"Deadpool 2" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What happens when a proudly R-rated superhero movie treats its soundtrack like both a punchline and a pressure point? Deadpool 2 answers with a knowingly dramatic Celine Dion ballad (“Ashes”) opening a James Bond–style title sequence, only to smash into AC/DC and Air Supply when it needs to rev its engines or wink at the audience. The songs aren’t just needle drops; they’re side-eyed commentary.

Composer Tyler Bates fuses chugging guitars, microsynths, and an infamously explicit choir to glue these worlds together, while music choices like a-ha’s hushed “Take On Me (MTV Unplugged)” and Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” shift the movie from snark to sincerity without losing Deadpool’s meta grin. It’s a soundtrack that can sell a convoy heist, a love-beyond-the-veil reunion, and a boombox gag in the same breath.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) released May 18, 2018; a Deluxe “Super Duper Cut” followed Aug 10, 2018. There’s also a separate score album by Tyler Bates (May 11, 2018).

Who composed the score and why did it get a Parental Advisory?

Tyler Bates composed it; the album carries a Parental Advisory because the choir literally sings expletives that match Deadpool’s tone.

What song opens the film’s title sequence?

Céline Dion’s “Ashes” plays over a Bond-style credits montage directed by David Leitch—earnest vocals, ridiculous imagery, perfect contrast.

What’s the song when X-Force jumps from the helicopter?

AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” powers the sky-dive hype right before things go… spectacularly sideways.

Which song underscores Deadpool’s afterlife/white-room moments with Vanessa?

a-ha’s “Take On Me (MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice)”—a fragile, slowed take that flips the movie’s bravado into real feeling.

Does the movie use “In Your Eyes” for a boombox gag?

Yes—Deadpool channels Say Anything outside the X-Mansion with Peter Gabriel’s classic, turning a sincere trope into affectionate parody.

What plays during the opening kill-montage before the plot kicks in?

Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” weaponizing cheerful work-day pep against ultra-violent choreography—pure Deadpool irony.

Notes & Trivia

• The score album was marketed as the first film score to ship with a Parental Advisory sticker—because the choir shouts exactly what Deadpool would.
• “Ashes” arrived with a deliriously straight-faced music video featuring Deadpool dancing in heels next to Céline Dion.
• “Thunderstruck” wasn’t the first pick: the writers nearly went with Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” for the parachute sequence.
• The Deluxe “Super Duper Cut” album adds cues/songs tied to the extended home-release edit.
• Peter Gabriel’s site gave a cheeky nod to the Say Anything homage when “In Your Eyes” pops up in the film.

Genres & Themes

Diva power-ballad sincerity → grief and reset: Dion’s “Ashes” treats Deadpool’s loss like a sweeping melodrama, letting the film play earnest for a minute before the jokes resume.

Classic-rock adrenaline → bravado and bait-and-switch: AC/DC primes the audience for triumph—then the X-Force gag detonates that expectation.

’80s/’90s pop nostalgia → romance with a wink: a-ha’s unplugged “Take On Me” and Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” lift the mask (emotionally speaking), giving Wade/Vanessa space to breathe.

Cheerful country-pop → violent satire: Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” turns a body-count montage into a joke about work ethic and tone whiplash—Deadpool’s favorite toy.

Tracks & Scenes

“Ashes” — Céline Dion
Scene: Opens the movie’s title sequence with a soaring, Bond-like montage directed by David Leitch; the sincerity is the punchline.
Why it matters: Establishes the grief arc while sharpening the film’s meta-tone—Deadpool lets a genuine ballad carry real feeling before undercutting it.

“Thunderstruck” — AC/DC
Scene: Blasts during the helicopter jump as X-Force launches its first mission; the song’s swagger sets up a heroic ramp-up that the movie gleefully undercuts.
Why it matters: It’s crowd-hype bait, used to set—and then shatter—expectations in one of the sequel’s funniest reversals.

“Take On Me (MTV Unplugged – Summer Solstice)” — a-ha
Scene: Plays in the white-room afterlife space when Wade meets Vanessa; intimate vocals and minimal arrangement strip away the snark.
Why it matters: The reinterpreted ’80s hit reframes the film’s heart, echoing the original video’s “crossing worlds” motif.

