"English Teacher, The" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"The English Teacher (Original Score & Songs)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What happens when a prim small-town teacher mounts an angst-ridden student play? The soundtrack answers with a dry smile: spry indie cuts collide with wry musical-theatre needle-drops and a poised, lightly romantic score. Composer Rob Simonsen threads piano-led textures and warm ensemble writing between sharp, contemporary songs, keeping the film’s tone buoyant even as reputations wobble.

Pop selections (The Vaccines, Man Man, Silver Jews, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) provide energy and irony around rehearsals and personal missteps, while a brief Sondheim moment — performed in-story — underlines the film’s love of the stage. It’s not a wall-to-wall mixtape; rather, a handful of pointed cues nudge scenes toward humor or ruefulness without drowning the dialogue. (Verified composer credit: Film Music Reporter; music supervision credit appears on The Numbers cast/crew listing.)

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Rob Simonsen composed the original score.

Is there an official soundtrack album?

No commercial “songs from the film” album is documented; a standalone score album has not been publicly issued as of 2025.

What song is performed from Sondheim, and by whom?

“Putting It Together” is performed briefly in-story, with a snippet by Nathan Lane during rehearsal material.

Which notable needle-drops appear?

“Norgaard” (The Vaccines), “Whalebones” (Man Man), “Suffering Jukebox” (Silver Jews), and “People Ain’t No Good” (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds).

Who handled music supervision?

Linda Cohen is credited as music supervisor.

Does the film use diegetic music (heard by the characters)?

Yes. The Sondheim excerpt is diegetic (performed within rehearsal). Most indie cuts are non-diegetic scene-setters.

Where can I confirm song credits?

Song credits appear on the film’s soundtrack listings and on IMDb’s “Soundtracks” page.

Notes & Trivia

• The picture premiered at Tribeca in April 2013; reviews repeatedly mention its stage-savvy tone and classroom farce DNA (Variety).
• Nathan Lane’s on-screen Sondheim snippet is acknowledged in home-video tech notes and reviews.
• Song count is small but curated; several listings show five principal non-score tracks.
• Linda Cohen’s supervision credit aligns with her long run of prestige indie placements.
• Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ “People Ain’t No Good” aligns with the film’s bittersweet pivot after scandal.

Genres & Themes

Indie rock & blog-era pop — quick cuts like “Norgaard” supply snap and youthful restlessness around hallways and rehearsal prep, cueing the students’ verve against Linda’s rigid routines.

Alt-folk / Americana tinge — “Suffering Jukebox” brings hangdog humor, shading adult disappointment with a shrug rather than melodrama.

Art-rock noir — “People Ain’t No Good” drops a sobering, reflective veil over consequences; its moral chill suits the film’s mid-act reckoning.

Broadway meta — Sondheim’s “Putting It Together” literalizes the production theme: mounting art is logistics, egos, compromises — exactly Linda’s problem.

Tracks & Scenes

Note on timing: precise timestamps vary by cut and platform; placements below are consolidated from soundtrack credits and home-video notes. Where exact minute marks are uncertain, we flag them accordingly.

“Putting It Together” — Stephen Sondheim; performed in-film by Nathan Lane
Scene: Rehearsal montage/multi-panel sequence inside the school production (mid-film; diegetic). Brief performance snippet used to underline the theatre-making hustle.
Why it matters: It’s a witty meta-needle-drop — the lyric literally describes corralling a show, mirroring Linda and Carl’s scramble.

“Norgaard” — The Vaccines
Scene: High-tempo school corridors / prep montage (approx. early act; non-diegetic; exact time varies).
Why it matters: A burst of youthful swagger that punctures Linda’s careful order with unruly student energy.

“Whalebones” — Man Man
Scene: Transitional montage around staging or town beats (approx. mid-film; non-diegetic; time unconfirmed).
Why it matters: Off-kilter percussion and yelps amplify the film’s screwball edges without tipping into chaos.

“Suffering Jukebox” — Silver Jews
Scene: After a professional/personal setback (late-mid film; non-diegetic; time unconfirmed).
Why it matters: Deadpan melancholy deepens the comedy with a twinge of regret.

