"Forgetting Sarah Marshall" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What sounds funnier: a breakup scored by a Hawaiian cover of “Nothing Compares 2 U,” or a Dracula puppet ballad that actually lands? The Forgetting Sarah Marshall soundtrack does both. It threads sunlit island pop with send-ups of rock-star ego, then caps it with a sincere, dorky show tune that becomes the hero’s spine.

Composer Lyle Workman’s score keeps out of the way so needle drops and diegetic performances can drive the jokes. The album (Verve Forecast) blends pop cuts (Cake, Belle & Sebastian) with in-world music: Aldous Snow’s ridiculous anthems and bar-band covers. The result is functional storytelling disguised as a hangout playlist. (Credits: Variety.) Apple Music and Spotify list 16 album tracks; the film itself uses roughly double that, many not on the OST.

Questions & Answers

Who wrote the score and who supervised the songs?

Lyle Workman composed the score; Jonathan Karp served as music supervisor (also music editor). (Credits: Variety; Metacritic credits.)

Are the funniest songs actually “in-world”?

Yes. Aldous Snow’s “Inside of You” and Peter’s “Dracula’s Lament” are performed on screen—purely diegetic.

What label released the soundtrack album?

Verve Forecast (2008). (Retail listings confirm label and year.)

How many tracks are on the official album vs. the movie?

Album: 16 tracks (Spotify/Apple). Movie: ~33 cues when counting source songs and diegetic numbers.

Which songs show up in trailers but not on the album?

Previews used cuts by Eric Carmen, Blondie, and Kenny Loggins—promo-only; not part of the OST.

What’s that Hawaiian “Nothing Compares 2 U” at the end?

A Hawaiian-language cover by The Coconutz plays over the credits; it’s on the OST.

Is Infant Sorrow real?

Fictional in this film, later spun off in Get Him to the Greek with a full “band” album.

Notes & Trivia

• The opening minutes stack three different sources: TV audio, bar source music, and a pop needle drop—fast world-building through sound.
• Peter’s bar performance of “Dracula’s Lament” is the story’s first real emotional win; the joke song changes his arc.
• The soundtrack leans local: IZ (Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole) cues, Brothers Cazimero, and reggae-skank entries (Desmond Dekker, Pepper).
• “Inside of You” is performed live in-restaurant; the awkwardness is the point.
• IMDb’s soundtrack page is unusually complete for a 2000s studio comedy—handy for cross-checking non-album cuts.

Genres & Themes

Island standards & local pop = place and pace. Resort playlists (IZ, Brothers Cazimero) mark time passing and Peter’s mood stabilizing. Indie and alt-pop (Belle & Sebastian, Frank Black) = self-aware melancholy; lyrics do character diagnosis without speechifying. Parody rock (Infant Sorrow) = Aldous’s narcissism set to arena tropes. NOVELTY / stage-song (“Dracula’s Lament”) = comic reveal that doubles as character therapy. Reggae/ska detours (Desmond Dekker, Pepper) = beach texture that keeps the tone buoyant even when the scenes sting.

Tracks & Scenes

"Love You Madly" — CAKE
Where it plays: 0:00, over the very start; scene-setting as Peter’s routine unravels. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Upbeat irony against sudden humiliation.

"Move Your Feet" — Junior Senior
Where it plays: ~0:01 during an Access Hollywood segment. Diegetic (TV audio).
Why it matters: Media noise frames Sarah’s fame before we meet her.

"We've Got to Do Something" — Infant Sorrow (Aldous Snow)
Where it plays: ~0:02 on TV; quick cut of Aldous’s activism anthem. Diegetic broadcast.
Why it matters: Establishes his persona so later serenades land harder.

"Character" — Van Hunt
Where it plays: ~0:05 in a bar while Peter drinks with Brian. Source (bar speakers).
Why it matters: Smooth R&B tempers the early pity-party.

"F***ing Boyfriend" — The Bird and the Bee
Where it plays: ~0:07 as the guys chat up strangers. Likely source music.
Why it matters: Glossy electro-pop underlines performative rebound energy.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" — Sinéad O’Connor
Where it plays: ~0:13 while Peter burns photos at home. Diegetic (mixtape).
Why it matters: On-the-nose, yes—and funny because Peter chose it.

"Ka Huila Wai" — Israel Kamakawiwo‘ole
Where it plays: ~0:16 on arrival at the Oahu resort. Semi-diegetic ambience.
Why it matters: Immediate sense of place; the pace slows with the ukulele swing.

"Playa Azul" — Los Amigos Invisibles
Where it plays: ~0:26 at the bar. Source music.
Why it matters: Cocktail-scene lubricant that keeps dialogue breezy.

"The Muppet Show Theme" — Henson/Henson
Where it plays: ~0:28 when Peter noodles at the keys. Diegetic.
Why it matters: Seeds the puppet-opera reveal without flagging it.

"Inside of You" — Russell Brand (as Aldous Snow)
Where it plays: ~0:41, Aldous serenades Sarah mid-dinner on the restaurant stage. Diegetic performance; a few minutes on screen.
Why it matters: Weaponized intimacy. The joke is the sincerity—and Peter’s discomfort.

