The recent demise of comic book icon Stan Lee brought back memories of my childhood when I would watch the animated versions of some of his well-loved creations. These included Spiderman, Captain America, anf the Hulk, just to name a few.
The latter, in case you didn’t know, even became a popular TV series in the late 70s and was entitled “The Incredible Hulk”. It starred the late Bill Bixby as Dr. David Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk.
The series had a very good run, extending through several seasons. Apart from having a great story line (the premise was modified slightly to adapt to modern times), the show had one other thing that kept viewers glued to their TV screens. This was the theme song which was entitled “The Lonely Man”.
Composed by Joe Harnel, this purely piano instrumental song became very appropriate for the TV show as it perfectly captured the sentiment of the lead character David Bruce Banner. In the series, he is depicted as a desperate man in search for that elusive cure that will “control the raging spirit that dwells within him”.
Regularly played at the end of every episode, “The Lonely Man” became the signature song of Dr. Banner, telling him that his quest for the cure is still not over. Thus, while the song is played in the background, viewers will see him walking down a long and lonely road, alone and in search of directions.He can be seen flashing a hitchiker’s sign, hoping that somewhere, someone will give him a ride.
So popular was “The Lonely Man” that when Edward Norton assumed the role of Bruce Banner in the movie version of “The Incredible Hulk”, the song was made part of the film. It was played in the background in the jungle scene where Norton found himself lost after hulking out and tries to find his way back to the city to find the cure to his condition.
Want to see a clip from the TV series while “The Lonely Man” plays in the background? Here it is:
How about a piano performance of “The Lonely Man” as played by Joe Harnell? Check this out:
AKA Music 