“People Ain’t No Good” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Scene: Reflective aftermath sequence or credits-adjacent (late film; non-diegetic; time unconfirmed).
Why it matters: A sober moral curtain — stern, humane, and slightly stinging — that fits the consequences the story courts.

Music–Story Links

• Ambition vs. propriety: Sondheim’s “Putting It Together” literalizes the price of “getting it on” — in show terms and in the ethical bind Linda creates for herself.
• Generational friction: “Norgaard” and “Whalebones” tilt scenes toward student POV — faster, brasher, less rule-bound than Linda’s bookish frame.
• Private reckoning: “Suffering Jukebox” reads like Linda’s unspoken self-assessment; the joke lands because the song refuses melodrama.
• Moral hangover: “People Ain’t No Good” ends the flirtation with romanticism and restores the film’s cool realism.

How It Was Made

Composer: Rob Simonsen was attached during post-production; his cueing leans on intimate piano, small ensemble color, and light rhythmic beds to keep dialogue front and center.

Music supervision: Linda Cohen guided needle-drops and licensing, balancing modest indie cuts with one strategic Broadway excerpt.

Editorial: The rehearsal montage accommodates the Sondheim snippet in-story, avoiding source-cue bloat and preserving comic timing.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response was mixed, but several reviews singled out the cast chemistry and stage-world flavor. (Confirmation: Variety, Rotten Tomatoes.)

“An affable if familiar high-school comedy populated by bright pupils, badly behaved teachers and amateur theatricals.” Scott Foundas, Variety

“A screwball comedy that could have been screwier… as interesting for its cast as its content.” Wall Street Journal (via top critics)

“Pleasant… an ingratiating little comedy that aims to please and succeeds at its modest goal.” TheWrap

Album availability: no widely released commercial album is documented; track credits are verifiable via IMDb’s “Soundtracks” and consolidated soundtrack listings.

Additional Info

• World premiere: Tribeca Film Festival, April 26, 2013.
• U.S. release: limited theatrical in May 2013; home video in September 2013.
• The Sondheim excerpt is diegetic, performed within rehearsal; its brevity avoids mechanical-rights bloat on the mix.
• Indie tracks skew 2000s blog-rock/alt; their sparing use concentrates impact.
• Song lists are short by design; the score carries pacing and tone between comedic beats.
• For song verification, cross-check IMDb “Soundtracks” and curated databases.

Technical Info

• Title: The English Teacher (soundtrack overview)
• Year: 2013
• Type: Feature film — romantic comedy-drama
• Score composer: Rob Simonsen
• Music supervision: Linda Cohen
• Selected placements: “Norgaard” — The Vaccines; “Whalebones” — Man Man; “Suffering Jukebox” — Silver Jews; “People Ain’t No Good” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds; “Putting It Together” — Stephen Sondheim (snippet performed by Nathan Lane)
• Release context: Tribeca premiere (Apr 2013); U.S. limited theatrical (May 2013); home video (Sep 2013)
• Album status: No official compilation of songs confirmed; score album not publicly issued
• Distributors: Tribeca Film / Cinedigm
• Runtime: ~93 minutes

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Relation	Object
Rob Simonsen	composed score for	The English Teacher (2013)
Linda Cohen	music-supervised	The English Teacher (2013)
Nathan Lane	performed snippet of	“Putting It Together” (Stephen Sondheim)
The Vaccines	performed	“Norgaard” (used in film)
Man Man	performed	“Whalebones” (used in film)
Silver Jews	performed	“Suffering Jukebox” (used in film)
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds	performed	“People Ain’t No Good” (used in film)
Craig Zisk	directed	The English Teacher (2013)
Tribeca Film / Cinedigm	distributed	The English Teacher (2013)

Sources: Variety; The Numbers; IMDb; Blu-ray.com; Ringostrack; Film Music Reporter; Wikipedia.

November, 09th 2025

The English Teacher is a 2013 American romantic comedy film directed by Craig Zisk. Learn more on Wikipedia.org and IMDb.com

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