"Henry Poole Is Here" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Henry Poole Is Here (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

What does quiet faith sound like in a Southern California tract house? This soundtrack answers with a humane mix of indie rock, singer-songwriter pieces, and a few canon classics—songs that feel like they’re coming from radios, bedrooms, and the edges of memory. The 2008 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was issued by Lakeshore Records and features Eels, The Bravery, Badly Drawn Boy, Joshua Radin, Golden State, Brandon Heath, and more.

Composer John Frizzell provides the original score (released separately in 2009, also on Lakeshore), while source cues frame Henry’s stubborn nihilism against neighbors who insist on seeing hope in a wall stain. Several placements are memorable: Eels’ “Love of the Loveless,” Joshua Radin’s “Only You,” Lisa Gerrard & Jeff Rona’s “On an Ocean,” and Bob Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet.” Baseline credits align across Lakeshore’s listings, Discogs, Apple Music, and film databases.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

John Frizzell. His standalone score album (20 tracks, ~37 minutes) was released by Lakeshore Records in 2009.

Who released the song soundtrack?

Lakeshore Records issued the 2008 songs compilation on CD; the label number is commonly listed as LKS 34007.

What notable artists are on the album?

Eels (“Love of the Loveless”), The Bravery (“Believe”), Badly Drawn Boy (“Promises”), Joshua Radin (“Only You”), Golden State (“All Roads Lead Home”), Helen Stellar (“IO (This Time Around)”), Brandon Heath (“I’m Not Who I Was”).

Is Bob Dylan actually used in the film?

Yes—“Not Dark Yet” appears (widely reported as a credits use).

What’s the “theme song” connection I heard about?

Ron Irizarry’s “Henry Poole Is Here” was selected via a public song contest around the film’s release and appears on the album.

Does the movie also use non-album cues?

Yes. Not every track heard (or licensed) appears on the commercial compilation; conversely the Frizzell score is a separate release.

Notes & Trivia

• The songs CD is typically cataloged as Lakeshore Records LKS 34007; UPN 7-8016-34007-2-4; U.S. release window late August/early September 2008.
• “IO (This Time Around)” is by Helen Stellar—often misspelled in listings; the track has appeared in multiple films.
• Lisa Gerrard & Jeff Rona’s “On an Ocean” scores a pair of emotional beats (wall destruction; a bedtime scene).
• The film also needles in Blur’s “Song 2.”
• Director Mark Pellington (known for music videos) leans hard into needle-drops as character subtext.

Genres & Themes

Indie/alt rock → Everyday ache: Eels, The Bravery, Badly Drawn Boy keep scenes small, interior, and human—less sermon, more shrug.

Singer-songwriter & folk-adjacent → Tender hinges: Joshua Radin’s “Only You” and Brandon Heath’s “I’m Not Who I Was” are used to telegraph fragile turns without melodrama.

Iconic catalog → Mortality & mercy: Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet” brings existential weight to the film’s closing mood.

Tracks & Scenes

“Love of the Loveless” — Eels
Where it plays: Early passages as Henry tries to withdraw from his neighbors (needle-drop).
Why it matters: Dry wit for a man committed to disengagement; the tone matches the film’s skeptical humor.

“Believe” — The Bravery
Where it plays: Montage-style connective tissue as attention around the wall grows (needle-drop).
Why it matters: Title and pulse underline the town’s rising need to find meaning.

“Promises” — Badly Drawn Boy
Where it plays: Quiet interstitials around Henry and Dawn’s tentative conversations (source/needle-drop).
Why it matters: A worn, hopeful melody to bridge two guarded people.

“Only You” — Joshua Radin
Where it plays: A gentle, intimate beat between Henry and Dawn/Millie (needle-drop).
Why it matters: Whispered arrangement that lets the actors’ faces do the work.

