"Anywhere But Here" Lyrics

"Anywhere But Here" Soundtrack Description

What this album feels like

• Immediate mood: coffeehouse glow riding shotgun in a used Mercedes. Acoustic guitars, late-90s AAA radio sheen, one Danny Elfman suite sneaking in like evening air.
• In one breath: mother-daughter road story scored with Lilith-era voices, soft edges, and a couple of ringers that make you replay the scene in your head.
• Why it sticks: the compilation builds a world—songs that sound like old friends, and a short score piece that hints at the movie’s quieter pulse.

Background & Context

• The film: Wayne Wang’s 1999 adaptation of Mona Simpson’s novel, led by Susan Sarandon and Natalie Portman, maps a messy, tender migration from the Midwest to Beverly Hills.
• The album: Music from the Motion Picture Anywhere But Here arrived in late 1999 via Atlantic/WEA—various artists plus a 7-minute “Score Suite” from Danny Elfman.
• Singles orbit: k.d. lang anchors the title track; LeAnn Rimes contributes “Leaving’s Not Leaving,” issued as the B-side to her hit “Big Deal” ahead of the film’s release; there’s a mother-daughter duet, too—Carly Simon with Sally Taylor—folded in like a thematic wink.

Musical Styles & Themes

• Songbook DNA: adult-alternative/AAA with a Lilith Fair heartbeat—acoustic pop, dusky folk, a little art-pop gloss, and warm, radio-friendly production.
• Score palette (short but telling): Elfman’s suite favors understated strings and gentle momentum—more journal than aria—then bows out before overstaying.
• Theme logic: songs carry memory and place (cars, kitchens, auditions); the score holds breath between choices.

Track Highlights (no full tracklist, just moments)

• k.d. lang — “Anywhere But Here” — road-movie oxygen. The vocal sits close; the lyric feels like headlights and second chances.
• Lisa Loeb — “I Wish” — soft-spoken spine. The restraint fits Portman’s interior monologues like it was written for them.
• Carly Simon & Sally Taylor — “Amity” — mother-daughter harmonies inside a mother-daughter movie; on-the-nose in the best way.
• Sarah McLachlan — “Ice Cream” — a tiny joy note that lands like a bakery window at dusk—sweet, brief, disarming.
• LeAnn Rimes — “Leaving’s Not Leaving” — Diane Warren drama with country steel softened at the edges; released as the flip to “Big Deal” and repurposed here as a goodbye you hum.
• Patty Griffin — “Twisted Road” — gravel and grace. Her voice pulls focus even when the scene is busy.
• Poe — “Strange Wind” — darker current, a little hypnotic; the needle-drop that makes the room cooler.
• Sinéad Lohan — “Everything Around Me Is Changing” — title says it all; the melody says it kinder.
• Lili Haydn — “Come Here” — violinist-singer glow, intimate and a bit cinematic around the edges.
• Danny Elfman — “Anywhere But Here (Score Suite)” — seven-plus minutes of quietly turning gears; it sketches the film’s heartbeat and exits gracefully.

Plot & Characters (for context)

• Adele August (Susan Sarandon): a dreamer who never checks the gas gauge. Music around her tends to be brighter, even when the world isn’t.
• Ann August (Natalie Portman): observant, impatient, tender. When the album hushes—acoustic guitars, smaller drums—it’s usually Ann’s page we’re on.
• Josh Spritzer (Hart Bochner): orthodontist boyfriend with a half-life; the soundtrack doesn’t romanticize him—songs stay with the women.
• Benny (Shawn Hatosy) & family orbit: here’s where the score steps in more often—Elfman marks time and loss with a steady hand.

Production & Behind the Scenes

• Composer: Danny Elfman scores the film; no full commercial score album dropped at the time, which is why the compilation ends with a single Score Suite to represent his work.
• Label & rollout: Atlantic handled the various-artists set, distributed by WEA, hitting shelves days before the U.S. theatrical release.
• Song curation: a deliberate lean toward late-90s AAA staples—names you’d see on alt-radio—and a couple of deep cuts that give the record personality.
• Scene syncs: the title track frames the road; pop classics cameo in smaller beats; and the album versions you get here generally match the film edits (with tasteful trims in-picture).

Quotes

“A soundtrack that feels like postcards from the passenger seat.” — a soundtrack columnist, remembering 1999 radio

“The Elfman suite works because it whispers; the movie already knows how to talk.” — a film-music editor

“Mother and daughter sing without singing—Carly and Sally do the literal honors.” — a wry critic’s note

Critic & Fan Reactions

• Critical pulse: reviews called out the curation—tasteful, coherent, a little safe by design—and appreciated the way the album mirrors the film’s quieter center.
• Fan memory: for a lot of listeners this lives next to Magnolia and City of Angels on the shelf: late-90s compilations that sound like a time and a place.
• Longevity: the k.d. lang opener and the Carly/Sally duet stayed on mixtapes well beyond the movie’s run; Elfman collectors still hunt for more than the suite.

Technical Info

• Name: Anywhere But Here (Music from the Motion Picture)
• Type: movie
• Year: 2002
• Film release: 1999
• Soundtrack release: November 2, 1999 (U.S.)
• Label: Atlantic Records / WEA
• Composer (score): Danny Elfman (represented here by a single suite)
• Notable contributors: k.d. lang, Lisa Loeb, Carly Simon & Sally Taylor, Sarah McLachlan, LeAnn Rimes, Patty Griffin, Poe, Sinéad Lohan, Lili Haydn
• Genre tags: Adult Alternative, Pop, Folk-Pop, Film Score (suite)

FAQ

Is there a separate score album?

Not widely. The commercial disc includes a 7-minute Score Suite by Danny Elfman; a full, official score release never materialized at the time.

Was “Leaving’s Not Leaving” exclusive to the soundtrack?

It appears on the soundtrack and also surfaced as the B-side to LeAnn Rimes’ single “Big Deal” ahead of the film’s release.

Does the album mirror the film order?

Mostly in spirit. It opens on the road and closes with Elfman’s suite; in-film edits and placements shuffle for story flow.

Who performs the title song?

k.d. lang—an elegant scene-setter that doubles as the album’s welcome mat.

Is the mother-daughter duet really a thing?

Yes—Carly Simon teams with her daughter Sally Taylor on “Amity,” a neat echo of the movie’s core relationship.

How the music plays against picture

1. Departure: open-road acoustics and steady drums—resolve wrapped in melody.
2. Growing pains: quieter AAA cuts for Ann’s headspace; the camera lingers, the mix breathes.
3. Cracks & comforts: deep-cut folk and gentle pop hold family moments that don’t need speeches.
4. Goodbyes: the Elfman suite ties threads without demanding applause—light pressure, then release.

Cast Pointers

Main ensemble

• Susan Sarandon — Adele August
• Natalie Portman — Ann August
• Hart Bochner — Josh Spritzer
• Shawn Hatosy — Benny
• Bonnie Bedelia — Carol
• Eileen Ryan — Lillian

Additional Info

• That Elfman mystery: collectors still trade stories about unreleased score cues; the album’s suite remains the easiest official doorway.
• LeAnn Rimes footnote: packaging her Diane Warren ballad as a B-side primed it for the film—cross-pollination 101.
• Mother-daughter meta: “Amity” isn’t just sweet; it’s thematic architecture hiding in plain sight.
• If you’re playlisting: drop the title track, “Amity,” “I Wish,” and the Elfman suite back-to-back. It plays like the movie in miniature.

September, 24th 2025