"Joker" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Joker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What if Gotham’s loudest moments were scored with the quietest sound in the room? Hildur Guðnadóttir answers with an inward-facing score—low cello, weighty strings, and spare electronics—that tracks Arthur Fleck from whisper to rupture. The album (Joker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) runs 17 cues (~36½ minutes) released by WaterTower Music; it’s lean by design, a character study in tone.

The film itself layers pointed needle-drops—Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Cream, Joy Division—over that somber score. Several vintage cuts are on the various “song lists” for the movie (RadioTimes and others), while the retail score album stays pure Hildur. A separate digital release, Songs from Live! With Murray Franklin, collects the in-world talk-show big band pieces.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Hildur Guðnadóttir. The album is WaterTower Music’s 2019 release of her score.

How long is the score album and how many tracks?

17 tracks, ~36:26 runtime.

Are the classic songs (Sinatra, Cream, etc.) on the score album?

No. They’re heard in the film; the retail album is original score. The talk-show band cues were issued separately as Songs from Live! With Murray Franklin.

Did the score win major awards?

Yes—Oscar (Best Original Score), BAFTA, and Golden Globe.

Was any music written before filming?

Yes. Cues were composed from the script; the bathroom dance was staged to Hildur’s music.

Who supervised the film’s licensed music?

Music department and clearances are credited in studio materials; the talk-show band is credited as Ellis Drane and His Jazz Orchestra.

Notes & Trivia

• WaterTower’s vinyl editions followed the digital release; a picture-disc and color variants were pressed.
• Songs from Live! With Murray Franklin credits Ellis Drane and His Jazz Orchestra for the show-within-the-film big band.
• The score album records list Downtown Music Studios and The DiMenna Center in New York.
• Hildur wrote from the script; Phoenix’s bathroom dance grew directly out of her cue on set.
• “Rock and Roll Part 2” (Gary Glitter) scores the stairs dance in the film; it is not on the score album.

Genres & Themes

Dark ambient & chamber strings → interiority over spectacle; long tones = trapped breath, short gestures = flinch.

Vintage pop & crooner standards → irony and mask; “That’s Life,” “Smile,” and “Send In the Clowns” comment on the persona Arthur builds.

Talk-show jazz (in-world) → brass sheen for Murray’s stage; a sonic bubble that pops the moment Arthur goes off-script.

Tracks & Scenes

"Bathroom Dance" — Hildur Guðnadóttir
Scene: After the subway killings, Arthur ducks into a grimy restroom and drifts into slow, deliberate movement. Non-diegetic but written for the scene; actors performed to playback. {~mid-film; OST cut ~2:08}.
Why it matters: The first time the music “owns” Arthur’s body language; performance and score fuse.

"Defeated Clown" — Hildur Guðnadóttir
Scene: Early humiliation beats—the alley, the dressing room, the bus. Non-diegetic. {early; OST ~2:39}.
Why it matters: Low cello and sub-bass map the weight he carries before anything explodes.

"Smile" — Jimmy Durante
Scene: Arthur’s scrapbook and morning routine shuffle between pathetic and earnest. Non-diegetic. {early montage}.
Why it matters: Old-world warmth against a life fraying at the edges—cruel contrast.

"My Name Is Carnival" — Jackson C. Frank
Scene: Arthur walks alone after a revelation about his past; the city feels colder and louder. Non-diegetic. {mid}.
Why it matters: The lyric refracts identity—mask as survival strategy.

"White Room" — Cream
Scene: City turbulence and clown-mask protests rising; TVs bark, sirens smear. Non-diegetic. {mid-late}.
Why it matters: Psychedelic edge mirrors a city letting go of civility.

"Rock and Roll Part 2" — The Glitter Band / Gary Glitter
Scene: The stairs dance—Arthur descends in full suit and paint, arms wide, body loose; two cops spot him and the spell snaps. Diegetic-bleed club feel into non-diegetic mix. {late; scene runs ~1–2 minutes}.
Why it matters: The film’s most infamous needle-drop; swagger as metamorphosis.

"That’s Life" — Frank Sinatra
Scene: Backstage at Murray Franklin, Arthur settles into the new skin before going on air; fragments recur around the talk-show sequence. Non-diegetic/source-adjacent. {late}.
Why it matters: A mission statement in crooner form—the grin now has teeth.

"Send In The Clowns" — Frank Sinatra
Scene: Epilogue/credits; the lyric lands like a bitter joke after the TV studio shock. Non-diegetic. {end}.
Why it matters: Final thesis—an entertainment machine feeding on pain.

"Songs from Live! With Murray Franklin" — Ellis Drane and His Jazz Orchestra
Where it plays: All the late-night show bumpers, walk-ons, and commercial-break stings. Diegetic. {talk-show sequences}.
Why it matters: Bright brass as mask—the only place Arthur ever gets applause without paying for it.

Music–Story Links

Score cues “own” Arthur’s inner space; needle-drops speak for the world judging him. When he crosses thresholds—bathroom, stairwell, studio—the palette flips: private cello to public spectacle, then back again. The talk-show jazz is a social contract; once he breaks it, only his theme remains.

How It Was Made

Hildur wrote from the script before cameras rolled; Todd Phillips used her demos on set, and Phoenix’s bathroom dance was adapted to that playback (as reported in interviews). Sessions took place in New York (Downtown Music Studios; The DiMenna Center). WaterTower’s album dropped digitally in late September/early October 2019; vinyl followed in December. The talk-show big-band cues were compiled separately as Songs from Live! With Murray Franklin.

Reception & Quotes

The score drew sustained praise for intensity and restraint, then swept awards season. Critics repeatedly highlighted how music shaped staging and performance.

“Guðnadóttir’s music helped drive Phoenix’s performance—bathroom dance included.” industry interviews

“Chilling, inward, unmistakable.” album reviews

“First woman to win the Golden Globe for Best Original Score for a dramatic film; later, the Oscar.” awards coverage

Availability: score album across major platforms; additional in-world jazz release for the talk-show numbers.

Additional Info

• Album: Joker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack — 17 tracks; ~36:26; WaterTower Music.
• Studios: Downtown Music Studios; The DiMenna Center (NYC).
• Awards: Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe (Best Original Score).
• Film-only cuts (selection): “Everybody Plays the Fool,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It,” “Here Comes the King,” “Slap That Bass.”
• Talk-show cues: released as Songs from Live! With Murray Franklin (Ellis Drane & His Jazz Orchestra).

Technical Info

• Title: Joker: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Year: 2019
• Type: Original score (album) + licensed songs in film
• Composer/Producer: Hildur Guðnadóttir (prod. with Sam Slater)
• Label: WaterTower Music (digital 2019-09/10; vinyl 2019-12)
• Studios: Downtown Music Studios; The DiMenna Center (NYC)
• Notable placements: “Bathroom Dance” (post-subway); “Rock and Roll Part 2” (stairs); “That’s Life” (talk-show buffer); “Send In The Clowns” (end)

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: WaterTower Music album notes; Spotify/album listings; Wikipedia (score entry); RadioTimes song index; IMDb soundtrack page; L.A. Times & AwardsDaily interviews on music shaping set pieces; YouTube trailer uploads (for figures).

November, 12th 2025