Films that changed the way you hear certain songs

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You know, when you see a movie and there's a song you know very well on the soundtrack, and the way you thought of it will never be the same because of the way it was used in the movie. Examples?

― Damian (Damian), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"Stuck in the Middle with You" always makes me think of Reservoir Dogs.

― Charlie Rose (Charlie Rose), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"Fuck the Pain Away" will always inspire visuals of Japanese pole-dancers, in the same way "319" inspires the image of Elizabeth Berkeley jacking off a pole angrily.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Deep Blue Day by Eno and co. will every so often make me think of Ewan MacGregor swimming around in a toilet. I wasn't expecting to hear It's Not Too Beautiful by the Beta Band in One Day In September, the doco about the 1972 Munich Olympics hostage crisis... perhaps the most inappropriate use of music in any film I have ever seen. Ironic use of music (for example, Singin' In The Rain as used in A Clockwork Orange) is another thing altogether.

― Damian (Damian), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't much care for "Head Over Heels" till I saw Donnie Darko; now I think the song's a classic.

Scorsese is famous for his use of pop songs, but I can't think of any particular examples off the top of my head.

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

When I hear "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd I see the scene in Forrest Gump with a suicidal Jenny coked out on the high-rise balcony.

When I hear "Telephone Line" by Electric Light Orchestra I see the scene in Billy Madison where Steve Buschemi crosses Billy off his "people to kill" list.

When I hear "Si Senor" by Control Machete I see the scene from Amores Perros with the dog fighting in the Tijuana alley shacks.

And I can't help but think of the finale to Fight Club when I hear "Where Is My Mind."

― Famous Athlete, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Long Goodbye" always makes me think of THE LONG GOODBYE.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

the Labyrinth soundtrack always reminds me of the Labyrinth.

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Goodfellas insured that i would never hear the second half of "Layla" the same again.

And with Donald O'Connor in the news, I haven't heard "Singing in the Rain" in the same way since I saw A Clockwork Orange for the first time.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 02:59 (twenty-two years ago)

leonard cohen's 'everybody knows' is now simply stripper music thanks to Egoyan's Exotica. And good stripper music it is too!

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"If you want to sing out, sing out" as sung by Cat Stevens is okay. When Maude sang it in Harold and Maude, I cried.

― David Allen, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 03:12 (twenty-two years ago)

P.T. Anderson took "Sister Christian" to whole new level in Boogie Nights.

― turkey (turkey), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 04:16 (twenty-two years ago)

P.T. Anderson took "Sister Christian" to a whole new level in Boogie Nights.

― turkey (turkey), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

And I can't help but think of the finale to Fight Club when I hear "Where Is My Mind."

I hate it especially when people know jackshit about the Pixies, but love that song because of Fight Club. I guess I'd rather that you eithe fucking know about the Pixies or you don't fucking know about the Pixies. Oh well.

― Girolamo Savonarola, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

"A Thousand Kisses Deep" by Leonard Cohen - The Good Thief
"I Am Waiting" by the Rolling Stones - Rushmore
"Be My Baby" by the Ronettes - Mean Streets

― Gear! (Gear!), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)

miss amanda jones- some kind of wonderful

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 05:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Its use in Donnie Darko made me really love "Head Over Heals" by Tears for Fears.

― Brandon Mitchell (A.H.), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 06:28 (twenty-two years ago)

And Boogie Nights affected the way I here a bunch of songs, especially ELO's "Livin' Time" (but also "Sister Christian," "Machine Gun," and to a lesser extent "99 Luftballoon").

― Brandon Mitchell (A.H.), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 06:30 (twenty-two years ago)

the leonard cohen songs "the stranger" "winter lady" "sisters of mercy" always bring to mind various images from the film "mccabe and mrs miller" (which i love)

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 07:22 (twenty-two years ago)

'Bitter Sweet Symphony' in 'Cruel Intentions' is probably the funniest use of a song (unintentional) in a movie.

― Enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 07:33 (twenty-two years ago)

"alone again or" - bottlerocket

― Chris V. (Chris V), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 10:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Transpotting completely changed how I heard Lou Reed's "Perfect Day". Somehow I hadn't realized it was about heroin earlier...

― j c, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:07 (twenty-two years ago)

I never appreciated "Dancing Queen" until Muriel's Wedding - because she was such a pathetic character..

Other songs that I just plain liked more after seeing them in movies:
(Probably due to the kick-yer-ass soundsystems in the theatres.)
Paranoid/Black Sabbath - Sid & Nancy
Kick out the Jams/MC5 - I Shot Andy Warhol

― dave225 (Dave225), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:15 (twenty-two years ago)

All those songs that soundtracked The Virgin Suicides so perfectly (Strange Magic, Hello It's Me, Alone Again Naturally, Run To Me, So Far Away). Also Ooh La La in Rushmore. And another vote for Head Over Heels (I'd add Mad World & The Killing Moon too) in Donnie Darko.

― harveyw (harveyw), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

And also, of course, A Smile & A Ribbon in Ghost World

― harveyw (harveyw), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

"Nights in White Satin" in A Bronx Tale.

― Jonathan (Jonathan), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"In Dreams" by Roy Orbison took on a whole new meaning for me when it was used in David Lynch's Blue Velvet. Same thing for the title song.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:36 (twenty-two years ago)

'baker street' - good will hunting.
inspired. it sounds like you've gone under water,
then everything goes slow motion. ace ! you can *barely* hear it !

also 'needle in the hay' - elliot smith in '...tenenbaums'. bleur.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Coo - no-one has mention "The Next Life" by Suede, used so anachronistically in The Getaway (Charlie Sheen version).

