"End of the Road" Soundtrack Lyrics

“End of the Road — Music from the Netflix Film” Soundtrack Description

Overview

What does a family-on-the-run thriller sound like when it’s also a road movie? End of the Road (2022) answers with a lean mix of contemporary R&B, rap-adjacent needle-drops, retro-soul, and a pulsing hybrid score by Craig DeLeon. Songs carry the day-to-day texture of a cross-state haul; the score tightens the screws when the highway goes hostile.

The film uses source tracks to sketch character mood—Alicia Keys for hope, Otis Redding for ache, Nappy Roots for relief—then lets DeLeon’s electronics, low strings, and percussive motifs push chases and confrontations. It’s functional music storytelling: hooky, scene-specific, and rarely ornamental.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

No full commercial score album has been issued. Individual songs are available on streaming, and the original song “All of Us (Memphis)” by FLAVe was released on the film’s date. (Filmmusicreporter)

Who composed the score?

Craig DeLeon composed the original score.

Who supervised the songs?

Music supervision is credited to Derryck “Big Tank” Thornton Sr. and Aamina Gant.

What plays over the opening?

Alicia Keys’ “Where Do We Go from Here” underscores the family pulling out and the opening credits (~00:07).

What’s the end-credits song?

Nappy Roots’ “Good Day” plays during the diner coda and into the credits (~01:21).

Does the score lean orchestral or electronic?

Hybrid: tense electronic beds with low-string pulses and rhythm programming; designed for momentum more than melody.

Is the Boyz II Men hit “End of the Road” in the film?

No—the title match is coincidental; the 1992 ballad is unrelated to this movie’s soundtrack.

Notes & Trivia

• Craig DeLeon’s score credit was announced pre-release; the film dropped on Netflix on September 9, 2022.
• Two music supervisors—Derryck “Big Tank” Thornton Sr. and Aamina Gant—split the heavy lifting on the needle-drops.
• “All of Us (Memphis),” credited to FLAVe feat. Drey Skonie, was the film’s original song release on premiere day.
• Nappy Roots’ “Good Day” functions as a tonal reset after the climax—deliberately upbeat against the damage tally.
• Several scene-by-scene placements were documented publicly with rough timestamps soon after release (independent soundtrack guides).

Genres & Themes

Styles at play: alt-R&B and UK neo-soul textures (Etta Bond) for introspection; classic Southern soul (Otis Redding) for longing; contemporary hip-hop/party bounce (Nappy Roots) for release; sleek pop-R&B (Alicia Keys) for forward motion.

Meaning map: needle-drops mirror the Freeman family’s emotional tachometer—quiet, tense, then cathartic—while DeLeon’s hybrid score supplies pressure: sub-bass, brittle percussion, and held-note strings that keep the road feeling exposed and surveilled.

Tracks & Scenes

Note: Timestamps are approximate (hh:mm:ss). Diegetic = heard by characters on screen.

“Menace” — Durand the Rapper
Where it plays: ~00:02: Brenda clocks Reggie’s smoke-haze mood outside; background source.
Why it matters: Sets the sibling dynamic—exasperation and care—in a few bars.

“Teleport” — Etta Bond
Where it plays: ~00:05: Moving-day memories and final lookbacks; montage; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Soft-focus R&B cushions a hard uprooting.

“Where Do We Go from Here” — Alicia Keys
Where it plays: ~00:07: Opening credits as the family pulls away; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Title doubles as thesis—forward motion despite uncertainty.

“All of Us (Memphis)” — FLAVe feat. Drey Skonie
Where it plays: ~00:11: Long, silent miles break; Brenda tries to coax conversation; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Original song anchors the “new start” fantasy before danger intrudes.

“Nothing’s Impossible” — BChe
Where it plays: ~00:14: Desert stretch; Reggie jokes about alien abductions; in-car source.
Why it matters: Light vibe undercuts growing unease.

“Cali Rain” — Marley Waters & LNDN
Where it plays: ~00:16: A truck tails their SUV; in-car radio (diegetic).
Why it matters: Chill beat contrasts with a first spike of paranoia.

