Songs in Films

[Johnny Townmouse]

I deliberately left this out of Oscillations because for me the great use of a pre-existing, non-sountrack song in a film is entirely dependent on the film itself - the story, the visuals, how it enhances the drama already taking place. For instance, The Killing Moon is not a song I have any particular affection for, but it is used so expertly in Donnie Darko (as discussed in the confusing films thread, making me want to instigate this thread). It has a creepy, dreamlike quality and an odd sadness that juxtaposes with the suburban scenes so well. It is all about "what the fuck is going on, what the fuck is going to happen."

So what other songs have been used very well in particular scenes in films? As I said, these are not songs written especially for a film (like songs in Butch Cassidy or Midnight Cowboy), and they are not soundtrack music (though of course they may appear on the soundtrack).

An obvious one, but The Smiths 'Please, please let me get what I want' towards the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off is a brilliantly poignant bit of showing but not telling - using music and the Seurat painting to communicate the tragedy of the character.

Also, I rather like the Guns N Roses cover of 'Live and Let Die' in Grosse Pointe Blank - it comes in during the scene between Blank and the Basque assassin in the 7/11, and is diegetic and non-digetic in the sense that the guy working in there is listening to it. Once again, a song that I could do without ever hearing but which works marvellously here.

Probably my favourite has to be Roy Orbison's 'In Dreams', lip-synched by Dean Stockwell's character in Blue Velvet. Just about one of the most unsettling and unpleasant uses of music in a film for sheer impending terror. It is surreal and scary and Frank's slow disintegration during it hints at all kinds of unpleasantness.

I'm sure I will think of others, but what great uses of songs have their been in cinema? Probably the most powerful borrowings result in the song being intrinsically tied to the scene in the film. On that basis, I probably should have included Kubrick's appropriation of Strauss and Beethoven.

[Vitalstatistix]

The opening sequence of Il Divo, using "Toop Toop" by Cassius, is spettacolare !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfE7OnCpeks

You have no idea what's happening, but it looks and feels fucking COOL

[Cerys]

If anyone knows of a case of the Hendrix cover of All Along the Watchtower not working in a film in which it appears, please let me know.  I will be very surprised.

[Serge]

Er...
http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,22956.0.html

[Johnny Townmouse]

Er...
http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,22956.0.html

Terrible etiquette on my part. My memory is of soundtrack discussions being about general music selections rather than the specific use of songs with specific scenes.

[Phil_A]

Scott Walker's "The Electrician" during the opening scene of Bronson pretty much sold me on the film straight away.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59k4rhzWgo

[CollaterlySisters]

The bit in Goodfellas where the piano bit at the end of Layla (not normally a favourite of mine) plays, & the action is perfectly choreographed to it- bodies sliding & everything!

[Whug Baspin]

Scorcesee uses the Rolling Stones to great effect, especially like the opening to The Departed. I often can't get a song out of my head after it has been used in a scene, I had this for ages after watching Fallen with it's use of 'Time is on my side' as each possessed character starts to sing it as the demon travels from body to body, really spooky.

I think it's the great use of music that made Donnie Darko feel like a great film, it really set the mood perfectly even if the story was unexplained madness. The montage to Mad World is just fantastic.

Not a movie, but I've been singing Brother Louie ever since I watched Louis CK's new sitcom, it just suits the opening scenes so well and tranforms the song from a warning about a doomed couple into a warning that Louis CK is going to cry and eventually die.

[Doomy Dwyer]

Scorsese's appreciated and exploited the power of a good song from the very earliest days of his career. Look at 'Mean Streets' - from the opening credits with 'Be My Baby' to Johnny Boy's entrance to Tony's bar to the tune of 'Jumpin' Jack Flash' (a perfect signifier for the unruly force of nature that is Johnny) to the way the pool room brawl scene is cut to 'Please, Mr Postman' - Marty is the Guvnor of the soundtrack, 'Goodfellas' possibly being the high water mark of song/image juxtaposition.

