Suits hooks viewers from the very first note of its unforgettable theme song. The track, “Greenback Boogie” by Ima Robot, isn’t just catchy – it also reflects the show’s core themes of ambition, risk, and keeping secrets, making it more than just background music.
As catchy as the Suits intro music is, it’s also incredibly relevant to the show. As Harvey Specter takes Mike Ross under his wing, the lyrics of “Greenback Boogie” echo their high-stakes partnership. Mike’s brilliance paired with his hidden lack of credentials creates tension that the theme song subtly reinforces.
The opening music to Suits is perfectly suited for the USA Network show. It’s a pitch-perfect blend of lyrical relevance and matching tone, as the upbeat and playful vocals and instrumental have a solid momentum that mirrors Suits itself. It’s easy to see why it was selected as the theme song for Suits, and why 2025’s Suits L.A. decided to keep it.
What Suits’ Theme Song “Greenback Boogie” Means
The Song Is About How Money Becomes Addicting Over Time
Patrick J. Adams and Gabriel Macht walking side-by-side near bushes in Suits
Suits’ 134 episodes all opened with its introductory scene with its theme song: “Greenback Boogie.” Performed by American band Ima Robot, the song was released in 2010 as the B-side to Another Man’s Treasure. “Greenback” is an American slang term for money, while “Boogie” refers to people’s efforts to earn a living.
Together, the title of “Greenback Boogie” is a pretty clear reference to the great lengths that people go to just to make money. This already makes it thematically perfect for Suits. From Harvey’s relentless ambition to Michael’s deceit about his legal credentials, every character in the show is driven by financial gain in some way. This is, after all, the reason many professionals enter the world of high-end law in the first place.
It’s not only the title of “Greenback Boogie” that perfectly suits Suits, either. The lyrics of the song talk about how earning money becomes addicting over time. Someone’s initial intention changes after they get a taste of what it’s like to have financial ability.
This, just like the meaning of the title, could apply to almost every character in Suits. What’s more, the plot of multiple episodes involves someone having to make a choice between their moral compass and the promise of financial gain from successfully defending a client. With this in mind, it’s hard to imagine a song fitting a show as snugly as “Greenback Boogie” does Suits.
The Full Lyrics To “Greenback Boogie”
The Full Song Features More Lyrics Than What’s Heard In The Suits Intro
Harvey, Jessica, and Louis in Suits
See the money wanna stay, for your meal
Get another piece of pie, for your wife
Everybody wanna know, how it feel
Everybody wanna see, what it’s like
Baby wanna be a queen, well alright
We all deserve the finer things, in this life
So working on a little job, in the night
It’s forty dollars an hour when I, see the light
The boss say you got a little time, and oh my
He’ll be working in a small box, till he die
Me, I gotta be free, all my life
I want a little cream cheese, in my pie
Alright…
Yeah! I’ll step back, while you go dance
The greenback boogie
Mother fing boogie
Now I’m putting on a big wig, walking hard
Hanging with them big pigs, all them dogs
Got me a couple ideas, straight from God
I want a bean pie
Order me a bean pie
I’ll even eat a bean pie, I don’t mind
Me and Missy is so very busy busy making money
Alright…
All step back, I’m ’bout to dance
The greenback boogie
The greenback boogie
Boogie now for me
Hey!
Say, it’s far better, when you give it away
It’s called the greenback boogie
What people don’t say, I say
It’s better, when you give it away
It’s called the greenback boogie
Don’t give it away now, I say
It’s better, when you give it away
It’s called the greenback boogie
Don’t give it away now, I say
See the money wanna stay, for your meal
I’ll say it’s gonna put some love, in your life
Don’t you really wanna know, how it feel?
Everybody wanna see, what it’s like
Babe you wanna be inside, it ain’t lies
We all know there’s better things in this life
Yes I’ll step out, on your expense
Doin’ the greenback boogie
Mother fing boogie
Boogie oogie oogie
Greenback Boogie
Come on back to paradise
Come on back to paradise
Come on back to paradise
Come on back to…
Come on back to…
Come on back to paradise
Come on back to paradise
Come on back to paradise
Come on back to…
Come on back to…
It’s the greenback boogie
It’s the greenback boogie
Don’t give it away now
Don’t give it away now, I say
It’s better, when you greenback boogie
Well don’t give it away
Well don’t give it away, I say
It’s better…
It’s the greenback boogie
Don’t give it away…
“Greenback Boogie” is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple Music.
How The “Greenback Boogie” Lyrics Connect To Suits
The Song Refers To The Lawyers’ Attempts To Keep Pearson, Hardman Afloat
Harvey and Mike on the street walking in Suits.
In the case of Suits, “Greenback Boogie” refers to Pearson Hardman lawyers’ work to secure their billables and keep the firm afloat amid a string of crises. On a smaller scale, it could be about Mike at the start of the show. He was desperate to get some money to ensure that his grandmother was fully taken care of.
