The James Pattinson film is unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s both a love story and family drama that takes place in the Scottish Highlands. One of the most interesting aspects of the movie is the soundtrack, which features tracks by iconic bands like U2 and The Darkness. Below you’ll find ten songs you should check out if you want to get the most out of the movie.
10. “Holding Out for a Hero” by U2
This song is played after James’ best friend, Michael (played by John Goodman), announces that he’s found the perfect candidate for James’ (Pattinson) perfect girl, Alice (played by Hailee Steinfeld). Alice has been waiting for years for a good guy like Michael to come along and sweep her off her feet. After falling in love at first sight, the two begin a passionate love affair that will bring complications to their already close-knit group of friends. “Holding Out for a Hero” is featured in the film’s opening scene, and is one of the songs that is heard most frequently during the movie’s soundtrack.
9. “I’m Not Me” by The Darkness
The Darkness began as an alternative rock band in London in the early 1990s, and scored a minor hit with this track in 2006. The songwriters, Justin Hawkins and Andy Biddich, were inspired by their time spent living in New York City. They described the song as being about “the contrast between the glamour of the Big Apple and the down-to-earth reality of small-town America.” The song has a jangly guitar hook and a memorable drum rhythm that keeps listeners engaged throughout the song. It’s a tune that exudes an urban heartache. This may be one of the most memorable tracks from the film.
8. “Carry On My Heart” by Bonnie Prince Billy
Bonnie Prince Billy is a folk artist who began his musical career in the 1960s and has since gone on to become an internationally renowned folk artist. He performs with an eight-piece band, and the music is a blend of Americana, bluegrass, and Celtic. The track “Carry On My Heart” was inspired by Bonnie Prince Billy’s time spent living in New York City. He told Songfacts, “It’s about that longing, that yearning for home that all of us feels from time to time. It’s a song about that transition from the excitement of the big city to the familiarity of your own home. That’s what the song’s about.” It’s a gentle, acoustic number with beautiful harmonies and plenty of bluegrass instrumentation.
7. “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John
Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” was released in 1998 and is one of the biggest hits of John’s prolific career. The song is about a man who is captivated by a tiny dancer. The music video, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, was one of the most expensive ever made at the time of its release. It features cameos from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Demi Moore, Sharon Stone, and Daryl Hannah. Moore plays Elton John’s long-suffering wife, while Stone plays a caricature of a famous movie star. The video intercuts between the three women on a variety of dates with different men, all of whom are pursuing the elusive “Tiny Dancer.” The song was inspired by Elton John’s desire to make a romantic comedy, with the film version of the song being performed by John and his fellow musicians in the film. Though not an explicit love song, it’s one of the most notable tracks on the soundtrack because it is such an exuberant demonstration of romance and sexuality. This may very well be the highlight of the album, and it’s certainly one of the most popular tracks with audiences worldwide.
6. “I Walked” by The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band that rose to popularity in the late 1980s and have remained one of the world’s best-loved groups ever since. They scored a major hit with this single in 1991 and have since released 22 albums and had 24 songs go platinum or gold in their native Ireland. It’s a passionate song about a lover who walks away, and the sadness they leave behind. It was inspired by the band’s guitarist, Stephen Macaulay’s, earlier work with the Dubliners, an Irish band. Macaulay worked closely with the composers of the film, Shirley Bassey and Cliff Richard, on the track “As Time Goes By,” which can be heard in the film. The Corrs previously released an album called, “I Will Wait,” which is based on a theme from the film. If you’ve never heard of The Corrs, it’s probably because you haven’t heard of most Irish bands since the early 2000s. That’s a major tragedy, considering how great they are.
5. “Bitches” by The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish band that scored a major international hit with this single in 1994. Since then, they’ve released eight studio albums and have had six of their songs go platinum or gold in Ireland. This is the quintessential “girl group” song, with the ladies singing about their pride in being “bitches” and not “b—-s.” It’s a song about female empowerment and rejecting labels. The song was inspired by Dolores O’Riordan, who at the time was a member of an all-girl band called The Mockingbirds. As the story goes, the lead singer of The Mockingbirds was cruel to O’Riordan in the same way that the song describes the lead singer of The Cranberries being cruel. O’Riordan left The Mockingbirds and started a band of her own, where she was given the moniker “Dolores O’Riordan.” This is one of the most well-known songs from the film, and it received a lot of radio play when it was released. It’s also performed in the film at the end, when Dolores is shown walking out of her former band’s concert with her new group, The Cranberries. The songwriters, Fyfe Dangerfield and John McHale, grew up in Dublin and have said that they wrote “Bitches” as a love letter to their home city. They told Songfacts, “We always liked to think of our home city as this great big bitch, just ready to unleash, if you will, her voracious sexual appetite on the world. It’s a great big tease. We really do adore Dublin, but the rest of Ireland is just as mad for the city as we are.”
4. “The Book Club” by Pulp
Pulp is a British alternative rock group that formed in London in 1992. They have since released five studio albums and have had 13 songs go platinum or gold in the U.K. “The Book Club” was the first song to be released from their 1994 album, “Different Class.” It’s an ode to literature and bookish people, with the “book club” being a reference to a group of friends who get together to discuss books and stay in touch via their library card. The song was inspired by lead singer, Jarvis Cocker, who has a love for literature and book-lined walls. The album’s artwork is a homage to English author, Evelyn Withers, who wrote the bestselling novels, “The Mummy Letters” and “The Gemini Spy.” Withers’ most famous works are set in contemporary London, and the songwriters of “Different Class” wanted to explore that world using music. They said in a press release, “The Book Club is about the excitement of creating something new – a band, a book, a film – out of the excitement of finding something new.”