Another good use of the Stones can be found in 'Apocalypse Now', with Clean dancing his doomed little socks of to '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction', a wild celebration of a life that you know ain't going to last too long. Got to mention judicious Doors usage here too, credit where it's due Francis. Who among us hasn't had a pissed kung fu whirl around to 'The End' culminating in a spectacular break down and heart attack? They don't write 'em like that anymore.

[localhero87]

I thought Wikluh Sky's "Pazi Sta Radis" was a disgustingly good soundtrack selection for the film Srpski Film (Serbian Movie). Not many tracks could capture how dark and depraved that film was but he did a good job.

[rjd2]

Apologies for going for something so obvious, but Adagio for Strings from Platoon surely?

[biggytitbo]

Speaking of Scorcese, I thought his eccentric choice of Sid Vicious' My Way to close Goodfellas was an absolute masterstroke, it's nihilism perfectly summed up the film.

[Doomy Dwyer]

Speaking of Scorcese, I thought his eccentric choice of Sid Vicious' My Way to close Goodfellas was an absolute masterstroke, it's nihilism perfectly summed up the film.

It always catches me off guard, very strange, but very effective.

Another top choice is David Finchers use of 'Hurdy Gurdy Man' by Donovan during the opening scene of Zodiac. Incredibly atmospheric and sinister. Another one of those songs, like 'In Dreams' mentioned earlier, that you'll never be able to disassociate from the film it appeared in. Blinding film Zodiac. I love a police procedural me. I used to share a flat with a bloke who was a ringer, looks and personality wise with the main suspect. I didn't share for long.

[non capisco]

Not a movie, but I've been singing Brother Louie ever since I watched Louis CK's new sitcom

Me too. I like that the 'Louie Louie, you're gonna die' bit comes when he's going down the stairs into the comedy club.

[surreal]

Pretty much everything in Natural Born Killers - especially the start with Leonard Cohen's "The miracle".  The OST compiled by Trent Reznor is superb

[Old Sally Fuckbottom]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0nPSy1-UXE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPly3e12ca8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0zV_aL8aYc

[Cerys]

Pretty much everything in Natural Born Killers - especially the start with Leonard Cohen's "The miracle".  The OST compiled by Trent Reznor is superb

Agreed.  And how.  Dammit, I want to watch it again now.

[dredd]

 The ending of The Cars that Ate Paris. The use of l'ame des poetes neatly cuts through the chaos and absurdity of the film's climax.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

The 'I've got the power' bit on Bruce Almighty strikes me as the worst example of non-soundtrack music being mis-used in films.

[sirarthur]

I love the film Magnolia and was especially taken with the use of songs (mostly Aimee Mann's) in it. The section where the cast 'do a Dennis Potter' to the song Wise Up is very moving, although when chatting about it to someone they mentioned it was actually written for and used in Jerry Maguire a couple of years earlier.


_{This has now made we want to get hold of The Singing Detective, which I haven't seen since it was originally on}

[Emma Raducanu]

Sorry to jump on the Lost in Translation bandwagon but I always loved the use of Squarepusher's Tommib as Charlotte sits on the window sill in her pants overlooking the sprawling Tokyo metropolis. It fills the city with magic, suggests infinitie possibilities and helps invite you into a new and exciting world from which we can only sit on a window sill and admire.

[Old Sally Fuckbottom]

Sorry to jump on the Lost in Translation bandwagon

I'm not a bandwagon!
Tommib is excellent. I loved that bit. I love all of the Kevin Shields tracks too, they're almost as good as anything on Loveless. Just Like Honey is the perfect closer, too. It's all perfect.

[JPA]

The Times They Are a-Changin' is key to the brilliant opening credits sequence in Watchmen. Best thing about the whole film.

Also - Where Is My Mind? at the end of Fight Club as the buildings come down, it just feels perfect.

[Cerys]

Oh - oh yes.  Rare for me to get teary that early on in a film.