Love Is All Around

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"Love Is All Around" was written and performed by Sonny Curtis for the Mary Tyler Moore Show which aired from 1970-1977.The show's protagonist was the first never-married independent career woman as the central character. As Mary Richards, a single woman in her thirties, Mary Tyler Moore presented a character different from other single TV women of the time.She was not widowed or divorced or seeking a man to support her...and the show's theme song is a reflection of that.

The theme song, "Love Is All Around", was written and performed by Sonny Curtis...although often mistakenly attributed to Paul Williams.The lyrics are words of encouragement directed to the main character.In those words are references to the end of a previous relationship and making a fresh start...beginning with "Your are most likely to succeed".Keep in mind this is still an era where women were still finding their way in our country...including displaying their sexuality.This is why we hear the lines..."All the men around adore you...that sexy look will do wonders for you".Hmmm...a foreshadow of times to come perhaps where (some) women would use their God-given beauty to climb the corporate ladder.The song's primary theme is found in the repeating lines of..."You can have the town, why don't you take it" as well as "You're gonna make it after all".A sign of the changing times in America...a sign that women were no longer gonna merely be resigned to secondary roles (to men) in the corporate world.Sonny Curtis song is a reflection of that belief.And the show that the song introduced did just the same.The Mary Tyler Moore Show has been cited as one of the most acclaimed television programs ever produced in US television history.It received high praise from critics, including Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series three years in a row (1975--77) and continued to be honored long after the final episode aired in 1977. Moore's iconic hat toss took place at the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis...where the scene was filmed for the opening credits.