"Boys On the Side" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Boys On the Side" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Boys On The Side: Original Soundtrack Album (1995) was released by Arista Records as a various-artists compilation built around the film’s female-artist concept (as stated on AllMusic).

Who composed the film’s original score?

David Newman composed the score; the theatrical film credits list him as “Music by.”

Was the album curated around women artists?

Yes. The commercial soundtrack consists entirely of tracks by women—Melissa Etheridge, Indigo Girls, Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Sarah McLachlan, Joan Armatrading, The Cranberries, Annie Lennox, and more (per the film’s soundtrack notes).

What was the lead single?

Bonnie Raitt’s cover of Roy Orbison’s “You Got It.” It peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 in spring 1995 (according to Billboard).

How did the album itself chart?

It reached No. 17 on the Billboard 200 in March 1995 and remained on the chart for multiple weeks (according to Billboard chart archives).

Is there a notable in-film performance tied to the soundtrack?

Yes—Whoopi Goldberg performs an on-screen rendition of “You Got It,” echoing the album’s lead single and the story’s emotional arc.

Notes & Trivia

• The compilation’s “all-female artists” concept is explicit in summaries of the album’s makeup (as listed on Wikipedia’s soundtrack section).
• Bonnie Raitt’s “You Got It” was released as a single in February 1995 and became a Hot 100 hit; the UK single appeared on Arista with catalogue 74321266242 (per Official Charts data).
• The album credits name Mitchell Leib as music supervisor; Arnon Milchan is credited among executive producers on packaging (per Discogs credits pages).
• Whoopi Goldberg also performs “You Got It” in-film—an intimate moment that mirrors the bond between Jane and Robin.
• Sheryl Crow contributes a cover of “Keep On Growing,” while Indigo Girls’ “Power of Two” and Annie Lennox’s “Why” supply emotional tentpoles around friendship and confession.

Overview

Why does a ’90s road movie sing like a mixtape passed between friends? Because Boys On the Side treats music as a pact. The soundtrack frames Jane, Robin, and Holly’s evolving sisterhood through women’s voices only—pop confessionals, alt-folk vows, and seasoned rock grit. It’s not a marketing gimmick so much as a thesis about who gets to narrate the journey. (as stated in the film’s soundtrack notes)

David Newman’s score handles warmth and waypoints, but the commercial album is all songs. Bonnie Raitt’s “You Got It” gives the project a radio handhold; Indigo Girls and Annie Lennox deliver the heartwork; Stevie Nicks and Sheryl Crow color the desert nights. You can play the record front-to-back and feel the trip. (according to AllMusic’s album page)

Genres & Themes

• Adult-alternative & singer-songwriter ↔ interior monologues, friendship vows (“Power of Two,” “Why”).
• Roots-rock & classic-pop covers ↔ memory and mentorship (Crow’s “Keep On Growing,” McLachlan’s “Ol’ ’55”).
• AAA radio sheen ↔ accessible gloss for a mainstream audience (Raitt’s “You Got It”).
• Alt-rock glow ↔ the rush of possibility and new places (The Cranberries’ “Dreams”).

Key Tracks & Scenes

“You Got It” — Bonnie Raitt
Where it plays: Prominent in promotion and over late-film/credits mood; motif echoed in-story.
Why it matters: The album’s anchor single—Raitt’s Grammy-nominated cover became a U.S. Top-40 hit (No. 33 Hot 100). (according to Billboard)

“Power of Two” — Indigo Girls
Where it plays: Over relationship-and-friendship passages; a thematic spine for solidarity.
Why it matters: Articulates chosen family—the soundtrack’s core idea.

“Why” — Annie Lennox
Where it plays: Intimate scene underscoring honesty and confession.
Why it matters: A ’90s confession classic that fits the film’s candor.

“Dreams” — The Cranberries
Where it plays: Road-trip glide and transitional sequences.
Why it matters: Adds bright, breathy momentum—the feeling of open road.

“You Got It” — Whoopi Goldberg (film performance)
Where it plays: Performed diegetically in a late gathering, then taken up by Jane for Robin.
Why it matters: Turns the hit single into a goodbye—music as care.

Track–Moment Index (selected)

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

• When Jane (Whoopi Goldberg) completes “You Got It” for Robin, the soundtrack collapses hit-single polish into bedside tenderness—friendship becomes the chorus.
• “Power of Two” reframes romance language as sisterhood: two here means whoever shows up for you.
• “Dreams” scores motion without destination; the lyric’s optimism squares with three lives being rewritten in real time.
• “Why” underlines vulnerability; the characters’ hard truths arrive on a cushion of Lennox’s restraint.

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

Director Herbert Ross and writer Don Roos anchor the film; composer David Newman provides the orchestral score. The commercial album (Arista) was overseen on the studio side with music supervision credited to Mitchell Leib in packaging/credits (per Discogs). The compilation approach—exclusively women artists—was central to the project’s identity (as listed on Wikipedia’s soundtrack section).

Bonnie Raitt cut “You Got It” specifically for the film; it was issued as a single and supported with a video featuring film footage. Other marquee contributions include Sheryl Crow’s Derek & the Dominos cover “Keep On Growing,” Stevie Nicks’s “Somebody Stand By Me,” and Sarah McLachlan’s Tom Waits cover “Ol’ ’55” (as stated on AllMusic and the album packaging).

Reception & Quotes

“Boys on the Side… shows how strangers can become friends, and friends can become like family.” — Roger Ebert (Chicago Sun-Times)

“Raitt’s ‘You Got It’ gave the soundtrack a proper radio moment, climbing into the Hot 100’s Top 40.” — summary of Billboard chart run

The album gave the film a second life on AAA and pop radio; the set peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard 200, while Raitt’s single reached No. 33 on the Hot 100 (according to Billboard). Critics often singled out the needle-drops’ cohesion as a strength of the release (as stated on AllMusic).

Technical Info

• Title: Boys On The Side: Original Soundtrack Album
• Year: 1995
• Type: movie
• Director: Herbert Ross
• Score Composer: David Newman
• Label: Arista Records
• Music Supervision: Mitchell Leib (credited on release packaging)
• Key single: “You Got It” — Bonnie Raitt (US Hot 100 peak No. 33)
• Selected notable placements: Indigo Girls “Power of Two”; Annie Lennox “Why”; The Cranberries “Dreams”; Sheryl Crow “Keep On Growing”; Whoopi Goldberg (diegetic) “You Got It.”
• Chart notes: Billboard 200 peak No. 17; single peaked No. 33 Hot 100 (according to Billboard).

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Billboard chart archives; AllMusic (album page); Wikipedia (film & soundtrack section); Discogs release credits; IMDb soundtrack list; Official Charts (UK) entry.

October, 25th 2025