Who Sings The Only Fools And Horses Theme Tune

Right, settle in. Grab your cuppa and a biscuit. We need to talk about one of telly’s greatest mysteries. Who actually sings that absolute banger of a theme tune to Only Fools and Horses?

You know the one. The whistling. The cheesy synth. That triumphant, cockney knees-up that makes you want to buy a dodgy car off Trig. It’s been stuck in our heads since 1981.

But here’s the thing. Ask ten people, and you’ll get ten different answers. Most folks will confidently say “It’s Chas & Dave!” And yes, they do sing the lyrics in the later, raucous version. The one with the “stick your mortgage in a boat and sink it” bit.

But what about the original theme? The instrumental one that played over Del Boy falling through the bar? That’s where it gets proper interesting. No, it wasn’t a rock band. It was a single bloke with a very specific skill.

The Man Behind the Whistle

Meet Ronnie Hazlehurst. He’s the musical genius you’ve never heard of. This chap was the go-to composer for the BBC in the 70s and 80s. He wrote the tunes for Are You Being Served?, Last of the Summer Wine, and even the iconic News at Ten theme.

And yes, he whistled the original Only Fools theme. Himself. Into a microphone. Just a bloke in a studio, going “doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.” Can you imagine the outtakes?

Honestly, it’s a bit mad. That whistling sound, which is now as British as queueing and bad weather, was just some guy’s breath. You could never get away with that today. He’d need a sample library and a branding deal.

Then Came the Singing

So, why do we all think of Chas & Dave? Well, around 1982, the show got its first full-length version. The BBC wanted a single. They wanted a hit. And who better than two blokes who sound like they’re having a pint while they record?

Chas & Dave turned it into a piano-pounding, honky-tonk anthem. They added the lyrics about “the dole queue” and “the TV that’s gone blue.” It’s brilliant. It’s perfect. But—and this is the kicker—it wasn’t the opening theme for most of the series’ run.

For the actual telly show, the BBC mostly stuck with Ronnie’s instrumental version. You only got the full Chas & Dave singalong in the closing credits of certain specials. Or, y’know, in your head while you’re doing the washing up.

A Cheeky Twist for the 90s

Then John Sullivan, the show’s creator, threw a curveball. For the later series in the 1990s (when the show went from funny to actually quite posh with the flat), he needed a new intro. He wanted the song, but bigger.

So, the main theme we all know from the later years—the one with the horns and the full orchestra—is still Ronnie Hazlehurst’s composition. He just re-recorded it with a bigger, brassier sound. No whistling this time. Just pure, triumphant brass.

But then you have the Christmas specials. That’s when Chas & Dave would swoop in again. Their version became the unofficial soundtrack for every family argument about who ate the last Quality Street. It’s chaos. It’s beautiful.

So, Who Actually “Sings” It?

Here’s the real truth, and it’s a bit of a cheat answer. Ronnie Hazlehurst composed and performed the original whistled version. Chas & Dave performed the famous vocal version. And John Sullivan wrote the lyrics.

So, technically, you’re all right. And you’re all wrong. Isn’t that just perfectly Only Fools? A lovely jubbly of confusion.

Rhetorical question time. Does it even matter? No. Because when that first “doo-doo-doo” hits, you’re already smiling. You’re already picturing the yellow Robin Reliant. You’re already thinking of Trigger’s broom.

The singer is a ghost. A composite. It’s a testament to how good the song is that we don’t really care who’s behind it. It belongs to everyone who’s ever watched the Trotter family fall flat on their faces.

So next time you hear it, do me a favour. Give a silent nod to Ronnie. Give a loud cheer to Chas & Dave. And maybe, just maybe, whistle a little bit yourself. You know you want to. It’s the most British thing you’ll do all day.

And if anyone asks you who sings it? Just wink and say “A bloke in a pub and a legend in a recording booth.” That’ll do.