If you walk through the garden, you better watch your back
Well, I beg your pardon, walk the straight and narrow track
If you walk with Jesus, he’ll save your soul
You got to keep the Devil, down in the hole

Those soulful lyrics from Tom Waits’ “Way Down in the Hole” will always put any fan of The Wire right back in the middle of Baltimore’s drug war. The show’s opening theme was powerful and memorable in their own right, but this new animated version is incredibly poignant and hauntingly beautiful. Much like The Wire itself.

Created by DK Studios and animator Elliot Lim, this idea of an “animated version” of The Wire‘s opening theme might sound like a lighthearted gag, but it most certainly is not. With references to major characters, important plot points, and thematic issues, the video is a true and proper homage to the greatness of David Simon’s show about the Sisyphean war on drugs, and the violence and destruction of lives that comes with it.

Besides simply being really well done, the animated video is chock full of Wire Easter eggs that’ll take multiple watches to catch. My personal favorite nod is that to the famous scene in which Bunk and McNulty examine a crime scene while conversing with one very specific word.

The very best part about the video is how it recharges your desire to watch the entire series over again. I still think The Wire was the greatest show in television history, and just hearing those opening notes had me feeling nostalgic and ready to head back to the streets of Baltimore.

What was your favorite part of this video? Sheeeeeeeeeit, this is America man! You got to tell us in the comments below.

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HT: indiewire.com
Image: DK Studios/Elliot Lim