"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

How do you score a puzzle that keeps explaining itself while hiding something obvious? Nathan Johnson’s answer is sleight of hand: bright, European-tinged themes for the caper exterior, and interlocking motifs that “steal” from one another when the story does. The songs—Beatles, Bowie, Bee Gees, Parliament—arrive as winks or weapons, never wallpaper.

The official score album, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film), was released by Netflix Music on November 25, 2022, with 27 tracks. A Netflix/Apple “official playlist” collects the licensed cuts used on screen (Beatles’ “Glass Onion” closes the film; Bowie’s “Star” and “Starman,” Bee Gees “To Love Somebody,” Nat King Cole “Mona Lisa,” and more). Trusted references: Wikipedia’s soundtrack entry (album/date/label), Spotify/YouTube official album playlists, and Radio Times/TheWrap track rundowns.

Genres & Themes

• Orchestral mystery with 60s/70s glamour — Johnson nods to Nino Rota/John Barry: lyrical main theme, harpsichord touches, brass swells; elegance with a grin.
• String-quartet set pieces — chamber cues (“String Quartet in B♭ minor”) act like escape-room locks: clean mechanics, dramatic click.
• Classic pop/rock needle-drops — Beatles, Bowie, Bee Gees, Parliament, Little River Band; used for irony, character peacocking, and punchline timing.
• Diegetic stingers — in-world performances (Edward Norton strumming “Blackbird”), the hourly “dong” voice cue, stereo-source tracks.

Tracks & Scenes

"Fugue in G minor, BWV 578 'Little'" — J. S. Bach (Tatiana Nikolayeva)
Scene: Opens the movie (00:00), introducing the puzzle-box mood before the calls begin; non-diegetic.
Why it matters: signals rules, not vibes; contrapuntal order before chaos.

"Mothership Connection (Star Child)" — Parliament
Scene: Early split-screen hustle and Birdie’s world (≈00:02); non-diegetic montage energy.
Why it matters: brash funk frames the “disruptors” as brand-first.

"Bach’s Music Box — 'Little' Fugue in G minor" — Brandon Frankenfield
Scene: Puzzle-box chatter and Yo-Yo Ma’s cameo explanation (≈00:07); largely diegetic-adjacent.
Why it matters: cheeky classical remix—form explained inside the film.

"Blackbird" — The Beatles (performed on guitar by Edward Norton)
Scene: Miles casually plays it as guests arrive (≈00:19); diegetic performance.
Why it matters: rich-man flex with borrowed profundity; a clue about appropriation.

"Hourly Dong" — written/performed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Scene: Chimes throughout the island stay (first heard ≈00:23); diegetic motif.
Why it matters: the island itself gets a “theme”—and a running joke.

"Under the Bridge" — Red Hot Chili Peppers
Scene: Poolside hang as Blanc arrives (≈00:28); source-leaning.
Why it matters: melancholy anthem reduced to background—status games drown sincerity.

"To Love Somebody" — Bee Gees
Scene: Post-arrival transitions and bedroom politics (≈00:39); non-diegetic.
Why it matters: aching classic underlines private compromise.

"Take Me Home, Country Roads" — Toots & The Maytals
Scene: Mid-game pivot with alerts and alibis (≈00:53); non-diegetic/source blend.
Why it matters: comfort song used to misdirect.

"Star" — David Bowie
Scene: Miles cranks it to dance with Birdie (≈00:57); diegetic party needle-drop.
Why it matters: this guy’s hero narrative is as subtle as glitter—on purpose.

"Starman" — David Bowie
Scene: Flashback reveal (≈01:19); non-diegetic.
Why it matters: prophecy vibe for a past choice that haunts the present.

"Cool Change" — Little River Band
Scene: Helen regroups and apologizes to Derol (≈01:40); source on stereo.
Why it matters: yacht-rock calm before arson-level catharsis.

"Mona Lisa" — Nat King Cole
Scene: Fire sequence and art disaster (≈02:06); non-diegetic/counterpoint.
Why it matters: on-the-nose title used as a knife—icy irony.

"Glass Onion" — The Beatles
Scene: End credits (≈02:11).
Why it matters: title song finally arrives; a meta-joke about over-reading clues… in a whodunnit.

