"D Train, The" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"The D Train" Soundtrack Description

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes — The D Train (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), released by Lakeshore Records in May 2015 (digital and CD).

Who composed the score?

Andrew Dost (of fun.) composed the original score and co-created the new song “A Million Stars.”

What notable catalog songs are featured?

80s and 90s staples including OMD’s “So in Love,” INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart,” The Vapors’ “Turning Japanese,” Mr. Mister’s “Kyrie,” Foreigner’s power ballad, and Candlebox’s “Far Behind.”

Is “A Million Stars” written for the film?

Yes. It’s a one-off collaboration by Andy McCluskey (OMD), Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, and Rob Kroehler — cut specifically for the movie/album.

Is a physical release available?

Yes. Lakeshore issued a CD edition after the digital release. The album also streams widely (Apple Music/Spotify).

What type of music does the score lean on?

Lean, synth-forward cues with a nostalgic shimmer that sit beside the needle-drops without clashing.

Overview

What does longing-for-cool sound like? In The D Train (2015), it sounds like a yearbook of 80s radio — glossy synths, triumphant choruses, and a power ballad or two — crossfaded with Andrew Dost’s wry, percussive score motifs. The film lampoons reunion mythology, so the soundtrack goes all-in on memory triggers without turning into a jukebox musical.

The songs aren’t just decoration; they’re social armor. OMD and INXS paint Dan’s romanticized past while Mr. Mister and Foreigner supply that “I’m still the main character” delusion. Between them, Dost’s cues keep the plot honest, pricking the nostalgia bubble with little synth stabs and bittersweet pads. (Trusted sources: Lakeshore Records; Film Music Reporter; IFC Films.)

Additional Info

• Label: Lakeshore Records (digital release early May 2015; CD later in May).
• Score: Andrew Dost (feature scoring debut).
• Original song: “A Million Stars” — Andy McCluskey (OMD), Jack Antonoff, Andrew Dost, Rob Kroehler.
• Catalog highlights: Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, INXS, The Vapors, Quarterflash, Mr. Mister, Foreigner, Candlebox.
• Album runtime: ~47 minutes; 19 tracks (songs + Dost cues) on the official release.
• Availability: Streaming (Apple Music/Spotify) and physical CD; typical retail via film-music outlets.

Notes & Trivia

• Composer Andrew Dost approached the score as a “nostalgia echo” that could sit next to big 80s choruses without blinking.
• “A Million Stars” was engineered as a cross-generational team-up — OMD’s Andy McCluskey on vocals with contemporary pop architects (Antonoff & Dost) behind the console.
• Lakeshore’s rollout mirrored the film’s U.S. release window: digital first, CD shortly after.
• The curated classics match reunion-era radio: synth-pop (OMD), new wave (The Vapors), pop-rock (INXS, Mr. Mister), and prom-ballad grandeur (Foreigner).
• Some score cue titles (“Yearbook,” “Classic Lawless,” “I Peaked in the 11th Grade”) wink directly at plot beats.

Genres & Themes

Synth-pop & new wave = idealized memory; the shiny version of who you think you were. Power ballad rock = self-mythologizing bravado; a private arena show in your head. Alt/90s radio (Candlebox) = the hangover after the high, a more grounded 90s adulthood creeping in. Minimal, bittersweet score = reality checks; the slight dissonance under a smile.

Tracks & Scenes

“A Million Stars” — McCluskey, Kroehler, Antonoff & Dost
Where it plays: Featured on the official album and in film marketing; used as a thematic bookend around Dan’s big-dream fantasy space (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Tailor-made for the film’s premise — starry-eyed synths and a chorus about cosmic-scale yearning fit Dan’s outsized need to matter.

“So in Love” — Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD)
Where it plays: As a mood-setter for Dan’s rose-tinted view of young love and popularity (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Smooth synth lines = instant 80s memory; it frames how selective and sentimental Dan’s memories have become.

“Never Tear Us Apart” — INXS
Where it plays: During a charged, intimacy-tilted passage that reframes relationships and loyalties (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: That woozy sax and dramatic build underline the film’s big, messy emotional reveal without saying a word.

“Harden My Heart” — Quarterflash
Where it plays: Over a confidence montage when Dan doubles down on the plan (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Power-pop gloss sells the “fake it till you make it” stride — even when the plan is clearly unraveling.

“I Want to Know What Love Is” — Foreigner
Where it plays: A prom-ballad flourish tied to reunion emotions and Dan’s longing (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Big chorus, bigger delusion; the cue inflates small victories into stadium moments.

“Turning Japanese” — The Vapors
Where it plays: A rowdy party beat in LA nightlife/reunion-adjacent revelry (diegetic-feeling needle-drop).
Why it matters: Spiky new-wave energy matches chaos; it’s the sonic equivalent of questionable decisions.

“Kyrie” — Mr. Mister
Where it plays: Blasts during a chest-thumping confidence burst (non-diegetic), echoing 80s radio sing-along culture.
Why it matters: Its arena-scale chorus sells the bravado Dan borrows from Oliver’s aura.

