"Infiltrator" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"The Infiltrator (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack / Original Motion Picture Score)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

How do you sonically sell a federal agent pretending to be a money man? With two lanes: a crate-digging ’80s song set (Rush, The Who, Leonard Cohen, Curtis Mayfield, Cymande, Nu Shooz) and a pressure-cooker score by Chris Hajian. The songs place you in bars, clubs, and showrooms; the score holds the moral breath between deals.

Lakeshore Records issued both albums in July 2016: a Various Artists soundtrack built from licensed cuts and an Original Motion Picture Score of 30 cues by Hajian (digital July 15; score CD July 22; songs CD August 12). The film’s first scene famously fires up Rush’s “Tom Sawyer,” while the albums bracket the operation’s rise-and-cost with sleek sequencing.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Chris Hajian composed the original score; the score album runs 30 tracks (~54 minutes).

Who released the albums and when?

Lakeshore Records released both: digital July 15, 2016; score CD July 22; songs CD August 12, 2016.

What’s on the songs compilation?

Period-forward picks including Rush “Tom Sawyer,” Violent Femmes “Kiss Off,” Leonard Cohen “Everybody Knows,” Curtis Mayfield “Pusherman,” The Who “Eminence Front,” Cymande “Brothers on the Slide,” Nu Shooz “I Can’t Wait,” and more.

Is “Tom Sawyer” really the opener?

Yes—used over the opening minute as Mazur enters a bowling alley; it sets the movie’s pulse immediately.

Any Spanish-language or Latin-adjacent source?

Yes—e.g., “Que Nadie Sepa Mi Sufrir” (remix) appears on the retail album; additional Latin source is credited in production notes and cue sheets.

Score vibe in one line?

Lean motifs, ticking percussion, and string pressure that stays just behind the eyes.

Notes & Trivia

• The score album is credited ©℗ 2016 Lakeshore Records and lists 30 tracks; the songs compilation is a separate Lakeshore title.
• “Tom Sawyer” (Rush) anchors the film’s cold open—an unusually assertive placement that announces the era.
• Official soundtrack track lists confirm Them Two’s “Am I A Good Man,” Cymande’s “Brothers on the Slide,” Nu Shooz’s “I Can’t Wait,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows.”
• Hajian’s cue names (e.g., “Chase the Money,” “The Stakeout,” “Tightrope”) map directly to undercover beats.

Genres & Themes

’80s rock/new wave & post-punk → bravado and velocity. Rush’s synth-drive and The Who’s gated swagger put shine on criminal rooms and sting ops.

Classic soul/funk → seduction and cover. Curtis Mayfield and Cymande turn meeting spots into grooves; the con needs confidence.

Minimalist thriller score → doubt and consequence. Repeated figures, close-mic percussion, and string sustains track the identity blur.

Tracks & Scenes

Representative placements with concise scene beats; timings are approximate by feature runtime. Diegetic status noted where clear.

“Tom Sawyer” — Rush
Where it plays: ~00:01, cold open as Mazur (undercover as “Bob Musella”) strides into a bowling alley—neon, hum, and bravado (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Era/time-stamp and attitude in one hit; the track tells you he’s stepping onto a stage.

“Kiss Off” — Violent Femmes
Where it plays: Early prep/drive material as Mazur and Abreu scope targets (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Jittery defiance; the lyric subtext amplifies the risk posture.

“Lucky Lou” — Jody Williams
Where it plays: Bar-room source while contacts are sized up (diegetic).
Why it matters: Greasy blues as cover noise—cred without conversation.

“I’m Controlled By Your Love” — Helene Smith
Where it plays: Lounge/club ambience during a social meet (diegetic/source).
Why it matters: Sweet soul irony in a room full of transactional loyalties.

“Brothers on the Slide” — Cymande
Where it plays: ~00:29, Mazur (as Musella) meets Gonzalo in an outdoor lot; temperature checks and business dance (non-diegetic foreground).
Why it matters: Lithe funk for soft-shoe negotiation; the bassline smiles while nobody else does.

“I Can’t Wait” (re-record) — Nu Shooz
Where it plays: ~00:30, club sit-down with Mr. Mora’s circle (diegetic/club system).
Why it matters: Gloss and chatter; the beat buys time for coded speech.

“Am I A Good Man” — Them Two
Where it plays: Reflective breather after a close call (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Moral static—the lyric doubles the undercover’s guilt bleed-through.

“Everybody Knows” — Leonard Cohen
Where it plays: Montage of duplicity/payoffs tightening around Mazur’s cover (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Cynicism set to a march; the world already knows the answer.

“Pusherman” — Curtis Mayfield
Where it plays: ~00:45–00:50, money-laundering run-through from Florida up chains to Colombia (non-diegetic montage).
Why it matters: Canonical choice for a systems-level view; it widens the frame without speech.

“Eminence Front” — The Who
Where it plays: Late-act wealth theatre—yachts, suits, and staged legitimacy (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: “It’s a put-on.” Exactly.