“Pain in My Heart” — Otis Redding
Where it plays: ~00:23: Sunset Motel diner; Reggie picks a jukebox tune; diegetic.
Why it matters: Classic soul deepens the film’s grief thread without dialogue.

“Wear Me Out” — Levi Brown & Junior Mintz
Where it plays: ~00:30: After the motel incident as police descend; background, mostly non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Frays the nerves during procedural chaos.

“Start a Riot” — DUCKWRTH feat. Shaboozey
Where it plays: ~00:49: Car chase as Brenda hunts the thief; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Swagger beat flips Brenda from caretaker to pursuer.

“Good Day” — Nappy Roots
Where it plays: ~01:21: Diner denouement and end credits; non-diegetic leading into titles.
Why it matters: Sun breaks through—the rare thriller that lets a pop song close the wound.

Also in the mix
“Shoot 3” — Andre L. Terry (credited as such in some listings); brief source cue.

Music–Story Links

Keys’ opener frames Brenda’s determination—get the family to Houston, no matter what. Otis Redding lands where her composure cracks: a jukebox confession nobody says out loud. As stakes escalate, DeLeon’s score narrows the emotional bandwidth to propulsion—long held tones, ticking percussion—until “Start a Riot” licenses Brenda’s shift into active protector. “Good Day” is the final counterweight: the world isn’t fixed, but the table is full.

How It Was Made

Composer: Craig DeLeon delivered a modern, pulse-driven thriller score—electronics and low-string ostinati—with emphasis on forward motion over theme. Pre-release trade coverage confirmed his assignment.

Supervision: Derryck “Big Tank” Thornton Sr. and Aamina Gant handled song curation and licensing, balancing mainstream familiarity (Alicia Keys, Otis Redding) with contemporary cuts (DUCKWRTH, Etta Bond).

Original song: FLAVe’s “All of Us (Memphis)” arrived day-and-date with the film as a standalone digital release (no full OST album).

Reception & Quotes

Critics were split on the film while consistently noting the heavy lift the music does. Some praised the propulsive clarity; others felt the cues spotlighted formula.

“The routine bombast of Craig DeLeon’s score… underline[s] an overall lack of instinct for restraint.” Variety

“Even when the movie wants for tension, it brims with playful style.” The New York Times

“About family, motherhood, and survival… entertaining and refreshing.” Screen Rant

Additional Info

• Release: September 9, 2022 (Netflix). Composer credit appears in on-screen titles and trades.
• “Good Day” (Nappy Roots) doubles as an emotional epilogue and a marketing-friendly earworm.
• Alicia Keys’ placement functions as the de facto “main title song,” though it predates the film.
• Independent guides (Vague Visages, SoundtrackI) documented placements within 24–48 hours of release.
• No retail “Original Motion Picture Score” has been announced as of now; select score suites circulate on YouTube from promotional materials.

Technical Info

• Title: End of the Road — Music from the Netflix Film
• Year: 2022
• Type: Needle-drops + original score (no commercial score album)
• Composer: Craig DeLeon
• Music Supervision: Derryck “Big Tank” Thornton Sr.; Aamina Gant
• Selected placements: “Where Do We Go from Here” (Alicia Keys); “Pain in My Heart” (Otis Redding); “Start a Riot” (DUCKWRTH feat. Shaboozey); “Good Day” (Nappy Roots); “Teleport” (Etta Bond)
• Original song: “All of Us (Memphis)” — FLAVe feat. Drey Skonie (digital single)
• Release context: Netflix global streaming premiere Sept 9, 2022
• Availability notes: All songs available on major DSPs; score unreleased commercially.
• Studios/Dist.: 42; Edmonds Entertainment; Flavor Unit Entertainment; Serendipity Productions; Netflix

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Vague Visages; SoundtrackI; Filmmusicreporter; Variety; The New York Times; Metacritic; IMDb; Wikipedia.

November, 09th 2025