"More Than Words" — Aloha Sex Juice
Where it plays: ~0:47 by the house band; Peter and Rachel in the room. Diegetic cover.
Why it matters: Cheesy-romantic cover that lets the leads breathe.

"Dracula’s Lament" — Jason Segel
Where it plays: ~0:50 on the bar’s small stage, keyboard + deadpan vocals. Diegetic; ~2 minutes excerpted.
Why it matters: A punchline that turns into a turning point—Peter shares his real voice.

"Amber" — 311
Where it plays: ~0:53 in-bar after Peter and Rachel’s date. Source music.
Why it matters: Chill wash to cool a tentative romance.

"You Can’t Break a Heart and Have It" — Frank Black
Where it plays: ~1:08 during a surf-wipeout stretch. Non-diegetic montage.
Why it matters: Wry lyric mirrors Peter’s pratfalls.

"Heavy Lifting" — Ambulance Ltd.
Where it plays: ~1:12 around the “you cheated” reveal. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Indie melancholy for a hard admission.

"Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying" — Belle & Sebastian
Where it plays: ~1:30 at a pool-wedding; heard via Aldous’s iPod. Diegetic.
Why it matters: The title says it; a gag that also reads emotional temperature.

"Stone Love" — Pepper
Where it plays: Beach-hang texture (late-act). Source vibe.
Why it matters: Local reggae-surf color—keeps the comedy buoyant.

"Nothing Compares 2 U" — The Coconutz (Hawaiian version)
Where it plays: Over the end credits. Non-diegetic cover.
Why it matters: A bittersweet wink: same breakup theme, new harmony.

Trailer note: U.S. trailers also used cuts by Eric Carmen, Blondie, and Kenny Loggins (promo use; not on the album).

Music–Story Links

Peter’s first honest self-expression is a joke song—“Dracula’s Lament”—and that irony is the point: comedy unlocks vulnerability. Aldous’s “Inside of You” shows power dynamics in public, so later when Peter performs, the dynamic flips. Resort source music (IZ, Brothers Cazimero) acts like a pressure valve: the lighter the ambience, the more the script can push discomfort. When “Get Me Away from Here, I’m Dying” pops from Aldous’s iPod, the title reads as his meta-comment; it’s also Peter’s mood in one line.

How It Was Made

Workman’s score is sparse by design; jokes and source cues do the heavy lifting. Music supervisor Jonathan Karp wrangled rights and tone, coordinating with Workman and Jason Segel on original material (including the Aldous Snow catalog bits). Metacritic’s credits also list Kathy Nelson as Universal’s executive in charge of music and Steve Bartek as orchestra conductor.

The OST packaging settles on Verve Forecast; retail and catalog listings match. According to IMDb’s soundtrack log and album documentation, several high-profile tracks in the film never made the album (The Smiths, 311, Ambulance Ltd., Los Amigos Invisibles) but remain crucial in-scene.

Reception & Quotes

“Segel makes an engaging impression… gamely making himself the butt of many jokes.” Variety

“Rip-roaringly fun and surprisingly touching.” Rolling Stone

“A beautiful blend of classic pop with Hawaiian takes—capped by a killer ‘Nothing Compares 2 U.’” The Independent Critic

The film’s staying power keeps the album alive on streaming. Critics often single out the diegetic songs—especially “Dracula’s Lament”—as the parts that lodge in memory.

Additional Info

• Album availability: digital (16 tracks). Spotify and Apple Music carry the same running order.
• Soundtrack-only artists include Aloha Sex Juice and The Coconutz—both diegetic in the bar/credits.
• Some resort cues (IZ; Brothers Cazimero) appear in film but not on the OST.
• “Inside of You” and “We’ve Got to Do Something” seeded the later Get Him to the Greek spin-off’s Infant Sorrow catalog.
• Trailer music (Blondie, Eric Carmen, Kenny Loggins) differs from album sequencing.
• Scene-by-scene timestamps for 30+ cues exist via independent soundtrack trackers.
• IMDb’s soundtrack page is useful to verify non-album placements.

Technical Info

• Title: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2008 (album release April 22, 2008)
• Type: Feature film soundtrack (compilation + original songs) with light original score
• Composer: Lyle Workman
• Music supervision: Jonathan Karp (Executive in charge of music: Kathy Nelson)
• Key diegetic highlights: “Inside of You” (Aldous Snow), “Dracula’s Lament” (Peter), “More Than Words” (Aloha Sex Juice), “Nothing Compares 2 U” (The Coconutz)
• Label: Verve Forecast (OST)
• Editions/availability: Single-disc/digital; 16 tracks on major DSPs
• Not-in-OST but in-film (selected): “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” (The Smiths), “Amber” (311), “Heavy Lifting” (Ambulance Ltd.), “Playa Azul” (Los Amigos Invisibles)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Variety; Apple Music; Spotify; IMDb soundtrack/credits; Wikipedia; SoundtrackRadar; The Independent Critic; Rolling Stone.

November, 09th 2025