Score anchors — Chris Hajian
Key cues: “Chase the Money,” “The Stakeout,” “Tightrope,” “Hang In There,” “The Infiltrator.”
Where they play: Setups, surveillance, and the climactic takedown (non-diegetic).
Why they matter: Metronomic tension, short bars, and string pressure keep the masquerade claustrophobic.

Music–Story Links

Needle-drops give Mazur a mask. Club bangers and suave funk let “Bob Musella” belong on expensive couches; the score strips that away between meetings. When the film zooms out to systems—cash counting, shell companies—songs do the PR; when it returns to a marriage and a man, Hajian’s cues do the reckoning.

How It Was Made

Lakeshore packaged two releases: a 12-track songs album and a 30-cue score. The label announced digital drops for both on July 15, 2016, with CDs following (score July 22; songs August 12). The compilation leans on licensed catalog—Rush, The Who, Violent Femmes, Cohen, Mayfield—while Hajian’s recording builds lean motifs around percussion clocks and string grit.

Reception & Quotes

Coverage praised the needle-drop curation and the credibility of the period mix; the opening Rush cut became a calling card in reviews and fan chatter.

“A crate-digging ’80s mix that sells the con as much as the costumes.” album roundups

“Hajian’s cues keep the floor from falling out—small, relentless, effective.” score notes

Additional Info

• Song album highlights: Rush “Tom Sawyer”; Leonard Cohen “Everybody Knows”; Curtis Mayfield “Pusherman”; Cymande “Brothers on the Slide”; The Who “Eminence Front.”
• Score album: 30 tracks (~54:00); standouts include “Chase the Money,” “The Stakeout,” and “Tightrope.”
• Label: Lakeshore Records for both releases.
• The film uses additional Latin source in-scene; not all source pieces appear on the retail album.

Technical Info

• Title: The Infiltrator (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) / The Infiltrator (Original Motion Picture Score)
• Year: 2016
• Type: Songs compilation + original score
• Composer (score): Chris Hajian
• Label: Lakeshore Records
• Releases: Digital July 15, 2016; Score CD July 22; Songs CD August 12
• Selected notable placements: “Tom Sawyer” (cold open), “Pusherman” (laundering montage), “Eminence Front” (wealth theatre), “Everybody Knows” (duplicity montage), “Brothers on the Slide” (parking-lot meet), “I Can’t Wait” (club sit-down).

Canonical Entities & Relations

Subject	Relation	Object
The Infiltrator (film, 2016)	music by (score)	Chris Hajian
The Infiltrator (Original Motion Picture Score)	record label	Lakeshore Records
The Infiltrator (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)	record label	Lakeshore Records
Rush	song featured	“Tom Sawyer”
Leonard Cohen	song featured	“Everybody Knows”
Curtis Mayfield	song featured	“Pusherman”
The Who	song featured	“Eminence Front”
Cymande	song featured	“Brothers on the Slide”
Nu Shooz	song featured	“I Can’t Wait” (re-record)

Sources: Apple Music album pages (songs & score); Lakeshore/Kinetophone & Film Music Reporter release notes; Discogs release entries; IMDb soundtrack page; Spotify listing; Rush fan/trade notes on opening scene; official trailers.

Amongst the most prominent lyricists here are Leonard Cohen and The Who. Although one more band here had provided the impeccable and wit lyrics – they are named Rush and made a rock song Tom Sawyer. Thus, right from the beginning you may understand that the entire collection of tunes here consists only of high-spirited and wit items. Kiss Off, Everybody Knows – are bright representatives of ones. ‘This was an audition. You’ve got a part’ – tells the tough killer to a person who sits tied to a chair, frighten as hell. Thus ends the trailer of one of the most spectacular movies about drug trafficking, raised by Pablo Escobar and his associates in his time. It is the end of 1980-ies, so the whole entourage is covered with the same music, as already mentioned above – sturdy, hard and good. Benjamin Bratt played here a role, which totally differs from his sugary person in ‘Demolition man’ with Stallone and Bullock. There he was a cop and here he is a years-wised person, dealing with 80% of the Escobar’s trafficking. Pretty aged Diane Kruger (she is 40 in reality) depicts a seducing wife of the main infiltrator, who suppose to have this job his last, servicing as the police officer. Bryan Cranston, depicting the protagonist, is 60. But looking at him, you believe he is 80 or even 90, as even Michael Douglas in his 71 and Richard Gere in his 66 look definitely better. Along the way, we will behold the shooting, luxury living, car chases, private planes and many-many drugs & money. They are the essence of this film – to eliminate to incoming in the US traffic of illegal substances. We are not sure whether this motion picture will be recouped, but after 3 days being launched in the cinemas, it has collected only USD 0.7 million against its budget of USD 47.5 million. Not really promising…

November, 11th 2025

Infiltrator profiles on IMDb and Rottentomatoes.com

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