"Expendables, The" Soundtrack Lyrics

"The Expendables: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What does “old-school mercenary mayhem” sound like in 2010? Brian Tyler answers with a throwback-meets-modern action score—brass fanfares, snare/tom batteries, knife-edged ostinatos—then lets classic rock needle-drops swagger through bars, planes, and end credits. The result: a film that flexes two identities at once, hard-charging orchestral muscle and jukebox grit.

The album is a pure score listen running ~71 minutes; the movie itself layers in Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mountain, Thin Lizzy, and more for color and irony. Trusted source: Apple Music confirms the 20-track digital release and ℗ Lions Gate Records; trusted source: Discogs documents UK/physical pressings; trusted source: Wikipedia consolidates personnel and additional-music notes.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score, and how does it sound?

Brian Tyler; big brass, hammered percussion, propulsive strings, with lyrical respites like “Lee and Lacy.”

When did the score album release, and on which labels?

August 10, 2010. Digital via Lions Gate Records; UK physical via Silva Screen (SILCD1339).

Are the rock songs on the album?

No. The retail album is score-only; the film’s classic rock cues are licensed cuts.

What’s the end-credits song?

“The Boys Are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy (a live variant is widely reported for the film/TV spots).

What music shows up in marketing vs. the film?

Shinedown’s “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)” drives trailers; Sully Erna’s “Sinner’s Prayer” and “Diamond Eyes” appear in the Extended Director’s Cut.

Any regional differences?

Japan promoted with Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s “Kizuna” as an image song.

Who supervised music?

Gary L. Krause and Selena Arizanovic are credited on the film’s music team.

Notes & Trivia

• Score album length: 71:41; 20 cues; pure Brian Tyler program.
• Physical UK CD issued by Silva Screen (SILCD1339); U.S. digital under Lions Gate Records.
• Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back in Town” rolls over the closing credits.
• Extended Director’s Cut integrates Sully Erna’s “Sinner’s Prayer” and Shinedown’s “Diamond Eyes.”
• Japan’s campaign used Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s “Kizuna” as an image song.

Genres & Themes

Hybrid orchestral action: battery-heavy percussion + brass fanfares = team competence and kinetic momentum. String ostinatos glue the set pieces.

Classic rock needle-drops: CCR, Mountain, Thin Lizzy, Georgia Satellites = blue-collar swagger, road-dust texture, and a wink during breathers.

Blues/lyric interludes in the score: guitar-led cues (“Lee and Lacy”) humanize bruisers between missions.

Tracks & Scenes

Placements verified from liner/press sources and scene-ID trackers; timings are approximate by Blu-ray cut where noted.

“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” — The Georgia Satellites
Where it plays: Return flight after the opening Gulf of Aden mission; heard in the plane, source-like.
Why it matters: A good-time palate cleanser that bonds the crew after a violent opener.

“Keep On Chooglin’” — Creedence Clearwater Revival
Where it plays: Tool rides into his tattoo parlor with Cheyenne; bar radio ambience (diegetic).
Why it matters: Swamp-boogie texture that fits Tool’s grease, ink, and memory-soaked monologue space.

“Mississippi Queen” — Mountain
Where it plays: Second cockpit run toward Vilena; low-in-mix source while Ross and Christmas talk.
Why it matters: A tough, road-tested riff underscoring veterans on another “milk run.”

“Born on the Bayou” — Creedence Clearwater Revival
Where it plays: At Tool’s near the end; warm barroom background during the coda.
Why it matters: Nostalgic, humid mood as the team decompresses and takes stock.

“The Boys Are Back in Town” — Thin Lizzy
Scene: End credits; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: The most on-the-nose franchise statement possible—and the crowd loves it.

“Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)” — Shinedown
Where it plays: Theatrical trailers; not in the 2010 theatrical cut (used in Extended Director’s Cut).
Why it matters: A marketing anthem that became part of the later home-video identity.

“Sinner’s Prayer” — Sully Erna
Where it plays: Extended Director’s Cut opening credits; absent from the 2010 theatrical release.
Why it matters: A moody, spiritual opener that reframes the film’s tone for that cut.

Score spotlights (album cues):
“The Gulf of Aden” — Brian Tyler — large-scale opener for the pirate extraction; parade-snare build to explosive brass.
“Giant with a Shotgun” — Brian Tyler — heavy action set-piece ostinato commonly associated with Caesar’s hallway carnage.
“Lee and Lacy” — Brian Tyler — blues-tinged respite cue for the Christmas/Lacy subplot.

Music–Story Links

• Veteran camaraderie via jukebox rock: CCR and Georgia Satellites make downtime feel lived-in, not just filler.
• Mythic heroism via fanfares: Tyler’s brass surges brand every montage and breach as a victory parade for mercenaries.
• End-credits catharsis: Thin Lizzy’s chorus turns roll-call credits into a curtain-call chant.

How It Was Made

Tyler recorded with a large European orchestra (Czech Philharmonic credited) and mixed the score with veteran engineer Bobby Fernandez. Orchestrations came from a deep bench (Andrew Kinney, Robert Elhai, Dana Niu, Tony Morales, Matt Margeson and others). Music supervision is credited to Gary L. Krause and Selena Arizanovic. Trusted source: Wikipedia consolidates the personnel; trusted source: AllMusic backs album details.

Reception & Quotes

Critics split: many praised the throwback punch; a few called it over-amped. The film’s cheeky oldies earned nods for contrast.

“One of the finest scores for an action movie.” Den of Geek

“Tyler succeeds in bringing a bit more depth.” Filmtracks

“Score too often reaches for bombast.” The Hollywood Reporter

“Temp-sounding… beats its drums and blows its horns.” Variety

Additional Info

• U.S. digital release: Lions Gate Records (Aug 10, 2010); UK CD: Silva Screen (Sept 2010 ship).
• UPC for UK CD often listed as 73857213392; catalog SILCD1339.
• Trailer cuts also featured Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City.”
• Several cues (“The Gulf of Aden,” “Giant with a Shotgun”) became franchise sonics that Tyler evolved in Parts 2–3.
• Album producer credit: Selena Arizanovic.
• Japan promo used Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi’s “Kizuna” as an image tie-in.

Technical Info

• Title: The Expendables: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Year: 2010
• Type: Film score (album); film also features licensed classic-rock songs
• Composer: Brian Tyler
• Performers: Czech Philharmonic (credited)
• Music Supervision: Gary L. Krause; Selena Arizanovic
• Labels: Lions Gate Records (digital); Silva Screen Records (UK physical)
• Selected on-screen placements: Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands to Yourself” • CCR “Keep On Chooglin’” • Mountain “Mississippi Queen” • CCR “Born on the Bayou” • Thin Lizzy “The Boys Are Back in Town” • Shinedown “Diamond Eyes” (trailers/Extended Cut) • Sully Erna “Sinner’s Prayer” (Extended Cut)
• Availability: Streaming (Apple Music/Spotify) and physical CD (region-specific)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music; Spotify; Discogs; Wikipedia (EN/DE); AllMusic; Den of Geek; Filmtracks; SoundtrackINFO; PopApostle.

November, 09th 2025