Score highlights — Nathan Johnson
Examples: “Theme from Glass Onion,” “The Puzzle Box,” “Andi’s Theme,” “String Quartet in B♭ minor,” “Burnt,” “Disruption,” “Theme… Revisited.”
Scene use: character-leitmotif swaps, the mid-film structural “peel,” and the cathartic quartet explosion.
Why it matters: motifs migrate between characters; the music does what the plot brags about.

Music–Story Links

• Appropriation as motif: Miles’ diegetic “Blackbird” telegraphs how he borrows glow he didn’t earn; later needle-drops keep exposing the gap between image and truth.
• Quartet = mechanism: the B♭-minor piece works like gears turning; when the scheme is exposed, the quartet detonates emotionally.
• Metatextual end-credits: “Glass Onion” (Beatles) literalizes the film’s gag—layers that are see-through if you stop peacocking.
• Island as character: the hourly bell (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) keeps time in-world while Blanc and Helen keep time in story.

How It Was Made

Composer: Nathan Johnson. He wrote on location in Greece during principal photography, then recorded a ~70-piece orchestra at Abbey Road. The sequel’s tone target—“fun, romantic” mystery—leans into classic murder-holiday scores; Johnson cites that vibe while keeping his Knives Out motif logic intact. Vanity Fair previewed the “puzzle box” writing; IndieWire/TheWrap ran craft interviews.

Reception & Quotes

Trade coverage praised the opulent main theme and the quartet’s payoffs; critics also noted the savvy Beatles/Bowie needle-drops.

“Playful, mysterious, and exciting.” Below the Line (via Wikipedia reception roundup)

“Luscious, swooning… increasingly jagged as the mystery develops.” Dexerto (summarized in Wikipedia reception)

Album availability and sequencing are verified on Spotify and Netflix/YouTube official channels.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Nathan Johnson (also scored Knives Out).

When did the album release, and on what label?

November 25, 2022 on Netflix Music (27 tracks).

Is the Beatles’ “Glass Onion” actually in the movie?

Yes—plays over the end credits.

Who voices the island’s hourly chime?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

What’s the standout chamber cue?

“String Quartet in B♭ minor”—a structural and emotional hinge.

Any notable pop placements in scenes?

Bowie’s “Star” (party dance), Nat King Cole’s “Mona Lisa” (fire sequence), Bee Gees “To Love Somebody” (intimate transition), Parliament’s “Mothership Connection” (early montage).

Notes & Trivia

• The licensed set ranges from Bach to Bowie to Bee Gees; Netflix published an “official playlist.”
• Two Beatles cues appear: “Blackbird” (played on-screen) and “Glass Onion” (end credits).
• Music supervisor credit: Julie Glaze Houlihan.
• The “hourly dong” is an in-joke cameo; in-film it’s said to be by Philip Glass, but the voice is Gordon-Levitt.
• String quartet writing is a direct cousin to the first film’s G-minor opener—here transposed and emotionally re-aimed.

Additional Info

• Album availability: streaming (Spotify/YouTube—official uploads) under Netflix Music.
• Scene timestamps: reliable time-coded breakdowns place key songs at ≈00:02 (“Mothership Connection”), 00:19 (“Blackbird”), 00:57 (“Star”), 02:11 (“Glass Onion”).
• Trailer music: marketing used library/vendor material (e.g., Elephant Music) plus elements of the title theme.
• Function split: pop signals excess and ego; the score delivers plot, perspective, and payoffs.
• Verification anchors: Radio Times and TheWrap list all songs; IndieWire/Vanity Fair cover score craft; Wikipedia consolidates album facts.

Technical Info

• Title: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film)
• Year: 2022 (film & album)
• Type: Original score + licensed songs in film
• Composer: Nathan Johnson
• Recorded: 2021–2022; orchestra at Abbey Road
• Label: Netflix Music
• Music supervision: Julie Glaze Houlihan
• Selected notable placements: “Blackbird” (diegetic); “Star” / “Starman” (party/flashback); “Mona Lisa” (fire sequence); “To Love Somebody”; “Mothership Connection”; end-credits “Glass Onion.”

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Radio Times; TheWrap; IndieWire; Vanity Fair; Wikipedia; Spotify/YouTube official album playlists.

November, 09th 2025