"Burial" Soundtrack Lyrics

"The Burial" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album for The Burial (2023)?

Yes. The Burial (Original Motion Picture Score) by Michael Abels released digitally in October 2023 through Amazon Content Services. (as noted by Film Music Reporter)

Who composed the score and what does it sound like?

Three-time Oscar-nominated composer Michael Abels wrote a classical-leaning score with elegant motifs and courtroom tension writing. The Los Angeles Times highlighted his end-credits arrangement of “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”

Who handled music supervision for the licensed songs?

Liza Richardson curated the needle-drops (hip-hop, R&B, gospel, and period cuts) that frame the 1990s setting. (according to Screen Rant’s coverage)

Is there an “official playlist” of the licensed songs?

Prime Video published an official playlist collecting key licensed tracks heard in the film.

Where can I stream the score?

On Apple Music and Spotify under The Burial (Original Motion Picture Score) by Michael Abels.

Does the movie use existing songs in pivotal scenes?

Yes—’90s hip-hop and R&B bangers (e.g., Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man,” Black Box’s “Everybody Everybody,” Gang Starr’s “DWYCK”) and church-born gospel cues appear at turning points.

Notes & Trivia

• The score album landed October 2023 and runs ~35 minutes across 23 cues. (as listed on Apple Music)
• Abels’ end-credits arrangement interweaves Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” with his main theme—an intentional bookend to the film’s history-conscious final shot (Los Angeles Times feature).
• Prime Video’s official playlist collects era-appropriate jams like “Whatta Man,” “Everybody Everybody,” and “DWYCK.”
• IMDb’s Soundtracks log shows additional gospel selections such as “Expect Your Miracle” (Twinkie Clark) and spiritual interludes used in church scenes.
• Critics called out Abels’ score for its restraint and craft; Movie Wave dubbed it “grown-up film music.” (as stated in Movie Wave)

Overview

Why does a stately, woodwind-led theme sit beside knockout ’90s hip-hop? Because The Burial is a courtroom dramedy about dignity—private grief and public swagger sharing the same frame. Michael Abels writes with chamber-like clarity: short cues that nudge the story forward without grandstanding. Then the licensed songs crash in with period confidence—hooks big enough to match Willie Gary’s (Jamie Foxx) showmanship.

The result is a split-level soundtrack: score for moral and procedural scaffolding, and needle-drops for cultural texture and character entrances. The Los Angeles Times even singled out the end-credits arrangement of Bach as a coda that ties the case to America’s longer story; it’s a smart, moving choice that lets the film leave on resonance rather than rhetoric. (according to the Los Angeles Times)

Genres & Themes

• Classical-leaning orchestral score → order & memory: woodwinds and strings give the legalese space to breathe; small motifs = accumulating evidence.
• ’90s hip-hop/R&B → swagger & community: Salt-N-Pepa, Gang Starr, Black Box, and others frame ambition, confidence, and the joy around the fight.
• Gospel & spirituals → faith & solidarity: church-born cues voice the film’s conscience during family and congregation scenes.

Tracks & Scenes

“Whatta Man” — Salt-N-Pepa feat. En Vogue
Where it plays: Used to juice a confidence montage as Gary courts attention and momentum in the press and community (early-mid). Non-diegetic
Why it matters: It’s about charisma as leverage—exactly Gary’s superpower.

“Everybody Everybody” — Black Box
Where it plays: Party/celebration needle-drop around team wins and morale spikes. Non-diegetic
Why it matters: Classic house sheen = communal victory lap.

“DWYCK” — Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth
Where it plays: Pre-trial bustle and locker-room-style strategizing; the groove underlines swagger before the serious business. Non-diegetic
Why it matters: Old-school boom-bap pairs with Gary’s playful bravado.

“Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (Theme)” — Dominik Hauser & Bill Conti (cover)
Where it plays: Ironically placed under scenes of corporate excess and posturing. Non-diegetic
Why it matters: Wealth as spectacle—the cue winks at the opponent’s image machine.

“Trust in the Lord” — Andre Littlejohn & Larry J.
Where it plays: Church setting that grounds characters in faith during the community-support stretches. Diegetic
Why it matters: Reorients the movie away from money and back to people.

“Expect Your Miracle” — Twinkie Clark
Where it plays: A gospel lift over a turning-point sequence connected to perseverance. Diegetic/Source
Why it matters: Hope voiced collectively—subtext becomes text.

“Happy Birthday to You” — Traditional
Where it plays: A small domestic beat—family time punctures courtroom stress. Diegetic
Why it matters: Stakes aren’t just financial; they’re generational.

Score cue: “You Done Good” — Michael Abels
Where it plays: Early establishing cue setting tone for Jeremiah O’Keefe’s family business. Score
Why it matters: Abels’ economy: a minute of music that sketches decency and resolve.

Score cue: “A Family Business” — Michael Abels
Where it plays: Warm, measured underscoring for O’Keefe family scenes. Score
Why it matters: Centers the human cost behind the case’s headlines.

Note: Exact minute:second stamps can vary by platform cut; selections and placements above follow the film, the official playlist, and soundtrack logs.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

• Swagger vs. sanctity: Hip-hop bangers mark Gary’s grand-entrance energy; gospel moments pull focus back to community and conscience.
• Evidence in motifs: Abels’ woodwind motifs recur as the case assembles—each reprise “files” another fact for the audience.
• End-credits reckoning: The Bach-touched arrangement over the burial-ground image reframes a contract dispute as part of a longer American ledger.

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

Director Maggie Betts and composer Michael Abels agreed the score should feel classical—counter-programming the film’s ’90s source music so courtroom logic stays clear while culture stays loud. Abels wrote concise cues (most under two minutes) and an end-credits arrangement weaving “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” into his main theme. (as reported by the Los Angeles Times)

Music supervisor Liza Richardson threaded the period with club-floor staples and radio titans. Prime Video later bundled key licenses into an official playlist. The score album went live digitally the week of release via Amazon Content Services; Apple Music and Spotify list 23 tracks at ~35 minutes. (as stated in Film Music Reporter and storefront listings)

Reception & Quotes

Reception split along two happy lines: critics praised the classy restraint of the score and the crowd-pleasing punch of the playlist. Variety even floated Abels in awards talk during the season (according to Variety’s predictions). Short takes:

“The whole thing’s got drama and emotion… grown-up film music.” — Movie Wave

“Abels ensures that every emotion we’re supposed to feel is supported and amplified.” — Screen Rant

Technical Info

• Title: The Burial (Original Motion Picture Score) — plus licensed songs curated for the film
• Year: 2023
• Type: Movie (courtroom dramedy)
• Composer: Michael Abels
• Music Supervisor: Liza Richardson
• Label (score album): Amazon Content Services
• Album release: October 2023 (digital); 23 cues, ~35 minutes
• Selected notable placements (licensed): Salt-N-Pepa feat. En Vogue — “Whatta Man”; Black Box — “Everybody Everybody”; Gang Starr feat. Nice & Smooth — “DWYCK”; Dominik Hauser/Bill Conti — “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (Theme)” (cover); Twinkie Clark — “Expect Your Miracle”; Andre Littlejohn & Larry J. — “Trust in the Lord”.
• Availability: Score on Apple Music/Spotify; official Prime Video playlist for licensed songs.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Film Music Reporter; Los Angeles Times (feature on 2023 scores); Apple Music & Spotify listings for Michael Abels’ score; Prime Video’s official playlist; IMDb Soundtracks log; Vague Visages “Every Song” guide.

October, 26th 2025