“In Your Eyes” — Peter Gabriel
Scene: Boombox homage outside the X-Mansion; Deadpool courts reconciliation using the most iconic rom-com cue possible.
Why it matters: Turns parody into affection, making a well-worn trope feel sweetly self-aware.

“9 to 5” — Dolly Parton
Scene: Early mercenary/gangster takedown montage—Deadpool goes to work while Parton chirps about the daily grind.
Why it matters: A perfect Deadpool juxtaposition: upbeat workplace anthem + vicious ballet = tonal whiplash as comedy.

“If I Could Turn Back Time” — Cher
Scene: Mid-credits time-fixing spree with Cable’s device; the song literalizes the joke as Deadpool “corrects” the timeline.
Why it matters: A needle-drop that is both on-the-nose and irresistible—classic pop becomes narrative glue.

“Welcome to the Party” — Diplo, French Montana & Lil Pump feat. Zhavia Ward
Scene: Used in marketing and woven into the film’s contemporary edge; a modern club thump amid the retro-leaning cuts.
Why it matters: Keeps the compilation current and ties into the franchise’s meme-driven promo swagger.

“We Belong” — Pat Benatar
Scene: The writers cite it as a thematic family cue in the film; it nearly replaced “Thunderstruck” in the jump sequence.
Why it matters: Shows how song swaps can change audience expectation—even for a gag.

Music–Story Links

Grief to gallows humor: “Ashes” acknowledges Wade’s loss without irony so that the jokes land harder afterward. It’s Deadpool weaponizing sincerity.

Heroic set-up as misdirection: “Thunderstruck” primes us for a standard superhero victory beat, making X-Force’s fate a bigger laugh.

Love across realms: “Take On Me (Unplugged)” bridges the living and afterlife spaces, mirroring the original a-ha video’s barrier-crossing romance.

Meta-romance: “In Your Eyes” lets Deadpool cosplay as Lloyd Dobler, turning apology into performance art—and softening Colossus.

How It Was Made

Director David Leitch and music supervisor John Houlihan sought an “emotional through-line” song in the tradition of big-screen ballads; they landed on “Ashes” and brought in Céline Dion to deliver it—then doubled down with a knowingly over-the-top music video. Composer Tyler Bates built an “obvious superhero theme,” distorted guitars, and that now-famous explicit choir to wrap around the licensed cuts so the pivots from joke to heart to action felt continuous.

Reception & Quotes

Critics embraced the needle-drop chutzpah: the soundtrack album earned a Grammy nomination for Compilation Soundtrack, while the score drew praise for being, yes, actually funny. Publications like Billboard, Time, and Vanity Fair all singled out the Dion collaboration for its audacity.

“The score’s choral profanity is hilarious and brilliant.” Movie Music UK

“Deadpool pays tribute to power-ballad melodrama and makes it work.” Time

“Céline Dion and Deadpool are a match made in melodramatic heaven.” Vanity Fair

Additional Info

• The soundtrack album debuted inside the Top 20 on the U.S. Billboard 200; the score and the song set arrived one week apart.
• The choir’s printable lyrics include the very words you think they do; the joke is baked into the stems.
• “In Your Eyes” usage came with a playful Say Anything nod from Gabriel’s official site.
• The Deluxe “Super Duper Cut” adds music tied to the extended home release edit.
• Marketing leaned hard on music: the “Ashes” video became a shareable trailer-adjacent event.
• Pat Benatar’s “We Belong” guided the film’s “found family” theme even when it ceded a set-piece to AC/DC.

Technical Info

• Title: Deadpool 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year / Type: 2018 / Movie
• Composers (score): Tyler Bates
• Music supervision: John Houlihan
• Key placements called out: “Ashes” (main titles), “Thunderstruck” (X-Force jump), “Take On Me (Unplugged)” (afterlife), “In Your Eyes” (X-Mansion boombox), “9 to 5” (opening montage), “If I Could Turn Back Time” (mid-credits time fixes)
• Release context: Film opened May 18, 2018; score album May 11; main soundtrack May 18; Deluxe Aug 10.
• Label(s): Columbia (song album), Sony Classical / Fox Music (score)
• Availability: Digital/streaming widely; physical editions for both score and song album.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia, IMDb, Wired, Vanity Fair, Time, The Verge, Movie Music UK, Peter Gabriel (official site), Collider, ScreenRant.

November, 04th 2025