“All Roads Lead Home” — Golden State
Where it plays: Transitional exterior shots as the neighborhood descends on Henry’s house (needle-drop).
Why it matters: Title mirrors the film’s magnetic pull toward the wall and toward one another.

“IO (This Time Around)” — Helen Stellar
Where it plays: Mid-film momentum as Henry’s isolation is repeatedly interrupted (needle-drop).
Why it matters: Road-glow guitars that make change feel possible.

“Silhouette” — Alt-Ctrl-Sleep
Where it plays: Nighttime sequence near the backyard fence line (needle-drop).
Why it matters: A small, twilit cue that keeps the canvas intimate.

“I’m Not Who I Was” — Brandon Heath
Where it plays: After a key neighborly breakthrough (needle-drop).
Why it matters: The lyric dovetails with Henry’s reluctant thaw.

“On an Ocean” — Lisa Gerrard & Jeff Rona
Where it plays: Over Henry’s attempt to destroy the wall; also during a lullaby/bedtime beat with Millie (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Wordless, luminous—grief and awe in one texture; these are the film’s spiritual peaks.

“Not Dark Yet” — Bob Dylan
Where it plays: End credits.
Why it matters: A frank, mortal benediction that fits Henry’s arc.

“Henry Poole Is Here” — Ron Irizarry
Where it plays: Album cut associated with the film’s promotion and credits use in some editions.
Why it matters: Contest-selected theme that mirrors the plot’s turn from resignation to possibility.

Trusted reference points: Lakeshore Records, Discogs, Apple Music, and curated soundtrack databases.

Music–Story Links

When the wall becomes a pilgrimage site, the playlist shifts from ironic shrug (“Love of the Loveless”) to tentative openness (“Promises,” “Only You”). Gerrard & Rona’s cue meets Henry at his lowest impulse—destroy the icon—so that Dylan’s “Not Dark Yet” can send him out honestly changed, not magically erased. The songs don’t preach; they nudge.

How It Was Made

Director Mark Pellington (a veteran of music video storytelling) embraced needle-drops as character shading. Lakeshore issued the songs album in 2008 (CD), then Frizzell’s score in 2009 (digital/CD). Music department credits list multiple supervisors and a Czech scoring orchestra for the Frizzell cues; the score track titles (“Holy Shoulder,” “Millie Runs!,” “Henry and Dawn”) trace the narrative cleanly.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews split on the film but routinely mentioned the wall-to-wall music—some seeing “pop songs with strained significance,” others appreciating the gentle tone.

“Full of … pop songs presented with strained significance.” Wikipedia summary of critical consensus

“It is a spiritual movie … belief is real.” Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times (via widely cited excerpts)

Availability: the 2008 songs CD is findable via retailers and second-hand outlets; the 2009 score album streams on Apple Music/Spotify.

Additional Info

• Label & cat. no. (songs): Lakeshore Records, LKS 34007; UPN 7-8016-34007-2-4.
• Running time (songs CD): ~54 minutes.
• Score album: 20 tracks; ~37 minutes; Lakeshore (2009).
• Some listings misspell Helen Stellar; correct artist is Helen Stellar and the track is “IO (This Time Around).”
• The film also uses Blur’s “Song 2” in-world (non-album).

Technical Info

• Title (songs): Henry Poole Is Here — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Year: 2008 (songs); 2009 (score)
• Type: Film soundtrack (songs compilation) + separate film score
• Composer (score): John Frizzell
• Label(s): Lakeshore Records (songs & score)
• Selected placements: “On an Ocean” (wall/bedtime scenes); “Not Dark Yet” (end credits); “Only You” (intimate beat); “Love of the Loveless” (early isolation); “Believe” (montage); “All Roads Lead Home” (pilgrimage swell)
• Trailer ID (figures): Mf97fnD3ed0

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Lakeshore Records; Discogs; Apple Music; SoundtrackCollector; MovieMusic; SoundtrackINFO; Wikipedia (film & credits); Metacritic credits page.

November, 10th 2025