"Begin Again" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"Begin Again (Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture)" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. The album “Begin Again (Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture)” was released July 1, 2014 on ALXNDR/222/Polydor/Interscope (per AllMusic).

Who wrote the original songs?

Gregg Alexander led songwriting with Danielle Brisebois, Nick Lashley, Nick Southwood, and Rick Nowels; John Carney contributed on a few tracks.

Which version of “Lost Stars” is in the film?

Both. Keira Knightley’s intimate take appears in-story; Adam Levine’s fuller version scores the climactic performance and singles rollout.

Who supervised the music?

Andrea von Foerster and Matt Sullivan handled music supervision; the team won a Guild of Music Supervisors Award for this film.

Is there a deluxe edition?

Yes—digital deluxe versions add remixes and alternates like the rooftop mix of “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home.”

Was “Lost Stars” nominated for an Oscar?

It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards; the prize went to “Glory” from Selma.

Additional Info

• Release partners include ALXNDR, 222 Records, Polydor, and Interscope—reflecting Adam Levine’s label pipeline (reported by Billboard and AllMusic).
• Recording touched down at Electric Lady Studios and a few guerrilla-style locations that match the film’s “record the city” premise (per AllMusic).
• “Drowning Pool” by The Walls opens the film but is not on the standard soundtrack album—an oft-noted omission.
• Digital editions vary by territory; deluxe versions add four more cuts including the “Rooftop Mix.”
• The music supervision team (Andrea von Foerster & Matt Sullivan) earned a Guild of Music Supervisors Award for films under $10M budget.
• (according to the Academy) “Lost Stars” was an Oscar nominee in 2015; John Legend & Common’s “Glory” won.
• Keira Knightley performed her own vocals after intensive coaching; the small, breath-forward tone was a conscious character choice.
• (as stated in the AllMusic listing) official album release date: July 1, 2014.

Overview

Why do these songs feel like a walk through Manhattan at golden hour? Because the soundtrack treats the city as a studio. John Carney’s film doesn’t tuck music under dialogue; it puts music in the streets, on rooftops, in messy bedrooms—then invites your ears to follow.

Gregg Alexander (New Radicals) built originals that work twice: as character confessionals and as stand-alone pop. Keira Knightley’s versions are close-mic’d and tentative by design; Adam Levine’s takes lean widescreen and radio-forward. That split—demo vs. mastered life—is the story. The album threads busked intimacy, band-in-a-room bloom, and chart-ready sheen without losing the human pulse. (according to AllMusic)

Genres & Themes

• Indie-pop confessional → Gretta’s songs act like journal entries; small-scale sonics make private thoughts feel overheard.
• Adult-contemporary pop → Dave Kohl’s arc trades edges for polish; bigger drums and sheen mirror his career leap.
• Classic-soul citations & standards → walk-and-talk needle-drops (“For Once in My Life,” “As Time Goes By”) frame New York as a jukebox of memories.
• Diegetic-first design → guitars scrape, traffic hums; the production keeps the city inside the music.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“A Step You Can’t Take Back” — Keira Knightley
Where it plays: Opening pub performance where Dan first hears Gretta; the film’s hinge moment (non-diegetic-leaning, played in-scene). Approx. 0:00–0:17.
Why it matters: Establishes Gretta’s voice—plainspoken melody, guarded heart—and kicks off Dan’s redemption chase.

“Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home (Rooftop Mix)” — Keira Knightley feat. Hailee Steinfeld
Where it plays: The rooftop session with Dan’s daughter on guitar; neighbors complain, the take still clicks (diegetic). Around 1:15:00.
Why it matters: First time Gretta’s music builds a community sound—family, friends, city skyline all in the room.

“Like a Fool” — Keira Knightley
Where it plays: Gretta sings into Dave’s voicemail, raw and unadorned (diegetic). Roughly 1:09:00.
Why it matters: A boundary-setting breakup in song form; the smallest production lands the sharpest blow.

“Lost Stars” (Adam Levine version)
Where it plays: Dave’s late-film live performance before a young crowd; intercut with Gretta’s night ride (diegetic/stage). About 1:32:00.
Why it matters: Fame and feeling pull in opposite directions; the same song changes meaning at scale.

“Coming Up Roses” — Keira Knightley
Where it plays: First guerrilla recording in a quiet side street (diegetic). Circa 0:52:00.
Why it matters: The “record the city” thesis in miniature—car noise, laughter, and a keeper take.

