14 Songs I “Saw” in a New Way Upon Hearing Them at the Movies

There are countless songs that signal powerful moments in the movies. By that definition you could say “My Heart Will Go On” from “Titanic” is an extraordinary movie song. (You’d be wrong, of course.) Ditto “Flashdance … What a Feeling” from “Flashdance” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from “Dirty Dancing.” This isn’t about theme songs. There are few songs more beautiful or a better audio-visual match than “O Mio Babbino Caro” in “A Room With a View” or “Glasgow Love Theme” from “Love Actually,” but there’s nothing surprising about them.

Then there are awesome soundtracks, like “Juno” and “Saturday Night Fever” and “The Last American Virgin.” But who likes to make easy lists like that?

What I’m talking about are songs you overlooked – or downright hated – until they swell up, thundering like a freight train, as part of the movie experience, forging an unexpected emotional connection and sending you running to iTunes.

Here are some of mine:

1. “Limelight” by Jason Segel and Paul Rudd (Rush), “I Love You, Man.” People have said for years what a visionary band Rush is, but I had my fingers in my ears. Hearing it performed by two howling funny actors in a bromance was endearing, and finally I got the boys’ love for Rush.

2. “Layla” by Eric Clapton, “GoodFellas.” The instrumental half of “Layla” begins with a couple of kids happening upon two of DeNiro’s victims in a car and wails mournfully while the police find one dead body after another – shot dead, hanging in refrigerator trucks … awesome, grisly stuff.

3. “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5, “Something’s Gotta Give.” I thought Maroon 5 was just a bunch of Southern California pretty-boy P-words (and still do, frankly) until I watched Keanu Reeves and Diane Keaton make eyes at each other during it. “Sunday Morning” gives validity to the Stevie Wonder comparisons. If only their other material could be this sophisticated.

4. “Here I Go Again on My Own” by Whitesnake, “Old School.”  Who exactly decided power ballads are the epitome of bad taste and why in the hell did we ever listen to him? Because I think we all know what it means to walk along the lonely street of dreams.

5. “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, “Say Anything.” It’s an obvious pick, but could you resist Lloyd Dobler with his boombox aloft? Will you ever think of anything else when you hear it?

6. “Uninvited” by Alanis Morissette, “City of Angels.” I’m not much of an Alanis Morissette fan, but “Uninvited” is positively hypnotic. It runs during the credits, and I’m torn over whether it’s wasted there or if it’s the perfect, ethereal way to end the movie.

7a. “Free Falling” by Tom Petty, “Jerry Maguire.” I’m loathe to include a Tom Cruise flick in any list, but the scene where Jerry leaves a meeting with the college ball player and he’s convinced he has him locked down and he’s searching for something on the radio to sing along with really loudly reflects a universal human need. In fact, there should be a whole radio station devoted to “belt it out” songs when you’re having a really, really good day.
7b. “American Girl” by Tom Petty, “The Silence of the Lambs.” There’s something about Tom Petty and driving. Poor Catherine Martin has no idea what’s about to befall her as she sings and bangs on the steering wheel. It listens to the Tom Petty in the car or it gets the hose again!

8. “I’m Your Boogie Man” by K.C. and the Sunshine Band, “Superbad.” As a mother, I should be appalled by the “Boogie Man” scene in “Superbad.” McLovin and his buddies have just arrived at the party, and the object of his all-consuming teen geek lust is surrounded by guys, dancing. And the girl is pure sex. She’s youthful and curvy, moving suggestively yet unaware of the power she wields. McLovin lifts a beer can to his mouth for one last dose of courage, sidles in and gives her a, ” ‘Sup?” And in that moment, he’s got her.

9. “If You Leave” by OMD, “Pretty in Pink.” I don’t know a woman alive who hasn’t dreamed of walking into a crowded room all triumphant in a DIY prom dress, driving a stake through the heart of the boy who hurt her. It’s what Eurotrash synthpop was made for.

10. “Sister Christian” by Night Ranger and 11. “Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield, “Boogie Nights.” Alfred Molina in bikini underwear freebasing and playing Russian Roulette, Cosmo the Chinese house boy lighting firecrackers in the house while a strung-out Dirk Diggler struggles to stay lucid in the living room of the drug dealer they intend to rob. It’s enough to make me sweaty and and twitchy.

12. “Killing Me Softly” sung by Hugh Grant (Roberta Flack), “About a Boy.” When Hugh Grant saves his young friend Marcus by coming out on stage with his electric guitar and jamming with his eyes closed … I choke up every time.

13. “There He Goes” sung by Sissy Spacek, “Coal Miner’s Daughter.” The child bride in a cardigan sweater singing a simple country song is a spot of sweetness in Loretta Lynn’s wretched mess of a life.

Read the day’s other lists over at Anna’s:

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tagged as: power ballads, songs, soundtracks