of life — to speak for itself.

You should check it out — and prepare yourself for a nostalgia-and-classic moment tsunami. In a just world, that would be enough to secure PBS the funding it needs.

Here's hoping.

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