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"Look Away" is the main theme song for the television series A Series of Unfortunate Events. It was written by composer Nick Urata, featuring lyrics by Daniel Handler. The song is performed by Neil Patrick Harris, and plays during the Opening Credits.

Like Lemony Snicket's original narration, and the publisher summaries, this song warns against continuing the dreadful story any further, tempting the viewer with reverse psychology. It foresees the unfortunate events that will occur throughout the episode, should the viewer wish to continue watching it.

The middle portion of the lyrics changes depending on which book is being portrayed in the episode in the form of a brief synopsis. In every second part of each book adaptation, Harris sings the song in character as Count Olaf's disguise for that episode, or as Count Olaf himself if he is not in disguise for that episode, while in every first part and in The End, Harris sings in his normal voice with an occasional backup singer helping out.

Lyrics[]

Look away, look away
Look away, look away
This show will wreck your evening your whole life and your day
Ev'ry single episode is nothing but dismay
So look away, look away, look away

Middle verses (Season 1)[]

A Bad Beginning[]

3 children lose their home and go to live with someone awful
He tries to steal their fortune with a plot that's not quite lawful
It's hard to fathom how the orphans manage to live through it
Or how a decent person like yourself would even want to view it
(Part 2 as himself)

The Reptile Room[]

The Baudelaires are living with a man who studies snakes
He's jolly and he's secretive and makes a few mistakes
Spoiler alert a villain comes to steal and murder
And so if I were you I wouldn't even watch one minute further
(Part 2 as Stephano)

The Wide Window[]

The Baudelaires' new guardian is wracked by fear and panic
They end up on a boat that might as well be the Titanic
We polled a bunch of adults 99% agree
There must be something happier on screen for you to see
(Part 2 as Captain Sham)

The Miserable Mill[]

The lumbermill is where the Baudelaires are forced to work
The eye doctor is sinister the owner is a jerk
They end up in a fiendish plot with logs and hypnotism
The very thought of watching should be met with skepticism
(Part 2 as Shirley)

Middle verses (Season 2)[]

The Austere Academy[]

At school the Baudelaires are forced to live in an old shack
Comfort joy and safety are among the things they lack
They run a lot of laps which keeps them in fantastic shape
But you're the one who ought to take this chance for an escape
(Part 2 as Coach Genghis)

The Ersatz Elevator[]

The Baudelaires* are taken in by people who are rich
But Olaf has a plan that's going off without a hitch
It's a race against the clock to rescue their 2 kidnapped friends*
You'll need rescuing yourself before this grim tale ends
(In Part 2 it says 'Das Baudelaires' and 'Please')
(Part 2 as Gunther)

The Vile Village[]

The town of VFD is full of people full of rules
The Quagmires have once again been kidnapped for their jewels
The Baudelaires must rescue them but end up getting jailed
You might hope that things improve but I'm afraid* that ship has sailed
(In Part 2 it says 'shoo-be-do-be-dop' instead of 'I'm afraid')
(Part 2 as Detective Dupin)

The Hostile Hospital[]

The Baudelaires are hiding in a place crawling with doctors
Count Olaf's close behind them with his troupe of lousy actors*
Something dreadful happens with a big sharp rusty knife
So if I were you I'd find some other way to spend your life
(The singer pronounces it 'ahctors' to rhyme with 'doctors')
(Part 2 as Mattathias Medicalschool)

The Carnivorous Carnival[]

The Baudelaires are hiding in a carnival of freaks
Count Olaf is the worst he's been* for more than several weeks
The lions in the Hinterlands are hungry and quite fierce
There's lit'rally no program you can watch that's any wierse*
(In Part 2 'Been' is pronounced /bēn/ and in both parts ‘worse’ is either stretched to rhyme with ‘fierce’ or combined with 'weird')
(Part 2 as Ringmaster)

Middle verses (Season 3)[]

The Slippery Slope[]

The Baudelaires are trapped in mountains covered up in snow
More villains have arrived and there is no place they can go
It's a horrid way to start up this our 3rd and final season
Anyone still watching it has clearly lost all reason
(Part 2 as himself)

The Grim Grotto[]

The Baudelaires are deep below the surface of the sea
Hoping to avoid Count Olaf's horrid company
But of course he finds them and of course it's very awful
This show is so grim it really ought to be unlawful
(Part 2 as himself)

The Penultimate Peril[]

The Baudelaires check into a hotel to spy upon
A group of awful people for whom murder is a yawn
It may seem like Count Olaf will be fin'lly brought to justice
But why would any viewers think that they could really trust us?
(Part 2 as himself)

The End[]

The Baudelaires adrift at sea wash up far off the map
Olaf's right behind them with a fungus and a trap
Our story ends in tragedy upon a coastal shelf
I beg of you I beg of you stop watching save yourself

Back to Main Lyrics[]

Just look away, look away
There's nothing but horror and inconvenience on the way
Ask any stable person "Should I watch?" and they will say
Look away
Look away, look away
Look away, look away
Look away, look away
Look away, look away
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