"Gangster Squad" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Gangster Squad (Music From and Inspired By the Motion Picture)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

Period noir with a modern engine: the film leans on 1940s club songs for atmosphere while Steve Jablonsky’s score handles the muscle. The companion album curates crooner-era cuts (Peggy Lee, Hoagy Carmichael), covers (St. Vincent’s “Early Autumn”), and several “Gangster Squad Movie Band” performances that match the on-screen lounges.

Two official releases dropped January 8, 2013: the songs set from WaterTower Music, and a Varèse Sarabande score album by Jablonsky. The first plays like a night in Slapsy Maxie’s; the second is a taut crime-thriller score tailored to Mickey Cohen’s pressure-cooker world. Trusted sources: WaterTower Music and Apple Music confirm album contents and dates; Discogs and MusicBrainz document credits and supervisory roles.

Questions & Answers

Are there two different soundtrack albums?

Yes: a WaterTower songs compilation and a Varèse Sarabande score album by Steve Jablonsky (both January 8, 2013).

Who supervised the music?

Steven (Steve) Baker is credited as music supervisor; score production by Bob Badami and Jablonsky.

Was another composer attached first?

Carter Burwell was initially on the project in late 2011; Jablonsky replaced him in mid-2012.

What plays over the end credits?

“Bless You (For the Good That’s in You)” — the Peggy Lee & Mel Tormé 1949 duet; St. Vincent’s “Early Autumn” continues into the credits roll.

Are all film songs on the retail album?

No. Some period recordings heard in-film aren’t on the retail track list; conversely, a few album tracks function as “inspired by.”

What music is in the trailers?

The first trailer famously used Jay-Z’s “Oh My God” — a marketing needle-drop, not in the film.

Notes & Trivia

• The songs album mixes vintage masters (Hoagy Carmichael, Peggy Lee) and new studio covers recorded as the “Gangster Squad Movie Band.”
• Jablonsky built a pulsing motif for Mickey Cohen — a deliberately “muted and understated” approach compared with his Transformers scores.
• Trailer marketing used Jay-Z’s “Oh My God”; it’s not on the soundtrack.
• End-credits duet “Bless You” is the 1949 Peggy Lee & Mel Tormé recording.
• Trusted sources named on this page include WaterTower Music, Varèse Sarabande/Apple Music, Film Music Reporter, Discogs, MusicBrainz.

Genres & Themes

• Late-’40s big band & lounge → social veneer; smoky civility masking rackets.
• Jump blues/boogie → kinetic raids and hustles; the squad’s smash-and-grab rhythm.
• Crooner ballads → romantic framing for Jerry–Grace scenes; irony against violence.
• Modern action-thriller score → percussive ostinatos, low brass pulses; institutional force vs. criminal empire.

Tracks & Scenes

Below: verified placements with timecodes (approx., hh:mm) pulled from public cue logs and scene breakdowns. Diegesis noted when evident on-screen.

"The Hills of California" – Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers
Scene: ~00:03, train station montage setting 1949 Los Angeles; establishes place and era. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: scene-setter that signals a polished, “old Hollywood” veneer before the grime.

"No Baby, Nobody But You" – Stan Kenton & June Christy
Scene: ~00:11, before the Slapsy Maxie’s sequence; venue background.
Why it matters: chic nightclub gloss for Cohen’s LA; source music texture.

"Mr. Five by Five" – Imelda May
Scene: ~00:12, Sgt. Wooters (Ryan Gosling) enters the bar; live-band vibe; diegetic/club.
Why it matters: snaps us into the room; pins Jerry’s first glide through the nightlife.

"Mr. Fool" – Dave Bartholomew
Scene: ~00:21, Jerry and Grace talk in bed; background playback.
Why it matters: softens the edges; classic R&B contour around their chemistry.

"Early Autumn" – The Gangster Squad Movie Band
Scene: ~00:23, John and Jerry talk at the bar; diegetic band.
Why it matters: smoky small-combo mood for squad politics off duty.

"Chicken Shack Boogie" – Delandis & The Gangster Squad Movie Band
Scene: ~00:24, club run where Coleman introduces a dealer; diegetic/club.
Why it matters: jump-blues energy underlines the sting set-up.

"Bull Fiddle Boogie" – Pee Wee King
Scene: ~00:33, in Mickey’s casino; source music in-house.
Why it matters: bright, bouncy contrast to the coercion on the floor.

