50 years on from its release, the main two-note theme from Jaws is still one of the best-known pieces of music in cinema - an achievement made all the more remarkable when you consider that, when director Steven Spielberg heard John Williams play it on the piano for the first time, he assumed that the composer was pulling his leg.
Discussing the theme later in a featurette, Spielberg would say: “When he finally played the music for me on the piano - he previewed the main Jaws theme - I expected to hear something kind of weird and melodic, you know. Really kind of tonal but eerie and of another world.”
What Spielberg got, though, was entirely unexpected. “What he played me instead, with two fingers on the lower keys was, ‘dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun-dun’, and at first I began to laugh. He had a great sense of humour - I thought he was putting me on.”
Like the danger that Jaws presented to people in the water with him, though, Williams was deadly serious.
“He said, ‘No, that’s the theme to Jaws!’”, recalled Spielberg. “I said ‘Play it again,’ and he played it again and it suddenly seemed right, and John found a signature for the entire movie.”
Indeed he did - the theme remains synonymous with an impending shark attack - and, as Williams would explain, its simplicity meant that it could easily be repurposed in a variety of situations.
“One could alter the speed of this ostinato [a repeated musical phrase],” he commented. “Any kind of alteration of speed to very slow, very fast; very soft, very loud.”
Which meant that, at the stroke of a baton, Williams could dial the tension up or down - not bad for just a couple of notes.
If you’re feeling brave enough to go in the water again, you can now listen to remixed and remastered versions of the Jaws soundtrack. As well as a new stereo mix, there’s also a Dolby Atmos version, giving you an immersive experience that may well raise your blood pressure even more.
If you’re a real Jaws nut, there’s also a ‘Shark Infested’ Water-Filled collectible numbered edition LP that features these new mixes. An unnumbered vinyl pressing will be released on 21 November, 2025, and features real water sealed and pressed between two translucent discs. Pre-orders are available now.