This forced him to partake in Trevor’s drug dealing scheme, which almost got him caught. When he met Harvey, he started to earn more as he presented himself as a legitimate lawyer.
Suits creator Aaron Korsh has revealed that he wasn’t the one who chose “Greenback Boogie.” Instead, the pilot’s director and producer for seasons 1 and 2, Kevin Bray, decided on it.
Apparently, there was another song that they were considering, but he couldn’t remember what it was. In any case, the song worked well as Suits‘ theme song. Not only is it catchy, but it also has ties to the legal drama’s narrative.
Why Suits LA Used “Greenback Boogie”
The Theme Song Created Continuity Between Suits And The Spinoff
Rick and Ericka in Suits LANBC
When Suits: LA premiered in 2025, fans immediately noticed something familiar – its opening theme. Just like the original series, the spinoff kicks off with “Greenback Boogie”. The choice wasn’t just about nostalgia; it was a calculated move to connect the new series to the beloved original.
Theme songs often serve as a show’s musical DNA, instantly transporting viewers back into its world. For Suits, “Greenback Boogie” perfectly encapsulated the series’ energy, ambition, and swagger. By reusing the same song in Suits: LA, the creators ensured that longtime fans would feel an immediate sense of familiarity, even as the setting and cast shifted from New York City’s Pearson Hardman to a fresh Los Angeles backdrop.
The decision also reflects the creative throughline between the two shows. Many of the same minds behind Suits are involved in Suits: LA, and carrying over “Greenback Boogie” helps reinforce that continuity. It’s a signal to audiences: while the characters and conflicts may be new, the spirit of Suits remains intact.
Ultimately, keeping the iconic theme song bridges past and present. It ties Suits: LA directly to its predecessor while giving fans a comforting reminder that they’re still in the same world. For a franchise built on loyalty and legacy, using “Greenback Boogie” was the perfect way to honor the original while boldly moving forward.
Other TV Shows With Fitting Theme Songs
A Memorable Opening Track Like Suits Makes A Show Near-Impossible To Forget
Suits is far from the only show to have an incredibly fitting theme song, or one that’s since become synonymous with the show thanks to it being so apt and memorable. Many TV shows, most often sitcoms, have an incredibly well-selected intro track that perfectly fit their theme and premise. One of the best examples, of course, is Friends.
“I’ll Be There For You” by rock duo the Rembrandts was made specifically for Friends, and to say that it’s perfect for the show is an understatement. Interestingly, the original plan was to use the R.E.M song “Shiny Happy People”, which would have been equally fitting (although the band chose not to license the track out in the end).
The catchy lyrics of “I’ll Be There For You” fit Friends incredibly well though, and this is one of the key reasons it worked so well for the show and, arguably, helped it gain popularity during its first few seasons.
Another TV theme song that was made specifically for a show and fits incredibly well is that of The Big Bang Theory. The sitcom’s theme song is titled “The History Of Everything”, and is by Canadian rock group the Barenaked Ladies.
As well as containing the show’s title in the lyrics, the quick-fire listing of key historical and scientific events feels incredibly fitting for the core characters of the show like Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj, all of whom are scientists and (in Sheldon’s case at the very least) literal geniuses.
Two more prominent examples are the Malcolm in the Middle theme song “Boss of Me” by They Might Be Giants, and “Superman” by Lazlo Bane from Scrubs. “Boss of Me” was written specifically for Malcolm in the Middle, and won They Might Be Giants a Grammy Award.
“Superman”, on the other hand, wasn’t written with Scrubs in mind, which is incredibly surprising given just how well the lyrics fit JD’s journey from being a naive and nervous junior doctor to being one of the most capable on the team. All in all, as much as the theme song of Suitsis perfect for the show, it’s far from the only series with an incredibly appropriate intro track.
Release Date
2011 – 2019
Network
USA Network
Showrunner
Aaron Korsh
Directors
Anton Cropper, Michael Smith, Christopher Misiano, Kevin Bray, Roger Kumble, Silver Tree, Cherie Nowlan, John Scott, Gabriel Macht, Patrick J. Adams, Emile B. Levisetti, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Valerie Weiss, James Whitmore Jr., Jennifer Getzinger, Kate Dennis, Terry McDonough, Maurice Marable, Adam Davidson, David Platt, Dennie Gordon, Gregor Jordan, Julian Holmes, Kate Woods
Writers
Aaron Korsh, Genevieve Sparling, Daniel Arkin, Ethan Drogin, Sharyn Rothstein, Jon Cowan, Erica Lipez, Justin Peacock, Nora Zuckerman, Lilla Zuckerman, Chris Downey, Garrett Schabb, Kristin Rusk Robinson, Sean Jablonski, Ian Deitchman, Paul Redford, Michael L. Kramer
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