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"Come Together" as well in Bronx Tale. "Now you's can't leave..."

― Chris V. (Chris V), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Dunno if it changed that much, but Deniece Williams' "Let's Hear It For The Boy" wasn't quite the same after having seen Christopher Penn's goofy dancing. :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

A big second for "Alone Again Or"!!!! (just saw Bottle Rocket a few nights ago)

Also, that long scene in Boogie Nights when Dirk arrives at the pool party (I think) with "Driver's Seat".

― peepee (peepee), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

'Take A Load Off, Annie' in Igby Goes Down. Never cared much for it, but it's warm loveliness suddenly got to me right there.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

In Donny Darko it's "Mad World" that really affected me, a song I was previously quite "meh" in regards to. That scene put that song in a whole new perspective for me. (In fact, I never really thought about it before but Donny Darko made amazing use of pop songs, huh?).

I can't hear that Sigur Ros song from the end of Vanilla Sky where dude leaps from the rooftop anymore without feeling a bunch of unexpected shit well up inside of me...I'd say the name but I don't know the names of any of their songs, frankly.

And I can't single one song out in The Royal Tennenbaums, mostly because every bit of music in that movie is spot on.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 13:24 (twenty-two years ago)

"Inna Gadda Da Vida" in Manhunter. I now think of that big freak with the stocking on his head everytime I hear it.

Whenever I hear "Peaches" by the Stranglers now, I think of that boulder rolling down the hill in Sexy Beast.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 13:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Elton John's "Tiny Dancer" = bus scene in "Almost Famous"

― BrianB, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I always liked Yes 'Heart of the Sunrise', but Buffalo '66 made me realize just how crushing that riff is.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:21 (twenty-two years ago)

The Statler Brothers "Flowers on the Wall" -- Pulp Fiction

I knew this song quite well as a kid growing up with parents that loved country music, having it associated with this particular scene was a jolt.

"I hate it especially when people know jackshit about the Pixies, but love that song because of Fight Club."

It could be worse, they could be into "Wave of Mutilation" because of 'Pump Up the Volume'.

― earlnash, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 15:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Second "Mad World" in Donnie Darko. A friend of mine started enjoying Yes because of Buffalo '66...

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Goodbye Horses" in Silence of the Lambs. "would you fuck me, i'd fuck me...."

― Chris V. (Chris V), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

"P.T. Anderson took "Sister Christian" to a whole new level in Boogie Nights. "
and Magnolia always come to mind whenever i hear anything with amy mann's voice (including til tuesday) and has particularly kindled a love for supertramp, who i used to hate.

― Felcher (Felcher), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Best Pop/Rock/Whatever SONG USAGE in a Film....

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

(not exactly the same question, but thought I'd link it anyways)

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

goodbye yellow brick road = that interlude in 'breaking the waves'
and 'favorite things' = björk's prison scene in 'dancer in the dark'. ridiculous movie, btw.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 18:11 (twenty-two years ago)

There must be dozens of classic rock songs that I had completely dismissed as rubbish until hearing them used as background music on Freaks And Geeks, including "Whippin' Post," "Freebird," "Take The Long Way Home" by Supertramp, "Don't Ask Me Why" by Billy Joel, "Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin," and many many more which I can't think of right now.

― billstevejim, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Can a single one of you hear "Moving in Stereo" by the Cars without thinking of Phoebe Cates' upper torso?

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush in "She's Having a Baby".

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

"Without You" by Nillson, as used in the suicide scene of Rules of Attraction.

― Adam Bruneau, Wednesday, 1 October 2003 05:11 (twenty-two years ago)

A song I strongly dislike ("Tuesday's Gone" by Skynyrd) used in a film I strongly dislike (Forest Gump) in a very emotionally moving scene such that I almost reconsider my position towards both of them SHOCKAH!

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 12:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Little Boy Sweet - June Pointer, in the original Vacation movie where Chevy dances with the sandwich.

― Chris V. (Chris V), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 12:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Sweet Emotion puts things in slow motion since it was used in Dazed & Confused

― BrianB, Wednesday, 1 October 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Excellent stuff above - especially the Stealers Wheel tune in Resevoir Dogs and for the spin Michael Andrews put on Tears for Fears' "Mad World" in Donnie Darko.

― christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 1 October 2003 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

five months pass...

There is an amazing use of tracks in many movies. The use of "Pure Imagination" in Charlie and the Chocolate factory.

― Lisa Ryan, Sunday, 21 March 2004 23:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks to the godawful Keanu Reeves-Cameron Diaz duet in Feeling Minnesota, I now think less of the Replacements' "I Will Dare."

― m.e.a. (m.e.a.), Sunday, 21 March 2004 23:36 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm pretty sure Brazil changed the way I heard, well, "Brazil".

― cws (cws), Sunday, 21 March 2004 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

"how much is that doggie in the window?" as used in pink flamingos. 'sall i need to say.

― joseph (joseph), Monday, 22 March 2004 00:55 (twenty-one years ago)

The Doors-The End, in Apocalypse Now

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Monday, 22 March 2004 03:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Or in: The Doors

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 22 March 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

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