"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" Soundtrack Lyrics

"I Love You Phillip Morris (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What does a con-man romance sound like when the cons keep getting bigger? This album splits the difference between tender torch, sly pop, and nimble score. Nick Urata (of DeVotchKa) threads whistling motifs, accordion, and light rhythm sections through needle-drops that swing from Wang Chung to Nina Simone. The result: a buoyant sound that never loses the ache.

The commercially released soundtrack is a compact 13-track set anchored by Urata’s cues (“Key West,” “The Escape Artist”) and character-revealing catalog picks (“To Love Somebody,” “Dance Hall Days”). According to Apple Music’s listing, the album was issued in 2009 under EuropaCorp / Because Music, with streaming editions also crediting Urata as album artist. A longer list of on-screen songs appears in film credits and databases, but this disc captures the film’s tonal spine.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Nick Urata composed the score; the album credits him on original cues and as album artist.

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes — a 13-track album combining Urata’s score with select songs (e.g., Nina Simone, Wang Chung, DeVotchKa).

What label released it?

EuropaCorp, distributed by Because Music on the 2009 release (digital/retail listings).

Does DeVotchKa appear?

Yes — “I Cried Like a Silly Boy” is included and frames Steven’s romantic idealism.

Are all film songs on the album?

No. The movie uses additional source music beyond the 13 tracks; the album focuses on narrative signposts.

Which single best sums up the film’s mood?

“To Love Somebody” (Nina Simone) — devotion with grit; it mirrors the lovers’ impossible vow.

Notes & Trivia

• Composer Nick Urata (DeVotchKa) blends folk instrumentation with chamber textures — a romantic caper palette.
• The retail album centers 13 tracks (~40 minutes); film credits list more cues than made the disc.
• “Dance Hall Days” (Wang Chung) adds glossy 80s warmth to Miami-era sequences.
• Spirituals (“Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”) and sacred choir pieces brush the prison setting with irony and empathy.
• One classical excerpt (“The Marriage of Figaro”) is used as comic counterpoint to Steven’s schemes.

Genres & Themes

Romance-leaning score (waltz pulses, whistling) → sincerity inside a lie: Urata’s motifs make even grift logistics feel like love letters.

Blue-chip soul & torch → vow vs. reality: Nina Simone’s phrasing sells promise over circumstance.

80s pop gloss → performance of identity: Wang Chung’s sheen mirrors Steven’s carefully staged personas.

Gospel/spiritual cues → grace and judgment: choral colors sit next to jailhouse bureaucracy, complicating tone.

Tracks & Scenes

“I Cried Like a Silly Boy” — DeVotchKa
Where it plays: Early romance-throughline needle-drop (non-diegetic), echoing Steven’s first idealized vow to Phillip.
Why it matters: Melodic tremor under a reckless heart; it frames the movie as a love story first, caper second.

“Dance Hall Days” — Wang Chung
Where it plays: Miami lifestyle montage as Steven reinvents himself (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Satin synths match the big-smile façade; underneath, the tempo is all hustle.

“Key West” — Nick Urata
Where it plays: Identity-pivot interludes that bridge schemes and phone calls (non-diegetic score).
Why it matters: A postcard motif; small ensemble paints distance and longing without melodrama.

“To Love Somebody” — Nina Simone
Where it plays: Prison-yard separation beat as Phillip reaches for Steven through fences and guards (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: A clear thesis — love as stubborn act. The grain in Simone’s voice makes the promise feel earned.

“Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” — Golden Gate Quartet
Where it plays: Chaplain/chapel adjacency and reflective prison montage (source-adjacent / non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Wry, humane commentary; faith language without sentimentality.

“The Escape Artist” — Nick Urata
Where it plays: Planning and near-silent execution of a jailbreak (non-diegetic score).
Why it matters: Ticking ostinato + sly countermelody = Steven’s brain at work.

“Steal Away” — Robbie Dupree
Where it plays: Florida fantasy life, boat drinks, and an expense account that doesn’t add up (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Yacht-soft pop as alibi; a perfect con-music wink.

“Faking Death” — Nick Urata
Where it plays: Hospital/ambulance ruse sequence (non-diegetic score).
Why it matters: Elegiac harmony for the wildest con — audacious and a little heartbreaking.

“The Marriage of Figaro” (excerpt) — German Opera Orchestra of Berlin
Where it plays: Legal corridors and courtroom irony (source / needle-drop).
Why it matters: Comic counterpoint — Mozart undercuts solemnity as another mask slips.

Also heard on-screen: Sacred choir cues (“Hallelujah, We Shall Rise”), birthday and source fragments, and additional Urata connective pieces not on the retail album.

Music–Story Links

Every scheme has a love cue. When Steven overreaches, Urata’s light waltz returns — not to excuse him, but to remind us what he thinks he’s chasing. Pop gloss underscores the invented identities; gospel frames the consequences. And when Simone arrives, the con stops: the movie steps into plain-spoken devotion and stays there for a beat longer than comfort allows.

How It Was Made

Nick Urata’s brief favors melody over motif-sprawl: compact cues that can turn on a dime between farce and sincerity. The album packages those pivots with a handful of pointed needle-drops (DeVotchKa, Nina Simone) and a splash of 80s radio sheen. Editorially, the film often starts with a song to set social temperature, then rides Urata’s chamber ensemble to land the character beat.

Reception & Quotes

Critics consistently praised the film’s tonal juggling and the tenderness under its gallows humor; the soundtrack was noted for easing the gear-shifts.

“Urata’s airy, bittersweet cues make a brazen con feel improbably gentle.” Album coverage

“Torch and twinkle; the music believes in these two even when the facts don’t.” Review summaries

“Smart use of catalog — Simone and Wang Chung are doing character work.” Soundtrack notes

Additional Info

• Album runtime: ~40 minutes (13 tracks). Streaming/retail metadata commonly lists Urata as album artist.
• Key commercial tracks on disc: DeVotchKa “I Cried Like a Silly Boy,” Wang Chung “Dance Hall Days,” Nina Simone “To Love Somebody,” Robbie Dupree “Steal Away.”
• Film credits list additional pieces (sacred choir, standards) not included on the retail set.
• U.S. theatrical opened December 3, 2010; the album circulated earlier internationally (2009).
• The music’s mix — playful score + soulful catalog — matches the film’s “hilarious tragedy” tone.

Technical Info

• Title: I Love You Phillip Morris (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2009 (album); U.S. film release 2010
• Type: Feature film soundtrack (score + select songs)
• Composer: Nick Urata
• Label: EuropaCorp / Because Music (retail listing); streaming via major platforms
• Selected notable placements: “To Love Somebody,” “Dance Hall Days,” “Steal Away,” “I Cried Like a Silly Boy,” plus Urata cues “Key West,” “The Escape Artist,” “Faking Death.”
• Availability: Apple Music/Spotify (13 tracks); CD releases documented by discographies/retailers.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music album page; Spotify album page; IMDb soundtrack credits; Discogs CD listings; The Playlist album rundown; film overview (composer credit) from a general reference.

November, 11th 2025