"Deal" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Deal (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What does a poker movie sound like when it takes “the tell” seriously? Deal (2008) leans into Americana grit, country-rock swagger, and lounge-ready standards to score a mentorship story between an old-school rounder and a hungry newcomer. The compilation album mixes recognizable artists with sleeper cuts that fit smoky card rooms, late-night road drives, and the neon hum of Las Vegas.

Instead of wall-to-wall score, Deal favors needle-drops that mark phases of the grind: entry-fee nerves, heater highs, and that inevitable river card that breaks the heart. The soundtrack’s calling card is Barry Gibb’s poker-coded single “Drown on the River,” flanked by Delbert McClinton’s roadhouse stomp and Nashville voices from T.G. Sheppard and Lorrie Morgan. It’s a surprisingly rootsy palette for a slick MGM poker drama—and it works.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Deal (Original Soundtrack) was issued as a various-artists compilation on Lightyear and is also available to stream as a 13-track album.

What’s the Barry Gibb song everyone mentions?

“Drown on the River,” a country-leaning single written and performed by Barry Gibb specifically tied to the film’s poker theme.

Who composed the film’s original score?

Composer Peter Rafelson is credited with the score; additional music roles are also listed in the film’s credits.

Which country artists show up on the album?

Notably T.G. Sheppard (“I’m All In”) and Lorrie Morgan (“How Does It Feel”), alongside Barry Gibb’s country single.

Where can I hear the album online?

The compilation is streaming on major platforms under the title Deal – Original Soundtrack.

Is the soundtrack the same as the songs heard in every scene?

Close, but not 1:1. Like many films, a few cues appear in the movie but not on the retail album (and vice versa).

Notes & Trivia

• Barry Gibb’s “Drown on the River” uses poker slang—“the river” is the final community card in Texas Hold ’Em.
• The film’s endgame is set around a fictional World Poker Tour championship; several real poker figures cameo as themselves.
• Lightyear handled the soundtrack’s commercial release; physical copies circulate with barcode 0085365477223.
• The movie’s credited composer, Peter Rafelson, is also known for pop songwriting (including Madonna’s “Open Your Heart”).
• Some sources list additional diegetic/needle-drop cues in the film that aren’t on the retail album—a common quirk for mid-2000s OSTs.

Genres & Themes

Country & Americana frame the film’s “old-school” poker ethos—bar-band guitars and road beats underline mentorship, discipline, and long odds.

Lounge & classic pop nods evoke Vegas gloss, suggesting confidence runs hotter than bankrolls. A standard like “Sway” signals swagger that can curdle into hubris.

Roots-rock & heartland textures follow the apprentice on the circuit, grounding late-night buses, cheap rooms, and incremental gains.

Tracks & Scenes

“Drown on the River” — Barry Gibb
Where it plays: featured in promotional tie-ins and within the film’s poker sequences; thematically tied to late-hand tension (the “river”).
Why it matters: a Bee Gee goes country to literalize poker fate—hope rides until the last card; then the bottom can fall out.

“Money Honey” — Delbert McClinton
Where it plays: used around Vegas arrival / cash-game momentum (montage placement in several releases).
Why it matters: roadhouse swing fuels a heater; the groove sells confidence you maybe haven’t earned yet.

“I’m All In” — T.G. Sheppard
Where it plays: tournament passages and decision-points; the lyric line mirrors table stakes and character bravado.
Why it matters: pure poker vernacular; it’s the film’s most on-the-nose “push your stack” anthem.

“How Does It Feel” — Lorrie Morgan
Where it plays: reflective interludes (hotel/cool-down scenes) between rounds.
Why it matters: exposes the cost behind the hustle—loneliness, second thoughts, and the quiet between shuffles.

“On the Moon” — Jordan Zevon
Where it plays: character-beat travel montage; a wistful breather after a hard loss.
Why it matters: inherits a storyteller’s DNA (the Zevon name checks out); it lifts the film above simple win/lose math.

“Fool Me Again” — Jessi Alexander
Where it plays: relationship cross-currents—mentorship trust versus ego and the glamour temptations of Vegas.
Why it matters: tilts the story toward character consequences more than chip counts.

Additional cues heard/credited in-film (beyond the retail album) include blues-rock and traditional/lounge selections used for club and party ambience—these crop up in training scenes and casino floors to set diegetic space.

Reference names for scene placement: IMDb Soundtracks; MovieMusic’s Deal listing; Spotify album page.

Music–Story Links

Mentor vs. protégé is the movie’s engine; the songs reinforce risk tolerance. When the student starts heat-checking opponents, “Money Honey” and “I’m All In” sell invincibility; later, after a key misread, the quieter “How Does It Feel” resets the emotional ledger. “Drown on the River” is the meta-cue—the title itself forecasts the climactic hand where discipline, not luck, decides legacy.

How It Was Made

Score & supervision. Peter Rafelson is credited with the film’s score; the full credits also list a designated music supervisor on the production side. The compiled album draws from Nashville and roots artists plus a marquee Barry Gibb single, pointing to a licensing strategy that balanced recognizable names with budget-savvy catalog.

Editorial choices. The film intercuts real poker figures and television-style coverage; the music mirrors that mix—diegetic lounge cuts for casino space, higher-energy country/roots for montage rhythm, and reflective tracks for the mentor’s vows colliding with his comeback itch.

Reception & Quotes

Critically, the movie took its knocks, but the soundtrack has had a longer tail thanks to the Barry Gibb single and the country/roots balance. A few snapshots:

“Drown on the River” folds poker jargon into a steady, radio-ready country shuffle. — Wikipedia (Barry Gibb entry)

“The soundtrack… features rock, pop, and country tunes… standout tracks include Delbert McClinton’s ‘Money Honey’ and Lorrie Morgan’s ‘How Does It Feel.’” — Retail album notes

“Composer Peter Rafelson” — Film credits

Album availability: The compilation is streamable; physical CDs (Lightyear) circulate via catalog retailers.

Additional Info

• Barry Gibb wrote “Drown on the River” with sons Steve and Ashley; it was his first country single.
• “On the Moon” places Jordan Zevon—son of Warren Zevon—on the same playlist as Nashville mainstays.
• Physical editions list Lightyear as label; some EU stock notes in-akustik distribution.
• The retail album does not include every diegetic piece heard on casino floors (typical rights split).
• Expect minor regional differences between disc metadata and streaming metadata (title casing, timings).

Technical Info

• Title: Deal (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2008 (film); soundtrack issued around the U.S. theatrical window
• Type: Movie (compilation soundtrack + original score elements)
• Composers: Peter Rafelson (score); select additional music credits
• Key artists on album: Barry Gibb; Delbert McClinton; T.G. Sheppard; Lorrie Morgan; Jordan Zevon; Jessi Alexander
• Label / Catalog: Lightyear (CD; barcode commonly shown as 0085365477223)
• Notable placements: “Drown on the River,” “I’m All In,” “How Does It Feel,” “Money Honey,” “On the Moon”
• Release context: Film released April 2008 in the U.S.; soundtrack promoted concurrently
• Availability: Streaming (as Deal – Original Soundtrack); catalog CD in circulation

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: IMDb; Wikipedia; Spotify; MovieMusic; Lightyear catalog/retail listings.

November, 04th 2025