For a decade, FRIENDS became every fan’s favorite sitcom. The relatability of the show about 6 friends navigating life in New York also saw stars like Jennifer Aniston, Courtney Cox, and Lisa Kudrow becoming hugely popular. Each character in the show had interesting traits that became synonymous with the actors who played them.
Kudrow who portrayed the quirky and free-spirited Phoebe Buffay in the series, had some of the most hilarious scenarios involving her character. One of her recognizable traits was her efforts to become a musician which saw her unsuccessfully attempt to play the guitar. Interestingly, the actor who was initially uncomfortable with this instrument, requested the creators to allow her to play an entertaining percussion instrument instead.
This FRIENDS Star Could Well Have Traded The Guitar For Bongos If She Had Her Way
One of the most humorous and endearing features of Lisa Kudrow’s iconic character Phoebe Buffay in FRIENDS was her hilarious attempts at music. Over many epsiodes, we see Phoebe trying to play the guitar while singing her famous original song Smelly Cat. The fact that she isn’t very good at it makes the situations she gets into even more humorous.
As it turned out, Kudrow wasn’t feeling much love for the instrument in reality either. In an interview on NBC’s farewell special titled FRIENDS: Final Thoughts, the celebrity confessed that trying to learn even simple chords proved to be big challenge. This then prompted her to request the creators to change the instrument to something more rhythmic.
I didn’t like the guitar. I wasn’t getting it. So I think I even asked ‘what if she plays the bongos’?
But in an interesting twist, the Lucky Numbers star improved her guitar playing skills following a tutor who was assigned to help her with the chords. But the creators realized that her new-found abilities substantially diminished the comedic element associated with the character when she was not able to play the instrument properly.
Ultimately, it was decided that Kudrow would continue to play amateurishly to suit Phoebe’s personality. Having said that, audiences may have well lapped up the possibility of the character having a blast on the bongos!
How The Smelly Cat Tune Came To Be
The strains of ‘Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you’ is enough to get every ardent FRIENDS fan singing along with gusto. This absurd and hilarious song composed by the character Phoebe in the hit sitcom, became an anthem of sorts over various seasons. For the show, the song was written by Adam Chase, Betsy Borns, and Chrissie Hynde.
Smelly Cat which first debuted in season 2 of the the series, became part of Phoebe’s identity over the course of time. Borns who also wrote this episode titled The One with the Baby on the Bus, revealed to Refinery 29 that the song was actually inspired by her own dog, and not a cat. But it was decided that the cat was a funnier option that flowed more smoothly for the tune.
I had a really stinky, smelly dog. My dog was so smelly his name was Gouda, because he smelled like bad cheese.
She also elaborated on her other personal connections with the song which included few of her family members. In the episode, the musician named Stephanie who replaces Phoebe in the Central Perk gig, is named after Borns’ sister. The bar named Markel’s that Joey and Chandler refer to, was the name of her boyfriend’s father at the time.
All 10 seasons of FRIENDS can be streamed on Max.
