"Boxtrolls, The" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Boxtrolls, The" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album for The Boxtrolls?

Yes. The Boxtrolls (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by composer Dario Marianelli was released by Back Lot Music on September 23, 2014 in digital and CD formats; a 2×LP vinyl followed via Mondo in 2015. (according to Film Music Reporter)

Who wrote and performs the film’s signature song, “The Boxtrolls Song”?

The song was written by Eric Idle and performed in-film by Mark Orton & Loch Lomond featuring vocalist Sean Patrick Doyle.

What’s the other big on-screen musical number?

“Quattro Sabatino,” a barbershop-style piece composed by Marianelli, performed by Peter Harris, Alex Tsilogiannis, Thomas Kennedy, and Edmund Saddington—it’s woven diegetically into a gramophone/record-player gag.

Is “Little Boxes” really in the movie?

Yes. Portland band Loch Lomond perform a variation of Malvina Reynolds’ “Little Boxes,” used over the celebrated end-credit sequence.

Who supervised the music?

Maggie Rodford served as music supervisor, coordinating the vocal numbers and score recordings.

Was this Marianelli’s first animated feature?

Yes. This was the first full-length animated film scored by the Academy Award–winning composer. (as noted by Variety)

Notes & Trivia

• The soundtrack dropped September 23, 2014 (Back Lot Music); Mondo issued a deluxe 2×LP with Rich Kelly artwork in 2015.
• Director Anthony Stacchi nicknamed the in-world quartet “Quattro Sabatinos” after his son Sabatino—the record label seen on-screen carries that name. (as reported by LAIKA’s production notes)
• “The Boxtrolls Song” is pure Monty Python mischief—Eric Idle wrote the lyrics to sell a deliciously false legend about the Boxtrolls. (as stated by studio and trade coverage)
• Music supervision by Maggie Rodford (Air-Edel) linked the orchestral sessions and the Portland indie scene. (according to Air-Edel’s credits)
• Critics singled out the kinetic orchestration and unusual timbres—some called it “zither-tinged.” (according to Variety and Fangoria)

Overview

What happens when a Victorian fable about trash-collecting tinkerer trolls meets a composer known for lyrical drama? The Boxtrolls answers with a playful, pulley-driven score and two cheeky musical numbers that also serve story. Dario Marianelli coats Cheesebridge in bustling counterpoint and music-box textures, then lets a barbershop quartet and a tart cautionary ballad crash the party. (according to Variety)

Two threads define the album: a propulsive orchestral adventure—recorded at Abbey Road—that gives Snatcher’s chases and Eggs’s discoveries their bounce; and diegetic songs that lie (for laughs) or label (barbershop vanity) the town’s mythology. Portland band Loch Lomond tie it together at the end with a wry cover of “Little Boxes,” cheekily nodding to Cheesebridge’s class boxes and the Boxtrolls’ literal ones.

Genres & Themes

• Clockwork orchestral adventure — bustling ostinatos, toy percussion, and elastic waltzes track gears, gadgets, and chase geometry.
• Victorian parlor pastiche — barbershop harmonies and salon textures for the town’s self-importance (white hat club, anyone?).
• Satirical music-hall — Eric Idle’s “The Boxtrolls Song” sells propaganda with a grin.
• Indie-folk coda — Loch Lomond’s “Little Boxes” turns the end credits into a class-conscious wink. (as stated in The Hollywood Reporter’s Venice coverage)

Key Tracks & Scenes

“The Boxtrolls Song” — Mark Orton & Loch Lomond feat. Sean Patrick Doyle (written by Eric Idle)
Where it plays: Performed in-world during Madame Frou Frou’s show, spinning a lurid (false) legend about the Boxtrolls.
Why it matters: Tunesmith propaganda—Idle’s lyrics weaponize rumor; Doyle’s vocal sells the gag while the townsfolk swallow it.

“Quattro Sabatino” — Dario Marianelli
Where it plays: A barbershop-style number tied to a gramophone/record-player beat; presented diegetically as a local quartet.
Why it matters: World-building via vanity vinyl—Cheesebridge’s self-regard, harmonized.

“Little Boxes” — Loch Lomond (variation)
Where it plays: End credits over the meta time-lapse sequence of animators moving the scene.
Why it matters: The satire lands twice: tiny houses, tiny hats, and tidy boxes—social and literal.

“Slap Waltz” — Dario Marianelli (score)
Where it plays: Comic-sinister interludes with Snatcher & stooges; a lilting waltz that keeps the menace playful.
Why it matters: Exhibit A for the score’s balance of mischief and momentum.

Track–Moment Index (selected)

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

• Myth-making as melody: “The Boxtrolls Song” doesn’t just entertain; it rewrites town history in rhyme, justifying Snatcher’s crusade.
• Class as chorus: The prim harmonies of “Quattro Sabatino” mirror Cheesebridge’s obsession with etiquette—and the brittle pride behind those white hats.
• Boxes upon boxes: “Little Boxes” lampoons social sorting even as Eggs steps outside the only “box” he’s ever known.
• Gears = grooves: Marianelli’s motoric figures literally feel like belts and cogs—when plans click, the orchestra does too. (as noted by Movie Wave’s review)

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

Dario Marianelli (in his first animated feature) sketched themes early so animators could choreograph to tempo—then recorded the orchestra at Abbey Road. The team asked for two on-screen numbers: the music-hall tall tale and a barbershop record that characters could “play.” (according to Variety and the soundtrack’s production notes)

Music supervisor Maggie Rodford bridged Laika’s Portland crew with UK sessions and brought in Loch Lomond for both the Eric Idle collaboration and the closing “Little Boxes” cover. (as noted by Air-Edel’s credits)

Reception & Quotes

Reviews called the score energetic, witty, and unusually coloristic for a family film; even mixed film takes praised the music’s drive. (as stated in Variety and The Hollywood Reporter)

“Marianelli’s orchestral score is sent into overdrive.” Variety

“A robust score that spells drama and action.” The Hollywood Reporter

Availability: The album streams widely. Mondo’s double-vinyl remains a collector favorite. (according to Mondo’s listing)

Technical Info

• Title: The Boxtrolls (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2014
• Type: Movie soundtrack (score with songs)
• Composer: Dario Marianelli
• Original songs: “The Boxtrolls Song” (Eric Idle; performed by Mark Orton & Loch Lomond feat. Sean Patrick Doyle); “Quattro Sabatino” (Dario Marianelli; Peter Harris, Alex Tsilogiannis, Thomas Kennedy, Edmund Saddington)
• End-credits: “Little Boxes” — Loch Lomond
• Label / release: Back Lot Music — Sept 23, 2014; Mondo 2×LP (2015)
• Music supervision: Maggie Rodford
• Recording: Abbey Road Studios (London)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Variety; The Hollywood Reporter; Film Music Reporter; LAIKA production notes; Air-Edel (Maggie Rodford credits); Spotify/Apple Music listings; Mondo (vinyl).

October, 25th 2025