# Songs you now, and forever will, associate with a movie **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 3, 2006, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231 "2006-08-03T18:53:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/81 "2006-08-06T00:29:22Z")
**Everybody Wants To Rule the World** by **Tears For Fears** from the closing credits of **Real Genius** and lots of popcorn. I win. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/82 "2006-08-06T01:30:18Z")
**Jingle Bell Rock** - Lethal Weapon. I can’t hear it without seeing a girl plunge to her death. StG ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/83 "2006-08-06T03:01:37Z")
“Alice’s Restaurant” the song \<-\> _Alice’s Restaurant_ the movie “Yellow Submarine” the song \<-\> _Yellow Submarine_ the movie “The Last Waltz” the instrumental \<-\> _The Last Waltz_ the movie “Imagine” the song \<-\> _Imagine_ the John Lennon documentary (or are those cheating?) _Goodfellas_ was the first movie that came to my mind too. Also, “What Is Life” by George Harrison heard in _Awakenings_ became indelibly associated with the movie because it was so unexpected to hear it suddenly resurrected, as though awakening from a long catatonia. That song came from _All Things Must Pass_, an album that may have been shunned and forgotten in the wake of the “My Sweet Lord” lawsuit. But “What Is Life” was one of George’s best songs ever. My favorite music/movie tie-in is “Viens, Mallika/Dôme épais le jasmin” from _Lakmé_ by Léo Délibes in that memorable scene between Susan Sarandon and Catherine Deneuve in _The Hunger_. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/84 "2006-08-06T03:25:04Z")
[QUOTE=Clockwork And Candy] _Close To You_ invokes a certain scene from **Mirrormask** and all of Abba’s songs put me in the mood to watch **Muriel’s Wedding**. [/QUOTE] Me too. That’s my favorite scene in the movie. [QUOTE=CalMeacham] Because of **Fantasia** , Bach’s _Toccata and Fugue in D Minor_ is associated with surreal animated images. [/QUOTE] That one I associate with the image of eccentric rich people playing the organ. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/85 "2006-08-06T13:18:14Z")
Well, it’s not a movie, but GTA:Vice City has done that to me for quite a few 80’s hits. As in whenever I hear “Africa” by Toto, I immediately get an image of riding a moped on a rainy night, throwing pizzas at people. Yes, I know the thread is about movies. I just don’t watch many movies. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/86 "2006-08-06T13:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=dwc1970] “Unchained Melody” [/QUOTE] Oddly, “‘Unchained’ Melody” (the proper title) was the theme music from an otherwise eminently forgettable 1950s movie called “Unchained.” It was, I believe, an instrumental at first, with lyrics composed but not used (similarly to “Stranger on the Shore”) but the Righteous Brothers and others covering it as a song-with-lyrics have no popularized the words. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/87 "2006-08-06T14:16:38Z")
A TV show episode, but I can’t hear **Wonderful, Wonderful** by Johnny Mathis without picturing the Peacock Brother’s killing spree in the episode **Home** of Season IV of **X-Files**. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/88 "2006-08-06T15:58:55Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] Oddly, “‘Unchained’ Melody” (the proper title) was the theme music from an otherwise eminently forgettable 1950s movie called “Unchained.” It was, I believe, an instrumental at first, with lyrics composed but not used (similarly to “Stranger on the Shore”) but the Righteous Brothers and others covering it as a song-with-lyrics have no popularized the words. [/QUOTE] Thanks for the explanation, **Poly** , I’d never understood how a melody could be unchained, or for that matter chained in the first place. Sheila Chandra parodied the strange phrase with her song title “Unchanged Malady.” Speaking of Kubrick, I’ve never heard the Overture to _La Gazza Ladra_ by Rossini apart from the _Clockwork Orange_ soundtrack, nor can I ever think of it apart from the movie now. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/89 "2006-08-06T16:24:25Z")
There have been any number of “theme song” things that never made it into the Top 40 charts, and therefore if you want to hear them you pretty much have to watch the movie. Some I like include: The Long Hot Summer Theme from _A Streetcar Named Desire_ – even though it was used as theme music for the radio version of Mike Hammer The Faraway Hills – theme from _Shane_ Theme from _The High and the Mighty_ I could go on, but these are oldies. One that Robert Mitchum wrote for _Thunder Road_ and one I’ve never heard elsewhere: _Whippoorwill_. I always think of the movie, even when it’s played by some other band: Laura Picnic (and Moonglow) Ruby Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (from _Underwater_) Magnificent Seven (used for Marlboro weeds) Delilah’s Theme (from _Samson and Delilah_) Many others. ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/90 "2006-08-06T17:08:46Z")
