You know the sound. It’s that high-pitched, almost frantic female shriek—or what sounds like one—followed by a drum beat that feels like 1992 in a bottle. Then comes the voice. "I think I'm cute, I know I'm sexy..." Honestly, if any other wrestler tried to pull this off today, they’d be laughed out of the arena. But for Shawn Michaels, it became the definitive anthem of a Hall of Fame career.
What’s wild is that the shawn michaels theme song wasn't actually supposed to be a "good" song. It was designed to be obnoxious. It was a heel tool, a way to make you want to see someone punch him in his perfectly symmetrical face. Yet, thirty years later, it’s a track that can make 70,000 people in a stadium lose their minds simultaneously.
Who Actually Sang Sexy Boy?
There is a lot of confusion about who is actually on the track you hear today. Most fans remember that Sensational Sherri Martel was the original voice. When Shawn broke away from Marty Jannetty and became the Heartbreak Kid, Sherri was his "manager" (and onscreen love interest/cougar). She recorded the first version of "Sexy Boy" in early 1992.
That original version is... a lot. Sherri wasn't exactly a professional vocalist, and she leaned into the "lovesick fan" persona. It sounds like high-energy karaoke at 2:00 AM.
By 1993, Shawn and Sherri had split up on TV. You can't really have your ex-manager singing your entrance music while you're trying to be a solo superstar, right? So, Vince McMahon told Jimmy Hart—the legendary "Mouth of the South" who actually wrote the lyrics—that Shawn needed to record his own vocals.
📖 Related: Howie Mandel Cupcake Picture: What Really Happened With That Viral Post
Here’s the kicker: Shawn Michaels hated his voice. He’s admitted in interviews that he can’t sing a lick. He was terrified to go into the studio. Jimmy Hart had to basically coach him through it, using every production trick in the book to make it "acceptable."
The Jimmy Hart Secret
If you listen closely to the backing vocals—the parts that go "Sexy boy! Boy toy!"—you’re not hearing a group of women. You’re hearing Jimmy Hart.
Since they didn't have backup singers in the studio that day, Hart just went into the booth himself. He layered his own voice about five times, pitching it up to sound like a group of fawning girls. So, every time HBK walked to the ring for the rest of his career, he was technically being cheered on by a multi-tracked Jimmy Hart.
Why the Song Never Changed
Wrestlers change their music all the time. Triple H went through about six themes before settling on Motörhead. The Rock shifted his beat constantly. But Shawn? He stuck with "Sexy Boy" for the better part of two decades.
👉 See also: Austin & Ally Maddie Ziegler Episode: What Really Happened in Homework & Hidden Talents
It survived the New Generation era. It survived the Attitude Era. It even survived his 2002 comeback when he was a born-again Christian and a family man. There is something fundamentally hilarious about a 40-something-year-old man walking to the ring singing about being a "boy toy," but by that point, the song was bigger than the lyrics.
Before the Sexy Boy Era
Most people forget that "Sexy Boy" wasn't his first solo theme. For a very brief window after The Rockers split, Shawn used a version of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue."
It was terrible. It had no energy. It felt like someone was about to perform a figure skating routine rather than a wrestling match. WWE realized pretty quickly that if Shawn was going to be this vain, self-absorbed character, he needed something with a pulse.
Jimmy Hart and JJ Maguire (the duo behind many iconic 80s/90s themes) whipped up the track, and the rest is history. Interestingly, the song "Break It Down" used by D-Generation X was originally written specifically for Shawn as a solo theme. But once the group formed, it became the stable's anthem, leaving Shawn to go back to his "Sexy Boy" roots whenever he wrestled alone.
✨ Don't miss: Kiss My Eyes and Lay Me to Sleep: The Dark Folklore of a Viral Lullaby
The Cultural Impact of a "Boy Toy"
The shawn michaels theme song is one of the few pieces of wrestling media that has genuinely crossed over into weird pockets of pop culture. It’s been parodied by Kurt Angle (who sang a hilarious "Sexy Kurt" version during their 2005 feud) and remains a staple on "worst/best" song lists across the internet.
What makes it work is the sheer conviction. Shawn Michaels didn't just walk out to the song; he lived it. The dancing, the pyro, the mirror—the song was the heartbeat of the HBK persona. It told you everything you needed to know about the guy before he even touched the ropes.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of wrestling themes or want to find the cleanest versions of these tracks, here is what you should look for:
- The "Full Metal" Version: If you want the version Shawn used for the majority of his career, look for the WWF Full Metal album release. This features the "cleaner" production and the final vocal takes.
- The Sherri Version: This is harder to find on modern streaming but is available on older Coliseum Video releases and the WWF Slam Jam album. It’s worth a listen just to hear how much the vibe changed.
- The Lyrics: Pay attention to the "merchandise" line. "Hands off the merchandise" became a huge catchphrase for HBK, and it all started in the bridge of this song.
The reality is that "Sexy Boy" shouldn't have worked. It’s a grown man singing about his own looks in a high-pitched voice. But because Shawn Michaels was arguably the greatest in-ring performer of all time, he made it iconic. It’s proof that in wrestling, character is everything—and a great theme song is the glue that holds that character together.
For anyone trying to build a brand or a persona today, take a page out of the HBK playbook. Sometimes being "ludicrous" (Shawn's own word for the song) is exactly what makes you unforgettable. Stick to your guns, even if you think you can't sing. You might just end up with the most recognizable entrance in history.