Track	Scene / Moment	Diegesis	Approx. Timing*	Notes
A Step You Can’t Take Back — Keira Knightley	Gretta’s pub performance; Dan discovers her	In-scene (diegetic)	~00:00–00:17	Signature “meet-cute via music”
Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home (Rooftop Mix)	Night rooftop session with Violet	Diegetic	~01:15:00	Neighbors vs. band ≈ texture
Like a Fool — Keira Knightley	Voicemail confessional to Dave	Diegetic	~01:09:00	Quietest cue, biggest pivot
Lost Stars — Adam Levine	Dave’s live performance / Gretta’s bike ride	Diegetic (stage)	~01:32:00	Oscar-nominated centerpiece
Coming Up Roses — Keira Knightley	Side-street recording session	Diegetic	~00:52:00	Guerrilla album-in-a-day vibe

*Timings are approximate and may vary by cut/region.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

• When Dan hears Gretta in the bar, the arrangement is intentionally spare; the film lets us “produce” the song with him as instruments bloom in his head.
• The rooftop take is a trust exercise: Violet’s guitar part becomes a bridge between her parents and Dan’s frayed confidence.
• “Like a Fool” flips a breakup from argument to monologue; the voicemail device keeps the power with the singer, not the celebrity.
• Two “Lost Stars” tell two truths—Gretta’s version keeps the original vulnerability; Dave’s version sells catharsis to a crowd. That tension is the movie.

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

John Carney returned to the “song-as-scene” grammar he shaped in Once, but with a pop engine. Gregg Alexander and collaborators wrote to character POV, then recorded in New York spaces to keep air and grit in the takes. Andrea von Foerster and Matt Sullivan supervised—a pairing that later won the Guild of Music Supervisors Award for films under $10M (according to the Guild and industry roundups). Adam Levine’s label pipeline—222 Records with Interscope/Polydor—helped ship the album on July 1, 2014 (per Billboard and AllMusic).

Reception & Quotes

The album charted respectably on Billboard’s soundtrack lists and kept a long tail thanks to streaming. The single “Lost Stars” became the calling card—performed at the Oscars by Adam Levine and widely covered online. Critics split on the songs’ heft, but most agreed they serve the story cleanly. (as reported by TIME and year-end trade coverage)

“The songs are serviceable, if not spine-tingling.” — Mark Kermode, The Guardian

“A great soundtrack that depicts the mood and premise of the film completely.” — Renowned for Sound

“Oscar nominee ‘Lost Stars’ anchors the film’s emotional arc.” — industry summaries

Technical Info

• Title: Begin Again (Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture)
• Year: 2014
• Type: Movie
• Primary Songwriters/Producers: Gregg Alexander; Danielle Brisebois; Nick Lashley; Nick Southwood; Rick Nowels; Glen Hansard
• Performers: Keira Knightley; Adam Levine; CeeLo Green; Cessyl Orchestra; Hailee Steinfeld (deluxe feature)
• Music Supervision: Andrea von Foerster; Matt Sullivan (Guild-winning team)
• Label(s): ALXNDR / 222 Records / Polydor / Interscope
• Release Date (album): July 1, 2014
• Recording Notes: Electric Lady Studios + on-location sessions to preserve diegetic texture
• Key Placements: “A Step You Can’t Take Back” (pub discovery), “Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home (Rooftop Mix)” (night session), “Like a Fool” (voicemail), “Lost Stars” (live performance), “Coming Up Roses” (street take)
• Awards: “Lost Stars” — Oscar nominee (Best Original Song, 2015)
• Album Availability: Standard and Deluxe digital editions on major services; physical CD issued in 2014

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Relation	Object
John Carney	directed	Begin Again (2014 film)
Gregg Alexander	wrote/produced songs for	Begin Again soundtrack
Danielle Brisebois	co-wrote	“Lost Stars” and other cues
Andrea von Foerster	music supervised	Begin Again (with Matt Sullivan)
Matt Sullivan	music supervised	Begin Again (Guild Award winner)
Adam Levine	performed	“Lost Stars” (male version), other tracks
Keira Knightley	performed	“A Step You Can’t Take Back,” “Like a Fool,” etc.
ALXNDR / 222 / Polydor / Interscope	released	soundtrack album (2014)

Sources: AllMusic; Billboard; Apple Music; Spotify; Guild of Music Supervisors; IMDb (Soundtracks); SoundtrackRadar; Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; TIME; Rotten Tomatoes Trailers.

In the Begin Again film, from 12 to 16 songs officially considered as soundtracks, depending on which Internet source you read this. Always beautiful Keira Knightley and slightly shabby Mark Ruffalo play a young singer/writer of songs and once successful producer who has lagged behind the rapidly evolving music industry. One of those films that so fervently loved by critics from the Academy and not always favorably received by the audience. Rather impressive box office of more than 60 million dollars paid for the initial budget by more than 6.5 times, thus, it is impossible to say that the film is really memorable. Rather, the cute story with a happy ending. Title composition Lost Stars by Adam Levine was even nominated for an Oscar. It is noteworthy that the main characters of the film – Adam Levine and Keira Knightley sing movie songs with their own voices. Thus, the voice of Adam also sounds at three other songs. Especially enjoyable is a mix of already mentioned song. And Keira can be heard at such compositions like Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home (incl. RoofTop Mix), Like A Fool and the other two. The same eternal themes are operated in the film – a betrayal, life complexity and hardness of the life relations. Everything ends with quite acceptable and easy and relaxed music of film emphasizes the storyline. If it was difficult to Keira to sing her part of songs, it’s not obvious as they fly soft and naturally. So, she made her job with "hurray". The overall conclusion – you can listen this collection often having a good mood.

October, 23rd 2025

'Begin Again' movie on the Web: IMDb, Wikipedia

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