"Borat" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Borat: Stereophonic Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin In Moving Film" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

What’s the official title of the album and when did it come out?

The album is titled Borat: Stereophonic Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin In Moving Film. It hit digital first (late October 2006) and U.S. physical stores on October 31, 2006 via Downtown/Atlantic.

Who’s responsible for the new/score material?

Composer Erran Baron Cohen (Sacha’s brother) contributed original cues and the parody anthem “O Kazakhstan.”

Are these songs actually Kazakh folk music?

No. Most featured tracks are by Romani/Balkan artists; the film pointedly doesn’t use authentic Kazakh folk styles.

What labels released the album?

Released in association with Downtown Records and Atlantic Records. A fictional “Kuzçek Records” imprint is also joked about in materials.

Is “Throw the Jew Down the Well” on the album?

Yes—the track appears as “In My Country There Is Problem (Throw the Jew Down the Well),” originating from Da Ali G Show.

Was there any controversy around music rights?

Yes—Macedonian Romani star Esma Redžepova objected to the use of “Chaje Šukarije”; later reporting indicates she received monetary compensation.

Notes & Trivia

• Digital rolled out first (iTunes in late October 2006), then a U.S. street date of October 31, 2006 for CDs.
• The album’s joke imprint “Kuzçek Records” sits alongside the real Downtown/Atlantic credits (a Borat-style gag).
• According to SPIN magazine, early chatter framed the compilation as a chaotic, clever grab-bag—more Balkan street party than Hollywood gloss.
• “O Kazakhstan” is a parody anthem by Erran Baron Cohen—distinct from the actual Kazakh national anthem.
• “Born to Be Wild” is heard in the film (Steppenwolf), while the album uses a brass-band cover (Fanfare-style energy) to fit the record’s sound world.
• Several tracks are performed or introduced “in character” by Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat, keeping the album’s comedy thread intact.

Overview

Why does a road-trip prank documentary sound like a brass-fueled street carnival? Because the Borat soundtrack sidesteps “authentic Kazakhstan” in favor of Romani/Balkan firepower—horns, hand percussion, and sly novelty cuts. It’s a deliberate mismatch that heightens the film’s fish-out-of-water joke while giving scenes a propulsive, dance-ready undertow.

The compilation stitches together Romani standards, contemporary Balkan club edits, and original cues by Erran Baron Cohen. Between needle-drops you’ll hear Borat himself—dialogue bites and two character songs—so the album plays like a souvenir of the film’s mischief. (As stated in Apple Music’s metadata and the Wikipedia summary, Downtown/Atlantic handled the release, with the digital drop arriving a week earlier than the U.S. CD.)

Genres & Themes

• Romani brass & rockers rhythm → manic mobility; the soundtrack makes transit feel like parade.
• Balkan club edits → satirical swagger; cosmopolitan beats behind backroad antics.
• Folk lament & vintage pop → sudden sincerity (e.g., Goran Bregović moments) amid chaos.
• Parody anthems (Erran B. Cohen) → state pomp turned punchline.
• In-character novelties → Borat’s worldview as sing-along provocation.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Chaje Šukarije” — Esma Redžepova
Where it plays: Recurs as Borat’s signature vibe; used prominently in early travel passages and title energy.
Why it matters: Sets the album’s Romani center and, yes, sparked a rights dispute later reported in the press.

“Siki, Siki Baba” — Kočani Orkestar
Where it plays: Party/road montage energy; non-diegetic during cut-aways.
Why it matters: The definitive “keep moving” groove—blaring brass that sells Borat’s relentless forward motion.

“Ederlezi” — Goran Bregović
Where it plays: Quiet, emotional punctuation near Borat’s Pamela-obsessed beats; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A moment of aching beauty that briefly reframes the clown as a pilgrim.

“O Kazakhstan” — Erran Baron Cohen
Where it plays: Borat’s parody “national anthem,” notably around the rodeo sequence; diegetic within the gag.
Why it matters: Pokes at national pageantry; a musical joke with a march’s straight face.

“In My Country There Is Problem (Throw the Jew Down the Well)” — Sacha Baron Cohen
Where it plays: Included from the TV sketches; album version functions as character study and provocation.
Why it matters: A satirical sing-along that exposes audience complicity (as discussed in academic/media write-ups).

“Born to Be Wild” — (film: Steppenwolf; album: Fanfare-style cover)
Where it plays: Film travel beat with the bear ride gag; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Iconic American biker anthem repurposed as absurd road-movie gasoline.

Track–Moment Index (select cues)

For song credits and placements, IMDb’s soundtrack list and Apple Music’s album page are useful anchors; Wikipedia’s soundtrack entry summarizes what’s in the film vs. on the disc.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• Dislocation as carnival: Romani brass turns awkward encounters into forward motion—Borat fails upward, trumpets blazing.
• Pageantry as punchline: “O Kazakhstan” weaponizes pomp; the anthem’s straight-laced march makes the satire land harder.
• Earnestness under the prank: Using “Ederlezi” lets the film briefly play Borat’s quest as genuine longing, not just provocation.
• Audience complicity: The sing-along number isn’t just a joke; it reveals the room’s temperature.

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

Erran Baron Cohen built the parody anthem and connective cues around militaristic march shapes and folk timbres so they’d sit next to Balkan source tracks without calling attention to the seams. Interviews with Erran over the years consistently frame his brief as “credible, not cruel”—write music convincing enough that the joke doesn’t need a wink. (As discussed in The Guardian’s profile and later composer interviews.)

Clearances pulled from compilations and artist catalogs known in the “Balkan beats” circuit—OMFO, Mahala Rai Banda/Shantel, Goran Bregović—while the album’s sequencing keeps Borat’s in-character bits as palate cleansers. According to Apple Music, the release carries Downtown/Atlantic rights lines and dates the digital drop just ahead of the U.S. CD.

Reception & Quotes

The film became a phenomenon; the album charted on Billboard’s Top Soundtracks and helped codify how 2000s comedies could lean on crate-dug global pop. The mix drew praise for energy—critics also flagged the deliberate mismatch with Kazakh music as part of the satire’s target.

“Erran Baron Cohen’s music… and the Balkan selections are key to the movie’s bite.” —(as paraphrased across composer profiles)

“Don’t throw the Borat soundtrack down the well.” —SPIN magazine

Technical Info

• Title: Borat: Stereophonic Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin In Moving Film
• Year: 2006
• Type: Movie soundtrack (compilation + original cues)
• Composed cues by: Erran Baron Cohen
• Primary styles: Romani/Balkan brass, folk, novelty
• Labels: Downtown Records / Atlantic Records (with a tongue-in-cheek “Kuzçek Records” credit)
• Release: Digital late Oct 2006; U.S. CD Oct 31, 2006
• Selected notable placements (not full tracklist): “Chaje Šukarije” (Esma Redžepova); “Siki, Siki Baba” (Kočani Orkestar); “Ederlezi” (Goran Bregović); “O Kazakhstan” (Erran Baron Cohen); “In My Country There Is Problem (Throw the Jew Down the Well)” (Sacha Baron Cohen); “Born to Be Wild” (film usage).
• Chart note: Peaked on Billboard’s Top Soundtracks chart.
• Availability: Streaming/download widely available; original CD includes some enhanced content bits on certain pressings.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music; Wikipedia (film & soundtrack entries); IMDb Soundtrack; Discogs; PRS for Music magazine interview with Erran Baron Cohen; The Guardian; Decider.

October, 25th 2025