The think music was written by Jeopardy creator Merv Griffin in 1963, originally as a lullaby called A Time for Tony for his son. When Jeopardy launched in 1964 it became the show theme, and a shortened arrangement became the Final Jeopardy cue timed for contestants to write answers. Decades of daily television made the melody shorthand for thinking under pressure, so it spread to memes, parodies and trivia videos whenever a pause needs comic tension.