# Songs perfectly matched to a movie scene **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393 "2006-11-14T16:21:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/1 "2006-11-14T16:21:18Z")
My all time favorite example of this is a fairly obscure one- in Basquiat, Basquiat and Benecio are sitting on a stoop and look down the street where Claire Forlani is walking towards them, and the song playing is “Waiting on a Friend” by the Stones. I don’t know what exactly makes it such a perfect match, but to me it is- the movie being set in the time when the song was released may help, and also the original video had a similar look and feel to this scene. The use of Layla over a montage in Goodfellas in another favorite of mine, as well as several by John Singleton- “Sunshower” by Dr. Buzzard in Boyz in the Hood, when one of the kids is talking to his freinds mom about his mom on her porch, “Ooh Child” when father and son are driving down the street and see the sons friends being arrested, and “I Do Love You” by GQ over the end scene of the otherwise unnecessary “Baby Boy”. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/2 "2006-11-14T16:43:13Z")
From **Pulp Fiction** : “Comanche” in the scene where Marsellus Wallace is getting anally raped by Zed, as Maynard looks on. As in so many scenes from that film, it was so shocking that you had to laugh as you gaped, and the music was an adroit counterpart to what was going on onscreen. 😃 As an aside, Tarantino originally wanted “My Sharona” for that scene, but thought it would be, in his words, “ **Too** funny. You know, har-har, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/3 "2006-11-14T18:03:53Z")
Nina Simone’s sublime _Sinnerman_ during the final museum setpiece of **The Thomas Crown Affair** (the Brosnan/Russo version). ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/4 "2006-11-14T18:05:29Z")
Also! Not really a _scene_, but The Cardigans’ version of “The Bluest Eyes In Texas” playing over the closing credits of **Boys Don’t Cry** was simply a beautiful choice. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/5 "2006-11-14T18:11:42Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] From **Pulp Fiction** : “Comanche” in the scene where Marsellus Wallace is getting anally raped by Zed, as Maynard looks on. As in so many scenes from that film, it was so shocking that you had to laugh as you gaped, and the music was an adroit counterpart to what was going on onscreen. 😃 As an aside, Tarantino originally wanted “My Sharona” for that scene, but thought it would be, in his words, “ **Too** funny. You know, har-har, wink-wink, nudge-nudge.” :eek: [/QUOTE] Brings to mind the excellent use of “Stuck in the Middle with You” from Reservoir Dogs. Oh, and “Stand By Your Man” from The Crying Game. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/6 "2006-11-14T18:12:28Z")
When Gardner Barnes lifts his brew in tribute to his friends at the end of **Fandango** and Blind Faith’s _Can’t Find My Way Home_ kicks in, it always elicits a bit of a hiccup in my breathing. Also, not a movie but I just marvel at it’s perfection each time… when the Geico caveman is on the moving sidewalk at the airport, the light, airy tune is playing and he comes across the insulting “anyone can do it” poster. It’s just so perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/7 "2006-11-14T18:21:53Z")
Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” in the overdose scene in **Trainspotting**. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/8 "2006-11-14T18:22:45Z")
Joni Mitchell’s redone, slower, sadder version of “Both Sides Now” playing over Emma Thompson in _Love, Actually_ is heartbreakingly perfect. She’s just discovered that her husband is or plans to be unfaithful to her. The use of classic love songs all through the movie is wonderfully done, to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/9 "2006-11-14T18:25:27Z")
I gotta go with Layla in Goodfellas. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/10 "2006-11-14T18:28:00Z")
It became an instant cliche, but that’s because it works so well… **Battle Without Honor or Humanity** as O-Ren Ishii and her minions walk down the hall in **Kill Bill vol. 1**. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/11 "2006-11-14T18:38:51Z")
_Baker Street_ in _Good Will Hunting_ is appropriate, since it seemed to me to evoke the apparent hopelessness of his situation. Then again I wasn’t paying attention to the movie and only saw it out of the corner of my eye. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/12 "2006-11-14T19:02:41Z")
Natural Born Killers made some good use of music, most notably Leonard Cohen’s “The Future” ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/13 "2006-11-14T19:06:34Z")
[QUOTE=lieu] Also, not a movie but I just marvel at it’s perfection each time… when the Geico caveman is on the moving sidewalk at the airport, the light, airy tune is playing and he comes across the insulting “anyone can do it” poster. It’s just so perfect. [/QUOTE] I _love_ that one, too! The song is \*Remind Me \* by **Royksopp** , which only makes like the Geico commercials more. I don’t know about their insurance, and will never buy from them, but I am a fan of the adverts. And I have to second \*Perfect Day \* in **Trainspotting** , as that was the one I came to mention, but have been beaten to it. 😛 (_Sing_ by **Blur** was well-placed, too, but I think _Perfect Day_… well, I don’t think _any_ other song would have done.) ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/14 "2006-11-14T19:09:09Z")
**Bad Moon Rising** from An American werewolf in London/England ---
**Author:** ![lilflower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@lilflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilflower)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/15 "2006-11-14T19:13:57Z")
I love the scene towards the end of Trainspotting where Ewan McGregor is trying to sneak out of the hotel room without waking up anyone else and the song “Born Slippery” is blaring like he’s the middle of a rave. It was an amazing juxtaposition of the loud house music against him trying to be quiet - it made me so anxious. It was genius! ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/16 "2006-11-14T19:22:04Z")
The first two that came to mind for me were _Mad World_ in Donnie Darko and _Zorba’s Dance_ in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/17 "2006-11-14T19:22:12Z")
**Trainspotting** had several good ones, my favorite being the scene where he enters the toilet and starts swimming to **Brian Eno** ’s _Deep Blue Day_. Of course, no discussion of this sort is complete without bringing up **2001** , which was one of the first major motion picture that didn’t use an original score and instead used existing commercial recordings. Just about every piece chosen fits perfectly. Yet another reason its one of my all time favorite movies. The other one I love is **The Big Lebowski** ’s use of _The Man in Me_ by Dylan. Perfect song for a perfect movie. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/18 "2006-11-14T20:04:35Z")
You could fill two threads with just Tarantino and Scorcese nominations. I’ll go with **Son of a Preacher Man** from _Pulp Fiction_. In _The Big Lebowski_, I always liked “Just Checked in to see what condition. . .” That scene almost seems written for the song instead of picking the song for a scene. For new director nomination. . .John Sayles and “My Love Is” in **Lone Star**. That’s when Chris Cooper is driving in his car to go have sex. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/19 "2006-11-14T20:18:04Z")
“Apocalypse Now”, opening scene, The Doors’ “The End”. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393/20 "2006-11-14T20:23:12Z")
Three words: **The Blues Brothers** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-perfectly-matched-to-a-movie-scene/380393.md?page=2)