Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is yet another proof of the director’s mastery in the use of music to create different atmospheres and add to the characters’ actions, feelings, and overall essence in different scenes. One of this year’s most anticipated film releases was The Irishman, an epic crime film that reunited legendary director Martin Scorsese with some of his frequent collaborators, such as Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Harvey Keitel, along with Al Pacino, Anna Paquin, and more.
Based on Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses, The Irishman follows the life of truck driver Frank Sheeran (De Niro) who gets involved with Russell Bufalino (Pesci) and the Pennsylvania crime family. As he earns the trust of Bufalino and becomes a top hit man, he also begins to work for Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino), a powerful Teamster linked to organized crime. The film has all of Scorsese’s crime film trademarks, including a soundtrack that elevates the viewing experience.
The Irishman includes both original and existing music tracks, and while at plain sight they don’t seem to have much in common, they all fit perfectly within the context of the film.
Every Song On The Irishman Soundtrack
Musician Robbie Robertson and music supervisor Randall Poster were in charge of the film’s soundtrack, with Robertson also writing the score. This is the 10th collaboration between Robertson and Scorsese, having previously worked together on The King of Comedy, Casino, The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, and more. Speaking to Rolling Stone, Robertson shared that the music score for The Irishman was “an unusual feat” as they were trying to discover “a sound, a mood, a feel, that could work, over the many decades that this story takes place”. Although the soundtrack ended up including mostly songs from the 1940s and 1950s, they all have a timeless quality that makes them work even though the story spans many decades.
Here are all the songs from The Irishman soundtrack:
- “In the Still of the Night” – The Five Satins
- “Tuxedo Junction” – Glenn Miller & His Orchestra
- “I Hear You Knockin’” – Smiley Lewis
- “The Fat Man” – Fats Domino
- “El Negro Zumbón (From the Motion Picture Anna)” – Flo Sandon’s
- “Le Grisbi” – Jean Wetzel
- “Delicado” – Percy Faith & His Orchestra
- “Have I Sinned” – Donnie Elbert
- “Theme for The Irishman” – Robbie Robertson
- “Song of the Barefoot Contessa” – Hugo Winterhalter & His Orchestra
- “A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)” – Marty Robbins with Ray Conniff
- “Canadian Sunset (Single Version)” – Eddie Heywood
- “Honky Tonk, Pt. 1” – Bill Doggett
- “Melancholy Serenade” – Jackie Gleason
- “Qué Rico el Mambo” – Pérez Prado
- “Cry” – Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads
- “Sleep Walk” – Santo & Johnny
- “The Time Is Now” – The Golddiggers
- “Al Di La” – Jerry Vale & The Latin Casino All Stars
- “Pretend You Don’t See Her” – The Latin Casino All Stars
“Theme for The Irishman” is the only piece from Robertson’s score that appears on the soundtrack, although other tracks like “Remembrance” and “I Hear You Paint Houses” can be heard in the film. As mentioned above, Scorsese uses previously released songs to create a certain mood and add to whatever the characters are feeling and doing. The Irishman opens and closes with The Five Satins’ “In The Still Of The Night” as the audience watches Frank Sheeran’s life in a retirement home, while other songs are used in key scenes, such as “Qué Rico el Mambo” when Anthony “Tony Pro” Provenzano is introduced.
Some others were not included in the soundtrack but still played a part in the story, even if just as background music, like Kerry Vale’s “Spanish Eyes” during the testimonial dinner in Sheeran’s honor, where the tension between Hoffa, Bufalino, and Salerno begins to reach its peak. The Irishman is a complete cinematic experience that won’t disappoint Scorsese’s fans, and the soundtrack complements the story and visual narrative perfectly.