"20th Century Women " Soundtrack Lyrics

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"20th Century Women (Music from the Motion Picture)" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. 20th Century Women (Music from the Motion Picture) was released in late 2016, collecting song selections plus Roger Neill’s opening cue “Santa Barbara, 1979” (as stated by Rhino Records).

Who composed the score?

Roger Neill composed the original score, reuniting with director Mike Mills after Beginners. His synth-and-cello palette plays in counterpoint to the punk tracks.

What labels released the album?

Rhino Records released the compilation soundtrack in conjunction with the film’s rollout.

Which artists headline the album?

Talking Heads, The Raincoats, Buzzcocks, Devo, David Bowie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five anchor the mix.

Is every song from the film on the album?

No. A few placements—like Black Flag’s “Nervous Breakdown” and The Clash’s “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais”—play in the film but aren’t on the retail album (according to ScreenRant).

Who handled music supervision?

Howard Paar served as music supervisor on the film, coordinating the punk-era and jazz clearances.

Notes & Trivia

• The album’s running order toggles between punk/new wave and pre-war jazz to mirror the film’s generational push–pull.
• Mike Mills spotlights The Raincoats to foreground a female punk lineage—crucial to Abbie’s character arc (per IndieWire’s soundtrack feature).
• Talking Heads appear multiple times; the curation leans into the band’s brainy, off-kilter optimism—an emotional foil for Dorothea’s wry realism.
• Roger Neill’s cue titles nod to story beats and places (“Santa Barbara, 1979”) rather than character names.
• Several punk staples heard in the film (e.g., Black Flag) didn’t make the retail album due to rights/format limits (according to ScreenRant).

Overview

Why does a film about memory and motherhood slam into Black Flag and then drift into Louis Armstrong? Because 20th Century Women is about taste as autobiography. The soundtrack holds two truths at once: the jolt of punk discovery and the comfort of older songs you inherit from someone you love.

Mills and Neill build a humane, slightly eccentric mixtape—half diary, half house party. Punk tracks tilt the frame toward permission and risk; big-band and classic pop keep the floor under everyone’s feet. The result isn’t nostalgia so much as a working map of how people soundtrack each other’s lives. (as noted by Rhino Records and, separately, AllMusic’s capsule review)

Genres & Themes

• Punk & post-punk → self-definition: The Raincoats, Buzzcocks, Devo and Black Flag chart the teens’ and Abbie’s agency: fast, messy, alive.
• Art-pop & new wave → curiosity: Talking Heads tracks carry Jamie’s open, slightly analytical wonder.
• Jazz standards → continuity: Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five and period ballads speak to Dorothea’s steadier, pre-punk center.
• Synth/cello score → empathy glue: Roger Neill’s warm, glassy textures hold the ensemble together scene to scene.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Santa Barbara, 1979” — Roger Neill
Where it plays: Early establishing stretch as the film eases into place; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Sets the film’s emotional baseline: luminous, curious, never cynical.

“Don’t Worry About the Government” — Talking Heads
Where it plays: Used as an optimistic counterpoint in domestic passages; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Its nervous brightness mirrors Jamie’s way of thinking his feelings.

“Why Can’t I Touch It?” — Buzzcocks
Where it plays: Youthful, restless montage energy; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Desire without an instruction manual—perfect for the film’s coming-of-age scrapes.

“Fairytale in the Supermarket” — The Raincoats
Where it plays: Scenes orbiting Abbie’s punk education; non-diegetic with a zine-like vibe.
Why it matters: Centers a female punk lineage; its DIY charm becomes a character trait.

“Basin Street Blues” — Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five
Where it plays: Reflective interludes and transitions; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A hand on the shoulder—history and tenderness in one breath.

Track–Moment Index (compact)

Song/Cue	Scene / Description	Diegetic?	Approx. Time
“Santa Barbara, 1979” — Roger Neill	Opening/early setup across the boardinghouse	No	~00:02
“Don’t Worry About the Government” — Talking Heads	Domestic groove; Jamie’s observational voiceover	No	—
“Why Can’t I Touch It?” — Buzzcocks	Restless teen montage	No	—
“Fairytale in the Supermarket” — The Raincoats	Abbie’s punk “lesson” beats	No	—
“Nervous Breakdown” — Black Flag	House dance scene with Dorothea & friends; used in-film but not on album	No	—

