Here we take a look at and listen to the ‘Detectorists’ theme music, including all the BBC comedy series soundtrack and singer details.
What is the Detectorists theme tune and who sings it?
The song played during the show’s opening credits is an original piece of music by the South African-born English actor and musician Johnny Flynn. The track is simply titled Detectorists.
Far from being just another TV theme tune, simply added as something to play over the credits, Flynn’s distinctive voice and guitar instantly grab your attention. If you’re anything like me, one of your first thoughts may have been ‘I’d like to hear more of that’. If that is the case, you can listen to the full song in the video here:
The track is also available to download or stream from the usual places, like Amazon.
Detectorists Theme Song Lyrics
“Will you search through the loamy earth for me?
Climb through the briar and bramble
I’ll be your treasure
I felt the touch of the kings and the breath of the wind
I knew the call of all the song birds
They sang all the wrong words
I’m waiting for you
I’m waiting for you
Will you swim through the briny sea for me?
Roll along the ocean’s floor?
I’ll be your treasure
I’m with the ghosts of the men who can never sing again
There’s a place, follow me
Where a love lost at sea
Is waiting for you
Is waiting for you”
A great match for Mackenzie Crook’s brilliantly relaxing rural comedy, these haunting vocals and music set the mood perfectly, playing as important a role as any of the series’ great selection of actors.
Known as an actor and having played the lead role of Dylan in Channel 4 and Netflix’s 2014 sitcom Scrotal Recall, Johnny is also the frontman for English folk-rock band Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit. Playing the character Johnny Piper, you may remember Flynn appearing on-screen during episode 3 of Detectorists.
More than a match for any BBC One comedy, fans of Detectorists were delighted to hear the show was returning for a series 2, with filming having got underway in mid-July 2015. Although I personally rate the show higher than any BBC1 or BBC2 comedy of recent years, I kinda like the fact that the gang will be staying put on Four. Yes, this may have a slightly negative impact on viewing figures, but it allows the programme to be itself without any need to dumb down.
Once again joining writer and star Mackenzie Crook will be fellow cast members Toby Jones, Aimee Ffion-Edwards, and Rachael Stirling. Having gotten so close last time, will the guys finally get their hands on that elusive Saxon gold?
Detectorists Series Overview & Update
Detectorists follows Andy and Lance, two members of the Danebury Metal Detecting Club, as they spend their summer evenings and weekends searching the English countryside for hidden treasures while navigating the ups and downs of everyday life. First broadcast in 2014, the show ran for three series, with a total of twenty episodes, along with a couple of Christmas specials, including one in 2015 and another in 2022 that briefly revived the story. Its gentle humour, warmth, and attention to small details earned it critical acclaim and a devoted audience, while leaving fans like us always hoping for just one more series.
Crook, however, is now turning his talents to a new BBC project titled Small Prophets. This six-part series is set in Manchester and centres on Michael Sleep, played by Pearce Quigley, who has been living a quiet life since the mysterious disappearance of his girlfriend Clea seven years earlier. When his father, played by Sir Michael Palin, gives him an old recipe for Homunculi, magical beings said to foretell the future, Michael hopes they can provide an answer to whether he will ever see Clea again. The show will feature a mix of live action and animation, with additional cast members including Lauren Patel, Sophie Willan, and Jon Pointing.