"As Good As It Gets" Lyrics

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"As Good As It Gets" Soundtrack Description

Late-night jazz glow, sidewalk sighs, and a theme that finds your pulse

Hans Zimmer plays it close to the lampshade here—small ensemble colors, brushes on snare, woodwinds leaning in like they have good gossip. The album stitches his cues to a handful of smartly chosen songs: a little Nat King Cole for warmth, Shawn Colvin for backbone, Art Garfunkel for the wink on the way out. It’s romantic, but not syrupy; wry, but never cold. You could put it on while washing dishes and suddenly feel like you’ve got someplace to be.

Background & Context

James L. Brooks’ film dropped in 1997, all sharp elbows and soft centers. The soundtrack followed with a 13-track compilation that leans on Zimmer’s lightly swinging score and a few pop/standards to frame the characters’ interior weather. Most stores got it in early 1998, but copies have floated through reissues and catalog refreshes since—hence the occasional “2009” date you’ll see on retail listings. In any year, the music reads the same: city at midnight, a little bruised, still hopeful.

Musical Styles & Themes

• Chamber-jazz score: Piano and clarinet take the lead; strings slide in like a thought you were trying not to have. Melodies keep their collars buttoned and still manage to melt you.
• Acoustic folk-pop: Shawn Colvin and Danielle Brisebois add coffee-shop oxygen—songs that feel spoken before they’re sung.
• Classic croon: A Nat King Cole cut arrives like a hand on your shoulder—steadying without fuss.
• Playful curtain call: Garfunkel’s “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” turns the lights up gently. It’s a smirk, then a hug.

Track Highlights (select moments, not the full list)

“As Good As It Gets” — Hans Zimmer

The main theme walks in sideways—polite piano, a clarinet that smiles with its eyes. It’s restraint as a love language.

“A Better Man” — Hans Zimmer

A patient climb. The harmony keeps opening doors until the room feels bigger—like Melvin learning what apology sounds like.

“Too Much Reality” — Hans Zimmer

Strings hover; the rhythm tiptoes. You can hear the characters trying to be brave without announcing it.

“Everything My Heart Desires” — Danielle Brisebois

Soft-edged urgency, sung like a promise you make to yourself in the mirror before you leave the apartment.

“Climb On (A Back That’s Strong)” — Shawn Colvin

Steel in the gentleness. It’s the album’s plainspoken spine—steady tempo, steady hand.

“For Sentimental Reasons (I Love You)” — Nat King Cole

A time machine in two minutes and change. It gives the movie permission to be tender without apology.

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” — Art Garfunkel

Yes, that one—recast as a light step into the credits. It winks, then waves you home.

Memorable in-film but off-album moments

• “Temple (Sanctuary Mix)” — Jane Siberry: a little atmosphere with its own weather system.
• “An American in Paris” — George Gershwin: nostalgia in a tux.
• “Y.M.C.A.” — Village People: because New York will always be a little extra.

Film Plot & Characters

A misanthropic novelist, a waitress with a truth-teller’s spine, and a wounded painter orbit each other until the orbit finally becomes a path. The score keeps them honest—no big speeches, just cues that breathe alongside them.

• Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson): Barbed wire wrapped around a string of pearls. Zimmer’s motifs soften him without pretending he’s easy.
• Carol Connelly (Helen Hunt): Heart and grit; acoustic guitars and brushed drums gravitate to her scenes like friends sliding into the booth.
• Simon Bishop (Greg Kinnear): A gentle gravity the film needs. The score gives him room to exhale.
• Frank Sachs (Cuba Gooding Jr.): The friend who says what you don’t want to hear—the music steps back and lets the dialogue do the punching.

Production & Behind the Scenes

• Composer: Hans Zimmer—operating in quiet-glow mode rather than blockbuster brass. The palette: piano, clarinet, small string section, rhythm section on tiptoe.
• Song curation: A neat braid of standards and contemporary singer-songwriter cuts; the sequencing puts score cues up front, then threads songs as emotional landmarks.
• Album rollout: The core CD hit in January 1998 on Sony/Columbia. Later reissues and database entries sometimes list 2009 due to catalog maintenance.
• Mix aesthetic: Close-mic’d intimacy. You hear fingers on keys, breath in the woodwinds—human scale, on purpose.

Reviews & Reactions

“Lightly swinging… score.” Album write-ups on Zimmer’s approach

“A comedy from the heart that goes for the throat.” Studio marketing line

Listeners keep this one for nights when they want the city without the noise. It’s a mood album that still works if you’ve never seen the film: a little rue, a little hope, and melodies that refuse to rush.

FAQ

The film is 1997—why do I see 2009 attached to the soundtrack?

Original CD streeted in January 1998; some retailers list a 2009 catalog reissue date. Same tracklist, same master vibe.

Who composed the score?

Hans Zimmer, writing in an intimate, jazz-brushed register—piano, clarinet, small strings.

What’s on the album besides score?

Curated songs by Danielle Brisebois, Phil Roy, Judith Owen, Shawn Colvin, Nat King Cole, and Art Garfunkel.

Are all film songs on the album?

No. A few diegetic/needle-drop cues (e.g., Jane Siberry, Gershwin chestnuts) live only in the film.

Does the theme have a name?

Yep—“As Good As It Gets.” It opens the disc and sets the room temperature.

Additional Info

• Cover art tell: If the Sony/Columbia catalog number reads CK 69112, you’re holding the core 1998 issue.
• Runtime sweet spot: About 54 minutes; it plays like a single sitting—no need to cherry-pick.
• Hidden flex: Zimmer’s clarinet writing. It’s flirtatious without showboating, and it ages well.
• Reissue trivia: Some 2009 copies in the wild are warehouse-fresh reprints, not remasters—so prices swing wildly for no musical reason.

Technical Info

• Soundtrack type: Music From the Motion Picture (score + songs)
• Film year: 1997
• Primary album street date: January 13, 1998 (core CD issue)
• Noted reissue/cat refresh: 2009 (retail listings; content unchanged)
• Label: Sony Music Soundtrax / Columbia
• Composer: Hans Zimmer
• Approx. runtime: ~54:14
• Select inclusions: Hans Zimmer cues (“As Good As It Gets,” “A Better Man,” “Too Much Reality”), Danielle Brisebois (“Everything My Heart Desires,” “My Only”), Phil Roy (“Under Stars”), Nat King Cole (“For Sentimental Reasons”), Judith Owen (“Hand on My Heart”), Shawn Colvin (“Climb On”), Art Garfunkel (“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”)
• Style tags: Film Score, Chamber Jazz, Adult Contemporary, Standards

September, 24th 2025

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