“Far Behind” — Candlebox
Where it plays: Late-film reflection, when consequences catch up (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: 90s grit chafes against the 80s sheen — a reminder the past won’t fully save the present.

“Yearbook” — Andrew Dost (score)
Where it plays: Transition cue around school-memory beats (non-diegetic score).
Why it matters: Tidy synth patterns suggest neat narratives… that the film keeps complicating.

“Classic Lawless” — Andrew Dost (score)
Where it plays: Oliver-centric moments, all swagger and salesmanship (non-diegetic score).
Why it matters: A sly leitmotif that flatters Oliver’s image while hinting at the hollowness beneath.

Music–Story Links

• Borrowed bravado: Big-chorus drops (“Kyrie,” “I Want to Know What Love Is”) inflate Dan’s status fantasies — until the cues cut and his real life returns.
• Nostalgia as costume: OMD and INXS paint the movie’s imagined past, while Dost’s cues politely disagree in the present tense.
• Identity pivot: The most intimate turn lands under a swoony needle-drop (“Never Tear Us Apart”), letting the soundtrack handle subtext the dialogue can’t.
• Consequences: When the plot sobers up, 90s alt (“Far Behind”) rubs the gloss off the 80s dream.

How It Was Made

The producers anchored the album with recognizable radio cuts, then threaded Andrew Dost’s first feature score through the edit so the cues could bridge scene transitions and undercut the sweetest nostalgia beats. The original single “A Million Stars” functioned as a branding hook for the campaign and a thematic capstone for the album.

Music-clearance favored era-accurate crowd-pleasers (OMD, INXS, Mr. Mister), balancing cost, tone, and audience recognition. Lakeshore coordinated a staggered rollout (digital first, CD after) synced to the film’s U.S. release via IFC Films.

Reception & Quotes

Critics tagged the mix as knowingly retro: the familiar radio palette lands the reunion joke while Dost’s cues keep the movie from floating away on sentimentality.

“A grab-bag of radio memories, smartly stitched to a lean, character-aware score.” Film Music Reporter (summary)

“OMD’s sheen and Dost’s sly cues meet right where the movie lives: nostalgia with consequences.” PopMatters (single premiere context)

Album status: widely available on major platforms and specialty retailers. (Trusted source mention: Apple Music.)

Technical Info

• Title: The D Train (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2015
• Type: Movie
• Composers: Andrew Dost (score); “A Million Stars” by McCluskey/Kroehler/Antonoff/Dost
• Label: Lakeshore Records
• Notable placements: “So in Love” (OMD); “Never Tear Us Apart” (INXS); “Turning Japanese” (The Vapors); “Kyrie” (Mr. Mister); “I Want to Know What Love Is” (Foreigner); “Far Behind” (Candlebox)
• Release context: Premiered Sundance (Jan 2015); U.S. theatrical (May 8, 2015)
• Availability: Digital (Apple Music/Spotify) and CD (Lakeshore)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Entity	Relation	Entity
The D Train (film)	music by (score)	Andrew Dost
The D Train (film)	features songs by	OMD; INXS; The Vapors; Mr. Mister; Foreigner; Candlebox
“A Million Stars”	performed/written by	Andy McCluskey; Rob Kroehler; Jack Antonoff; Andrew Dost
Lakeshore Records	released	The D Train (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
IFC Films	distributed	The D Train (U.S.)

Sources: Lakeshore Records; Film Music Reporter; Apple Music; Spotify; PopMatters; IFC Films; Wikipedia.

Eight official compositions presented here on the site have an incendiary continuation of 17 additional songs that were not included in the official soundtrack but are considered to be a part of collection. Actually, the movie is quite funny thanks largely only to Jack Black, who lights up with his own energy. You may marvel with his forms and visual incompatibility with the energy, which he generously pours out at the viewer, saves every film with his participation when it becomes boring, thanks to his artistry and high energy. There are such great performers as INXS and Foreigner included in the collection and the genre of most part of songs is the lightweight pop and blues ( Harden My Heart or So In Love ). Beautiful performance of I Want to Know What Love Is song bring exquisite pleasure as this pop-rock ballad composition has been firmly rooted long ago in a hundred of the best songs of all time. The first kisses were made under it by tens of millions of couples, hundreds of thousands of innocent young teens were losing their virginity listening to it, the first gentle touch to a hand were made by a countless number of people around the world under this song. Simple plot of the movie diluted with beautiful songs. A character of Jack Black is trying to gather all of his classmates after 20 years post-graduation, on the big party, simultaneously realizing that the most famous of them is a character of aged-a-lot James Marsden, former sexy guy of lots of teenage movies. Many times have we noted that in recent films, beginning from 2010, Hollywood came to fashion of usage of old tracks, proven over the years to emphasize everything that happens on screen, giving a special charm to one, despite the slack in the film's plot. Generally, listening to the soundtrack creates just a slight nostalgic feeling, but bright and pleasant, uplifting. Recommended!

October, 30th 2025

"The D Train" on the Web: IMDb, Wikipedia

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