Scientist Sheldon Cooper might be skeptical, but "The Big Bang Theory" proved that magic exists in the universe. How else could you explain Howard Wolowitz's poignant, funny and downright catchy love song to his wife, Bernadette, on Thursday night's episode?
The aerospace engineer penned the tune to celebrate the anniversary of the couple's first date, and he persuaded his friends to join him in a surprise serenade.
It didn't quite go as planned. Bernadette was supposed to meet Howard at a romantic restaurant — but she was rushed to the hospital instead. Luckily, it only as a precautionary measure: The enthusiastic microbiologist accidentally exposed herself to a raccoon virus and had to be temporarily quarantined. So Howard brought the band to her instead.
"I couldn't have imagined how good my life would get from the moment that I met you, Bernadette," Howard sang, playing his portable keyboard while the group harmonized behind him. Separated by the glass window of her isolation ward, Bernadette's eyes filled with tears of joy.
The sweet lyrics also teemed with sci-fi shout-outs ("If I didn't have you … I'd be Doctor Who without the TARDIS … I'd be 'Firefly,' 'Buffy' and 'Avengers' without Joss Whedon … I'd speak a lot more Klingon") and other nods to the geek universe ("I'd be an atom without the bomb, a dot without the com, and I'd probably still live with my mom").
It was an incredible performance, and it begs the question: When will "The Big Bang Theory" produce a musical episode? With "Bernadette" and "Soft Kitty," they've already got two original songs for the soundtrack.
The tune, officially titled "If I Didn't Have You (Bernadette's Song)," was written by Kate Micucci (who played Raj's one-time girlfriend, Lucy) and Riki Lindhome. The cast recording of the song is also now available for download on iTunes.