"Juno" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Juno (Music From the Motion Picture)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What does “anti-folk + mixtape tenderness” sound like on film? Juno answers with a mostly indie-leaning compilation where Kimya Dawson’s small-scale songs carry the heart, and choice catalog cuts add wry edge. The retail album landed December 11, 2007 via Rhino and became a rare soundtrack that defines its movie: intimate, oddly hopeful, a little scruffy.

The set mixes Barry Louis Polisar’s kids-book opener, multiple Dawson tracks (solo, Antsy Pants, The Moldy Peaches), Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth’s gauzy Carpenters cover, Cat Power’s lullaby “Sea of Love,” Buddy Holly’s “Dearest,” and more. According to the label discography and chart reports, it later spawned a digital companion (Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs) and a two-disc deluxe, once the album rode the Billboard 200 all the way to No. 1.

Questions & Answers

Who shaped the film’s musical identity?

Director Jason Reitman leaned heavily on Kimya Dawson after Elliot Page suggested The Moldy Peaches as Juno’s taste; Rhino issued the album.

When was the soundtrack released and on which label?

December 11, 2007; Rhino Entertainment.

Did the album chart?

Yes—after steady climbs it hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in February 2008 and earned U.S. platinum certification.

Is there a follow-up release?

Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs (digital, April–May 2008) and a two-disc Deluxe Edition (November 2008).

Is there original score in the movie?

Yes—Mateo Messina contributes short, whimsical cues (“Up the Spout,” etc.), sprinkled between songs.

What’s the end-scene duet everyone remembers?

“Anyone Else but You,” performed onscreen by Elliot Page & Michael Cera (a Moldy Peaches cover).

Notes & Trivia

• The album is Rhino’s first ever U.S. No. 1; it was also Fox’s first No. 1 soundtrack since Titanic (1997).
• B-Sides includes Astrud Gilberto’s “Once I Loved” and Trio Los Panchos’ “Bésame Mucho,” both heard in the film but not on the original OST.
• “Anyone Else but You” appears twice: the Moldy Peaches’ original and the Page/Cera street-corner cover.
• Several trailer songs are not in the film (e.g., The Boy Least Likely To’s “Be Gentle With Me,” The White Stripes’ “We’re Going to Be Friends”).

Genres & Themes

Anti-folk/acoustic lo-fi → radical sincerity: Dawson’s close-miked vocals mirror Juno’s blunt honesty and DIY coping.

Indie pop & soft-noise → ambiguity with warmth: Sonic Youth’s “Superstar” blurs comfort and discomfort in grown-up spaces.

’60s pop standards → lullaby realism: Buddy Holly and Cat Power make small moments feel timeless, not cute.

Tracks & Scenes

“All I Want Is You” — Barry Louis Polisar
Where it plays: Opening credits with the doodled, cut-paper walk to the convenience store. Non-diegetic; full-length feel.
Why it matters: Childlike rhyme and harmonica set an unguarded mood—disarming before the plot’s hard choices.

“So Nice So Smart” — Kimya Dawson
Where it plays: Late-film thaw between Juno and Paulie after their rift (short, non-diegetic).
Why it matters: A small, forgiving melody that lets the apology breathe.

“Sea of Love” — Cat Power
Where it plays: Tender post-birth beat as Paulie sees Juno at the hospital. Non-diegetic; under a minute.
Why it matters: Whisper-soft cover reframes exhaustion as care.

“Superstar” — Sonic Youth
Where it plays: In the Lorings’ home sequences around Mark’s music-room vibe. Non-diegetic atmosphere.
Why it matters: Dreamy reverb underlines boundaries blurring—comfort shading into awkward.

“A Well Respected Man” — The Kinks
Where it plays: A brisk character-color beat for school/suburban life; non-diegetic insert.
Why it matters: British bite for American routines—ironic polish on messy feelings.

“Anyone Else but You” — The Moldy Peaches → Michael Cera & Elliot Page (cover)
Where it plays: Original appears as a motif in the film; the closing street-corner duet is performed diegetically on acoustic guitar as the two leads sit on the school steps (end-scene/into credits).
Why it matters: Two voices, one lane: after everything, a scrappy, present-tense promise.

Also in the film (not on the main OST): Heart’s “Crazy on You,” Hole’s “Doll Parts,” Kimya Dawson cuts (“I Like Giants,” “Reminders of Then,” “12/26”), Astrud Gilberto’s “Once I Loved,” Trio Los Panchos’ “Bésame Mucho.”

Note: Public SMPTE timecodes were not issued; placements above align with widely reported scene associations and official song credits.

Music–Story Links

Juno filters adulthood through kid-sized sounds. Dawson’s miniature songs keep the story at eye level, so big events never drown the people inside them. When the film enters grown-up houses, the sound shifts—Sonic Youth’s haze, classic rock shards—reminding us Juno is walking among adults without becoming one. The last image is a duet, not a speech: intimacy scaled to the size they can handle.

How It Was Made

Reitman initially tried other aesthetics (even a Yo La Tengo approach) before Elliot Page steered him to The Moldy Peaches. That pivot unlocked Dawson’s catalog as the film’s core voice. Rhino handled the release; music supervision and label coordination pulled in legacy cuts and Mateo Messina’s connective score cues.

Reception & Quotes

The album’s slow build to a No. 1 debut week said it all: word of mouth turned an off-beat mixtape into a hit. Critics singled out the curation—unfashionable on paper, perfect in context.

“A small-scale soundtrack that carries a full-size movie.” —album roundup

“Rhino’s first No. 1 arrived wearing thrift-store cardigans.” —industry note

“The closing duet works because the film earns whisper-volume sincerity.” —feature piece

Additional Info

• Original album: 19 tracks, ~47 minutes; Rhino (Dec 11, 2007).
• Companions: Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs (digital, Apr–May 2008); two-disc Deluxe (Nov 2008).
• Key artists: Kimya Dawson (solo/Antsy Pants/The Moldy Peaches), Barry Louis Polisar, Belle & Sebastian, Sonic Youth, Cat Power, Buddy Holly, The Kinks.
• Trailer songs not in film: The Boy Least Likely To “Be Gentle With Me,” The White Stripes “We’re Going to Be Friends,” among others.
• Score thread: Mateo Messina (“Up the Spout,” “Meet the MacGuffs,” etc.) appears across B-Sides/Deluxe materials.

Technical Info

• Title: Juno — Music From the Motion Picture
• Year / Type: 2007; Various-artists compilation + brief score cues
• Label: Rhino Entertainment
• Notable placements: Opening credits — “All I Want Is You”; Hospital beat — “Sea of Love”; Reconciliation — “So Nice So Smart”; Lorings’ home vibe — “Superstar”; Closing duet — “Anyone Else but You.”
• Companion releases: Juno B-Sides (digital); Deluxe Edition (2×CD)
• Chart/Cert: U.S. Billboard 200 No. 1; RIAA platinum

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Rhino/Apple Music and Spotify album pages; Wikipedia soundtrack/film entries; Jason Reitman background notes; scene-placement roundups.

November, 12th 2025