"So Tired" – The Gangster Squad Movie Band
Scene: ~00:36, Mickey dances with Grace in the club; diegetic performance.
Why it matters: the public romance mask for a very private threat.

"A Little Bird Told Me" – Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
Scene: ~00:56, Jerry talks to Connie in the kitchen; radio-style source.
Why it matters: home-life hum cutting against the squad’s escalating brutality.

"Big Jay’s Hop" – Big Jay McNeely
Scene: ~00:58, montage — the squad wrecks Cohen’s rackets citywide; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: pure propulsion; the raids feel choreographed to the horn stabs.

"Chica Chica Boom Chic" – Sharmila Guha & The Gangster Squad Movie Band
Scene: ~01:06, club sequence as the gang torches cash and clears the floor; diegetic stage song.
Why it matters: carnival brightness flipped into menace — perfect irony.

"Ole Buttermilk Sky" – Hoagy Carmichael
Scene: ~01:32, Mickey at a hotel at night; attempted arrest sequence; source playback in space.
Why it matters: calm croon under a tightening vise.

"Bless You (For the Good That’s in You)" – Peggy Lee & Mel Tormé
Scene: ~01:43, end credits; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: an upbeat benediction after carnage — period-true and dissonantly sweet.

"Early Autumn" – St. Vincent
Scene: ~01:48, later portion of end credits; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: a modern, cool-jazz echo that bridges eras and the album’s concept.

Trailer cue: Jay-Z’s “Oh My God” over the first trailer (marketing only, not heard in-film).

Music–Story Links

Clubs double as battlefields, so diegetic bands (“Mr. Five by Five,” “So Tired”) become social armor for mob politics. Crooner cues wrap Jerry and Grace in sepia warmth, then Jablonsky’s percussion barges in for the raids (“Big Jay’s Hop” montage → score hit points), matching the squad’s illegal-but-moral brief. The end-credits duet reframes the violence with chipper optimism — a pointed, almost satirical aftertaste.

How It Was Made

Composer shift: Carter Burwell was announced in December 2011; by June 2012 Steve Jablonsky had taken over. The final score emphasizes restrained pulses over bombast, with a signature “weird” texture for Mickey Cohen.

Supervision & sourcing: Music supervisor Steven Baker cleared period recordings and commissioned in-world band takes credited to the “Gangster Squad Movie Band.” WaterTower’s album collects those alongside vintage sides and a contemporary cover by St. Vincent; Varèse Sarabande issued the score the same day.

Reception & Quotes

“Each fresh bloodletting [is] hyped by Steve Jablonsky’s score or peppy period tunes counterpoised for ironic effect.” Nick Pinkerton, Houston Press

“Don’t expect anything to suggest this is the music to a period piece… a contemporary thriller score.” James Southall, Movie Wave

A mix of praise for propulsion and critiques of modern action tropes marked the score’s reception. The songs album drew attention for its club-realistic covers and smart period picks.

Additional Info

• Albums dated January 8, 2013 (US); regional listings show late-January EU entries.
• “Bless You” crediting varies by retailer; the duet is historically Peggy Lee & Mel Tormé (1949).
• “Early Autumn” appears twice across formats: diegetic band version in-film; St. Vincent cover on album/credits.
• Some film-heard tracks aren’t on the album (e.g., Stan Kenton & June Christy’s “No Baby, Nobody But You”).
• Trailer marketing used contemporary hip-hop (Jay-Z) — a deliberate anachronism to punch through modern feeds.

Technical Info

• Title: Gangster Squad (Music From and Inspired By the Motion Picture)
• Year: 2013
• Type: Songs compilation; separate Original Motion Picture Score
• Composer (score): Steve Jablonsky
• Music Supervisor: Steven (Steve) Baker
• Labels: WaterTower Music (songs); Varèse Sarabande (score)
• Signature placements: “Mr. Five by Five” (bar entrance), “So Tired” (club dance), “Big Jay’s Hop” (raid montage), “Bless You” (end credits)
• Availability: Streaming and CD; official pages and digital stores list both albums

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: WaterTower Music; Varèse Sarabande/Apple Music; Film Music Reporter; Discogs; MusicBrainz; Houston Press; Movie Wave; SoundtrackRadar.

November, 09th 2025