[QUOTE=xizor] And who can deny me this one: “_The William Tell Oveture_” from the original **Bad News Bears** [/QUOTE] I can, since it was actually Bizet’s _Carmen_ that was used as the Bad News Bears’ theme 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Petey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@Petey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petey)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/91 "2006-08-06T17:53:20Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] **Try a Little Tenderness** from _Bull Durham_. [/QUOTE] I like Nuke LaRoosh’s alternative lyrics - “She may get woolly, women do get woolly, because of all the stress.” I also think of _The Commitments_ with that song. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2006, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/92 "2006-08-06T18:09:37Z")
Just thought of another one. _The Summer Wind_ (Sinatra) always makes me think of _The Pope of Greenwich Village_ and Eric Roberts with his thumb cut off. Almost every musical I ever saw where the songs were presented there for the first time (_Singin’ in the Rain_, _Pal Joey_, _West Side Story_ to name a few) will come to mind when I hear the songs. One I’d love to mention because it’s a recent thing. We have a tape of _Jazz Goes To The Movies_ with a nice combo doing moderate versions of stuff like _Body Heat_, _Taxi Driver_, _Blade Runner_ (Memories of Green), and one called “I Am Calling You.” Until just recently I had never seen _Bagdad Cafe_ and when that tune appeared, it was weird since the tape was my only exposure to it. I heartily recommend the movie. Really nice movie. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/93 "2006-08-10T12:06:11Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] I think some of you are just picking a memorable song from a movie. What I meant was, you’re listening to the radio, and a song comes on and suddenly all you can think of is a scene from some movie - that you can no longer hear that song without thinking of that scene (like **Excalibre** ’s second example) [/QUOTE] Got one…I was sitting in the laundrymat the other day and “Hot Stuff” came on. I immediately envisioned the guys hip-thrusting in the unemployment line in **The Full Monty**. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/94 "2006-08-10T14:20:45Z")
[QUOTE=Ethilrist] “Twist and Shout,” _Ferris Bueller’s Day Off_ [/QUOTE] Yep! [QUOTE=xizor] Isley Brothers (I think) "_Shout_ " from **Animal House** [/QUOTE] And that’s number two. [QUOTE=NoClueBoy] A TV show episode, but I can’t hear **Wonderful, Wonderful** by Johnny Mathis without picturing the Peacock Brother’s killing spree in the episode **Home** of Season IV of **X-Files**. [/QUOTE] Same episode: Cher’s cover of “Walking in Memphis”. Others: Elvis’ “A Little Less Conversation” as used in the Clooney **Ocean’s 11** remake. Bobby Darin’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light” in **Swingers**. Boccherini’s “La Musica Notturna” will forever be tied in my mind to the last scene of **Master and Commander**. The Beach Boys’ “All Summer Long” in **American Graffiti**. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/95 "2006-08-10T14:34:11Z")
[QUOTE=Tracy Lord] Elvis’ “A Little Less Conversation” as used in the Clooney **Ocean’s 11** remake. [/QUOTE] :smack: As soon as read the title I thought of various versions of this on American Idol. Oh, and “Don’t Worry Baby” by the Beach Boys invokes the end of “Never Been Kissed”. ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2006, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/96 "2006-08-10T18:27:55Z")
And suddenly I thank Og that I don’t watch American Idol. 🙂 (Which is not strictly true; I caught the last half of the Barrino season, but that was mostly because of the swing-singing red-haired boy. When he was booted off, I drifted away again.) ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/97 "2006-08-12T10:10:46Z")
Adaptation: I don’t know the title, but you all know the song. Imagine me and you, I do I think about you day and night, it’s only right blah blah blah something something nobody but you, For all my life I won’t something something nobody but you… So happy togetheeeeeer. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/98 "2006-08-12T10:59:20Z")
Whatever that song is in the Naked Gun movie where Leslie Nielsen and Priscilla Presley are walking on the beach together. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/99 "2006-08-12T11:25:13Z")
**Bad Moon Rising** by CCR in the film “An American Werewolf…” ---
**Author:** ![Ivan-Osokin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4491bb/32.png) [@Ivan-Osokin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivan-Osokin)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231/100 "2006-08-12T13:06:31Z")
Just about any Cat Stevens song used in “Harold and Maude.” I believe that all the songs were eventually released on various albums but no proper soundtrack was put out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-now-and-forever-will-associate-with-a-movie/367231.md?page=6)