# What's that classical song that is played in Trainspotting during the part...? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 8, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338 "2003-04-08T16:54:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/1 "2003-04-08T16:54:45Z")
What’s that classical song that is played in Trainspotting during the part when he is giving the list of things one needs in order to get off of heroine? It’s the first time he says he is going to lock himself in his room and clean up. Right before he goes to get “one last hit” and has the ordeal in the “worst bathroom in Scotland.” I believe the songs a on a new cell phone commercial too. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/2 "2003-04-08T18:33:45Z")
Can’t say I remember the music from the scene (haven’t seen it since it was released), but the IMDB soundtrack list mentions only one classical piece: “Habanera” from _Carmen_ by Bizet. ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/3 "2003-04-08T18:59:40Z")
Off Topic: What the heck does the word “Trainspotting” mean, anyway? Saw the movie, couldn’t figure that out. Is it a Britishism? ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/4 "2003-04-08T19:16:04Z")
Trainspotting. There are people, well usually men, who enjoy spending all their free time hanging around train stations, noting down the numbers etc of trains that they see. Like stamp collecting only a bit colder, I suppose. (They should also wear anoraks and carry sandwiches, I believe.) 🙂 Now, that is the “hobby” called “trainspotting”, but I am not very clear what association is meant by the use of it as the book tittle. I _think_ I have once read that it refers to Edinburgh as often being viewed as a great fun place for tourists to visit, but when the tourists, having seen the prettier and historical bits, depart on trains, what is left is the nasty reality of some of the outer areas. BUT I am not sure how much sense that makes - I can only anecdotally say that I dimly recall reading that. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gretchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Miss\_Gretchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gretchen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/5 "2003-04-08T19:34:26Z")
IIRC, the “trainspotting” refers to an ultimately pointless passing of time, be it jotting down train numbers or spending years at a time in a heroin induced stupor. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/6 "2003-04-08T20:01:34Z")
Aha - this one makes sense - after all, it is mainly set in Leith. [quote] The joke of the title is that no trains have left the old Leith Central Station for decades, but the fact that working-class Edinburgh is invisible to New Town professionals is a cliche as old as the city itself. > **[Observer Review: Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/1993/aug/15/featuresreview.review)** > > The shadow of James Kelman lies over Irvine Welsh’s first novel Trainspotting, says Ian Bell (15 August 1993) [/qquote] ---
**Author:** ![milo\_minderbinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@milo\_minderbinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/milo_minderbinder)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/7 "2003-04-08T22:25:31Z")
The book has a chapter omitted from the film called (IIRC) Trainspotting in Leith station where it’s revealed that Begbies father is the local drunk. milo ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/8 "2003-04-09T15:08:10Z")
The mentioned chapter provides a more complete view of the title, I feel. Not only are the characters heavily involved in heroin abuse, a pointless and antisocial activity analagous to trainspotting, but they’re trainspotting at a station where trains no longer run. It’s an apt metaphor for the pointless destruction of their lives. Also, the puncture marks on an addicts arm from the injections can be called “traintracks” - continuing the railway theme. ---
**Author:** ![rsvp9146](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rsvp9146](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsvp9146)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/9 "2003-04-09T16:01:54Z")
I know that “trainspotter” is also a rather offensive, (at least to me) term for someone with Asperger’s Syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![rsvp9146](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@rsvp9146](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsvp9146)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/10 "2003-04-09T16:07:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Celyn \* > \*\*Trainspotting. > > I _think_ I have once read that it refers to Edinburgh as often being viewed as a great fun place for tourists to visit, but when the tourists, having seen the prettier and historical bits, depart on trains, what is left is the nasty reality of some of the outer areas. > \*\* As someone who has lived in both Glasgow and Edinburgh, I can attest to the truth in this statement. There is nothing worse than a tourist. By the way, most of the exterior shots in Trainspotting are clearly in Glasgow. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-that-classical-song-that-is-played-in-trainspotting-during-the-part/167338/11 "2003-04-23T07:06:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rsvp9146 \* > \*\*I know that “trainspotter” is also a rather offensive, (at least to me) term for someone with Asperger’s Syndrome. \*\* Why’s that?