In television, the opening theme song is an opportunity to repeatedly embed thematic and artistic information in the minds of the viewers. Most major television shows open with carefully considered theme songs and visual opening sequences that tell us something, immediately, about what the show creators want us to feel as we absorb the story. In Breaking Bad (2008)‘s opening sequence, the periodic table is overlaid with gritty music, associating protagonist Walter White’s transition from mild-mannered schoolteacher to violent drug baron with the natures and (often dangerous) interactions of chemical elements. In The Wire (2002), the theme song for each season is covered by a new artist with visuals focusing on whichever institution is at the center of that season, emphasizing the preference of The Wire to focus on the power of institutions to shape individual characters. While the device of the theme song has evolved over time – with popular shows moving from a direct introduction of the show’s cast toward a more subtle, thematic statement about that show’s material (and some shows choosing to abandon the theme song altogether) – every theme song, whether for a drama or comedy, is an opportunity to reinforce vital information about the story’s message and emotional atmosphere in the minds of viewers.

The theme song for the Netflix original series Narcos (2015), which dramatizes the story of real-life Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (Wagner Moura), is called “Tuyo,” which in Spanish simply means “yours.” According to the songwriter Rodrigo Amarante, “Tuyo” is a portrait of Escobar. Amarante explained to NPR radio that his goal in writing the song was to “subtly humanize the monster of Escobar,” opting for a sensual Latin love song as opposed to a coke fuelled 80s rock anthem, which he saw as the alternative. This is well in line with the lyrics of the song. The first four lines paint Escobar not only as a protector and provider but also as a destructive and pervasive entity. “I am the fire that burns your skin” is followed by “I am the water that kills your thirst,” a duality which implies that Escobar is two contradictory forces at the same time. We then hear “Of the castle, I am the tower” followed by “the sword that guards the treasure,” two lines which now discuss the more literal power that Escobar holds.

The rest of the theme song focuses on Amarante’s desire to humanize Escobar. “You, the air that I breathe” followed by “and the light of the moon on the sea” emphasize the more sensitive side that Escobar displays throughout the series when interacting with the poor of Medellín, his devoted wife Tata, his doting mother, and his young son. Lyrically, the intention of the theme song is to highlight this bundle of important aspects of the character of Escobar—namely, that he is fiercely protective, endlessly ambitious, has huge capacity for love, and is a dangerous force yet culturally pervasive entity.

Visually, Narcos’ opening sequence examines the role of Escobar in Colombian history. Everything we see relates to Escobar’s role in the events of Colombia during the height of his power. We view land demarcated in reference to where Escobar buried billions of dollars of drug money and where he constructed vast jungle labs. Like the show itself, the opening sequence is filled with actual historical footage, including shots of his vast estate, shots of the Palace of Justice siege, and of course the presumed victims of Escobar’s brutality. The visuals communicate more than anything the idea that the history of Colombia and the story of Pablo Escobar are one and the same. Moreover, the contrast between the humanized, sentimental view of the person in the song and the brutal monster responsible for the tragedies shown in the factual footage sets up a dramatic tension that will pay off throughout the series as we’re confronted with a character who presents profoundly despicable and lovable qualities at once.

Outside of its purpose as a theme song, “Tuyo” is also used once as an inventive cinematic tool within the show. In the first episode, called “Descenso,” the Cockroach meets with Pablo and Gustavo to show them the product he’s been producing in Peru. This is when Pablo is introduced to the trafficking of cocaine, and this pivotal scene underlines the moment when Pablo transitions from a powerful bootlegger to an international kingpin. During this scene, “Tuyo” plays throughout, diegetically within the action of the story. This theme was composed specifically for the series, so the depiction of Pablo singing along to “Tuyo” and actually requesting that the band play it one more time is acknowledging the audience – we know that this moment can’t have happened, at all. The use of the theme song here is an interesting stylistic choice to highlight the centrality of Escobar in the Narcos universe, portraying him as the supreme conductor of the events in this world. In his community, too, Escobar was arguably more than human in his influence over Colombian history – at his height, he was a supreme ruler deciding the fates and destroying the lives of countless civilians of his country. Artistically, then, the choice to paint Escobar as a demigod somehow able to move outside of traditional narrative rules is a statement on how he would have experienced, and others would have viewed, his extreme power.