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

• When Abbie pulls Jamie into punk, the mix gets faster, drier, and a little confrontational—songs as mentorship, not wallpaper.
• Talking Heads cues work like internal monologue: precise, funny, anxious, curious—Jamie in a nutshell.
• Every time Dorothea reaches for connection, jazz standards and Neill’s gentle synths soften the frame; the temperature drops, the film breathes.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

Roger Neill built the score around period-appropriate synths (Prophet-5, Solina) and close, warm cellos—playing against the punk catalogue so the film always has a place to land. Mike Mills curated the song list with a zine-maker’s eye: women-led punk, SoCal DIY, and art-pop touchstones. (according to Wikipedia’s soundtrack notes and IndieWire’s feature)

Music supervision by Howard Paar knit together clearances across eras—Bowie to Buzzcocks to Armstrong—while Rhino handled the compilation release. The curation emphasizes taste as autobiography: what you love becomes how you live. (as stated by Rhino Records)

Reception & Quotes

Coverage praised the balance of spiky punk and generous score; several outlets highlighted how the music tutors the characters in real time. (as noted by AllMusic and Deadline’s review blurbs)

“The music by Roger Neill is mystical, its center always shifting.” David Edelstein, Vulture

“A great musical soundtrack to further set the tone… nice work from composer Roger Neill.” Pete Hammond, Deadline

Technical Info

• Title: 20th Century Women (Music from the Motion Picture)
• Year: 2016
• Type: Movie
• Composer (score): Roger Neill
• Music Supervision: Howard Paar
• Label / Release: Rhino Records, December 2016/January 2017 window; 19 tracks on commercial album
• Representative Songs: Talking Heads “Don’t Worry About the Government”; The Raincoats “Fairytale in the Supermarket”; Buzzcocks “Why Can’t I Touch It?”; Devo “Gut Feeling/(Slap Your Mammy)”; David Bowie “D.J.”; Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five “Basin Street Blues”
• Also in Film (not on album): Black Flag “Nervous Breakdown”; The Clash “(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais”; Talking Heads “Drugs”
• Availability: Streaming/download widely available; album published under Rhino/Warner catalog.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Relation	Object
Mike Mills	wrote & directed	20th Century Women (2016)
Roger Neill	composed score for	20th Century Women
Howard Paar	music supervision on	20th Century Women
Rhino Records	released	20th Century Women (Music from the Motion Picture)
Talking Heads	performed	“Don’t Worry About the Government” (album track)
The Raincoats	performed	“Fairytale in the Supermarket” (album track)
Buzzcocks	performed	“Why Can’t I Touch It?” (album track)
Black Flag	performed	“Nervous Breakdown” (in film, not on album)

Sources: Rhino Records; Apple Music; Spotify; ScreenRant; IMDb (soundtracks & credits); IndieWire; Wikipedia.

Don’t believe when creators tell that this is a comedy-drama. If there is a ‘drama’ word in the recent films, you may be absolutely, 200% sure that there will be nothing comedic in the film. This trend lasts for almost 2 decades & every film titled a comedy-drama is nothing but a boring storytelling about feelings of one or two people who allegedly had love but then something terrible happened to them & it turned out that they cannot be together or, at least, cannot be together for a while. Look here – we’ve just told you the storyline of every single film of show business of the last 30 years (well, except horrors and action movies, because these two are still interesting to watch). The soundtrack generates the mixed feelings. At first, every single song from it is either old or very old. Rudy Vallee's ‘As Time Goes By’ has come to us from 1940ies. David Bowie's ‘D.J.’ is from 1970ies. The Buzzcocks' ‘Why Can't I Touch It?’ is old too, along with every other song here, whatever its name. Some songs have interesting and sophisticated lyrics, like ‘Love in a Void’. Some others are absolutely dull and blunt lyrics, as ‘Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy’. If we were the sound producers of the film, we would try at least to select something cheery & uplifting. And would definitely avoid the glam rock pop things by Mr. Bowie, because nothing from what he did may be considered actually normal. Yes, he may be an idol of some people & performers, but they are way too far from the normal people – those who listens to glam pop, aren’t collide with the ordinary life, having kids, living in a fancy house, etc. So, do you believe this film is destined to have huge box office? Oh, come on – how many of you heard that Annette Bening & Elle Fanning star in anything but boring intellectual things with endless talking?

October, 22nd 2025

More info: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes

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