The Groundbreaking Story Behind the “Theme From Shaft” by Isaac Hayes

“Theme From Shaft”
Written by Isaac Hayes

Right on. Can ya dig it? Shut your mouth… 
Sound like the early ‘70s? You’re daaaamn right! Those by-now iconic words are some of the few, mostly spoken, lyrics to Isaac Hayes’ 1971 No. 1-charting title track to the motion picture considered one of the first and best examples of the “Blaxploitation” genre. 

Specifically named “Theme From Shaft,” the song was as groundbreaking as the film, winning an Oscar for Best Original Song, making Hayes the first Black composer to triumph in that category. It also grabbed two Grammys, for Best Instrumental Arrangement and Best Original Score.

Why Isaac Hayes?

Hayes was a hot property in the early ‘70s, especially in the Black community. He had recorded four solo albums since 1967. Hot Buttered Soul (1969) was the most successful; it topped the R&B chart and rose to No. 8 on the Billboard 200, showing that Hayes’ made-for-the-bedroom slow-jams could cross over to a more mainstream audience. 

When Shaft’s director, Gordon Parks, decided on a Black-oriented soundtrack (a first), he knew the elaborate orchestration and mellow, psychedelic style Hayes favored would be perfect. The soul star was ready to move into movies, too—in terms of both music and acting. Hayes made a deal with Parks that if he could be considered for the title role of John Shaft, he would provide the music. 

The leading man piece didn’t quite pan out (Richard Roundtree got the nod), but Hayes stayed aboard for the music. He delivered a 15-track, 70-minute set—the first double vinyl album from a Black artist—that featured predominantly background music (only three songs had vocals). It would nonetheless become a pop culture phenomenon, however, and endure as Hayes’ most popular release. 

How about the song?

Parks showed Hayes footage of the gritty opening scene of his film, where private detective John Shaft emerges from a Manhattan subway and weaves in and out of traffic like he owns New York City. Parks told Hayes he wanted “a driving, savage beat, so we’re right with him all the time.” 

Hayes responded with the propulsive 16th-note hi-hat opening that leads into arguably the most definitive and demonstrative use of distorted wah-wah guitar in soul music. But he paused writing the rest of the theme until he’d composed the remainder of the film’s score. “Theme From Shaft” was completed after Hayes had gained a better appreciation for who this guy confidently crisscrossing the crowded city streets really was.  

Then what?

The resulting four-minute and 39-second chorus-free hit accomplished its mission and then some. Crafting an arrangement that’s both cinematic and streetwise, Hayes built on the thumping heartbeat that kicks off the proceedings by gradually layering strings, staccato horns, and bass until his silky, baritone spoken-word vocals emerge a full two minutes and 42 seconds into the song. 

The lyrical section only lasts a minute, but that’s all the time Hayes would need. Who’s the Black private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks? he asks with a deadpan smirk. Then a group of female backing singers pipe in with their answer of Shaft!, to which Hayes responds with Ya damn right as crescendoing strings up the melodramatic ante.  

What was the immediate impact?

Even after the single was edited down to a paltry 3:15 for radio, “Theme From Shaft” played a huge role in paving the way for a full-on Blaxploitation movie movement. And while the quality of the films varied, a who’s who of the best African American artists in history were tapped to make their accompanying soundtracks shine. Curtis Mayfield’s career-defining Superfly, Marvin Gaye’s Trouble Man, James Brown’s Black Caesar, and Slaughter’s Big Rip-Off albums are just a few of the standouts. 

For his part, Hayes rode Shaft’s blockbuster success to a brisk acting career, starting with starring turns in the 1974 films Three Tough Guys and Truck Turner (for which he, of course, also composed the scores).

What is its lasting influence?

Hayes, just 27 at the time he wrote “Theme From Shaft,” could never have predicted the lasting impact his composition would make. It has appeared on Sesame Street (reimagined as “Cookie Disco”), on The Simpsons (as a Bart and Lisa duet), and in one of the Beavis and Butt-Head movies. Jay-Z and Young MC sampled the track, and it’s been covered by acts as disparate as Sammy Davis Jr., the electronic group Cabaret Voltaire, Dread Zeppelin, and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

The original, though, was nothing short of revolutionary; it’s easily one of the most influential, historic, and important works of its era. It challenged the popular entertainment landscape to give Black artists center stage in both music and film. And it sounds as vibrant today as when it powered its way up the charts in 1971, with perhaps even more swagger than its subject matter navigating the crooked cops and criminals peppering the flick. We can still dig it.