# Your favourite piece of original music from a film. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183 "2007-08-10T22:06:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/1 "2007-08-10T22:06:12Z")
Mine has to be Deborah’s Theme from Once Upon A Time In America. I find it so touching, so graceful, so damn beautiful. It’s guaranteed to start me blubbering. Here’s a performance of it- [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HmsRFrN97ek/hqdefault.jpg "Ennio Morricone "Deborah's Theme", live in Warsaw") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmsRFrN97ek) What’s your favourite piece of original music from a film? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/2 "2007-08-10T22:21:49Z")
Singin’ in the Rain. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/3 "2007-08-10T22:49:05Z")
Either “Pippin’s Song” or “In Dreams” from the Lord of the Rings. I’m a pushover for choirboys. In the purely musical sense, I mean, of course. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/4 "2007-08-10T22:50:18Z")
Speaking of choirboys was that Welsh song in Empire Of The Sun original? It was beautiful either way. I sang it or a close approximation of it for years afterwards. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/5 "2007-08-10T22:59:18Z")
So many tough choices… For musical score, it’s hard to top the main **Star Wars** theme by John Williams. For songs-with-lyrics, a song that is so good that it has become an overexposed cliche, but is still a lovely song, is **Somewhere Over the Rainbow**. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/6 "2007-08-10T23:28:49Z")
“Chinon/Eleanor’s Arrival” from _The Lion in Winter_ (Barry) “The Battle on the Ice” from _Alexander Nevsky_ (Prokofiev) “The Creation” from _Bride of Frankenstein_ (Waxman) The title song from _Navajo Joe_ (Morricone) “The Spring Sea” from _The Ghost and Mrs. Muir_ (Herrmann) “Something for Cat” from _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ (Mancini) “The Asteroid Field” from _The Empire Strikes Back_ (Williams) “Julilet’s Theme” (and variations) from _Juliet of the Spirits_ (Rota) “Breakfast Machine” from _Pee Wee’s Big Adventure_ (Elfman) Main Theme from _The Conversation_ (Shire) ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/7 "2007-08-11T01:49:26Z")
Oh good, I get to mention the theme from _ **"The Magnificent Seven"** _ !! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/8 "2007-08-11T02:09:08Z")
Peter Gabriel’s _Passion: Music from the Last Temptation of Christ_. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/9 "2007-08-11T02:23:38Z")
David Arnold’s theme for **Hot Fuzz**. It’s a great piece of music! ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/10 "2007-08-11T02:37:56Z")
Ditto on the theme from ‘The Magnificent Seven’ – it’s one of my favorite pieces of music, period. Also noteworthy (heh!) is the theme from ‘The Molly Maguires’, written by Henry Mancini. ---
**Author:** ![Mark\_Ryle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8dc957/32.png) [@Mark\_Ryle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mark_Ryle)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/11 "2007-08-11T04:23:43Z")
Goldfinger (composed by John Barry, lyrics by Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse, sung by Shirley Bassey) introduced and set the tone perfectly for the whole James Bond series of films with brassy, threatening, relentless portending of danger and evil. Complex, precise chords, orchestration and melody communicate without the need for words, but the lyrics (added secondarily) at least don’t hinder the music. Musical elements from the song, especially the introduction, appeared in the film’s score throughout, making it the theme of the movie as well. ---
**Author:** ![rackensack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@rackensack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rackensack)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/12 "2007-08-11T04:30:49Z")
Mark Knopfler’s work on the soundtrack of _Local Hero_, especially “Wild Theme” and “Going Home”. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/13 "2007-08-11T09:08:01Z")
[“Gently, Johnny”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42zkSLC0I2o&mode=related&search=) from The Wicker Man. and Cavatina, The Deer Hunter theme. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/14 "2007-08-11T11:49:42Z")
The Main titles of Star Trek II (Horner) and VI (Eidelman) are fantastic. Shakespeare in Love (Warbeck) is Oscar-worthy good. The Twilight Zone: The Movie (Goldsmith) is clever, creepy, and fun. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/15 "2007-08-11T14:06:15Z")
“Dueling Banjos” from **Deliverance** , composed and arranged by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs. ---
**Author:** ![Julius\_Henry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8797f3/32.png) [@Julius\_Henry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Julius_Henry)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/16 "2007-08-11T14:10:14Z")
Burt Bacharach’s \*Not Goin’ Home Anymore \* from **Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid**. It was used a couple times, as I recall, first as they arrive in Bolivia and also as the end titles music. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/17 "2007-08-11T14:48:20Z")
Laura ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/18 "2007-08-11T15:33:59Z")
“Struggling to Escape” by Don Davis (House On Haunted Hill) you can download a clip [here](http://dondavis.filmmusic.com/audio.html). “Harry Potter: Main Theme” by John Williams (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone) There’s one I’ve never been able to identify that I really liked - it was in the TV teaser, **not** the 2.5 minute theatrical trailer, for Interview With The Vampire. It was towards the end of the spot when the laughing vampires come for Claudia and the woman. (also played during chapter 22 of the dvd). ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/19 "2007-08-11T15:47:19Z")
“Light” from Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to **The Thin Red Line**. (I believe it plays during the scene where the GIs raid the Japanese encampment on the top of the hill.) Gives me chills down the back of my neck whenever I listen to it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183/20 "2007-08-11T15:49:51Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] Speaking of choirboys was that Welsh song in Empire Of The Sun original? It was beautiful either way. I sang it or a close approximation of it for years afterwards. [/QUOTE] No, it’s a traditional Welsh lullaby called Suo Gân. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favourite-piece-of-original-music-from-a-film/415183.md?page=2)