"Now And Then" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Now and Then – Music From the Motion Picture” — Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What happens when the songs that raised you become the narrator? Now and Then stages that paradox: a warm, occasionally thorny coming-of-age where radio staples do the quiet explaining.

The film toggles between 1970 and 1995. Four girls form a pact, chase a ghost story, and crash head-first into grief, bodies changing, and parents drifting. The soundtrack doubles as a communal diary: Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder shout the group’s confidence; Free and Badfinger score the first brushes with risk; Susanna Hoffs’ title song wraps the adult coda in a pop lullaby.

Unlike many “needle-drop” albums, this one reads the room. Big hooks handle bike-ride bravado; girl-group polish cushions awkward truths; and strategically placed score cues by Cliff Eidelman hold space when words fail.

Genres & themes in phases: bubblegum pop — innocence; late-60s/early-70s soul — belonging and swagger; Brit-rock/power-pop — rule-testing; classic rock — danger and independence; chamber-like score — memory and mourning.

How It Was Made

Composer Cliff Eidelman wrote a lyrical, memory-driven score released separately as an album. The needle-drops were cleared and assembled under music supervision by Dawn Solér with Columbia issuing the songs collection. Two complementary releases emerged: the various-artists soundtrack and the score on Varèse Sarabande.

Editorially, songs are woven to keep the 1970 summer specific (front-loaded with radio hits) while letting the 1995 scenes breathe with a contemporary cut (“As I Lay Me Down”) and the Hoffs original over reunion beats.

Tracks & Scenes

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” — Stevie Wonder
Where it plays: Kicks off the film with a burst of schoolyard energy and a Red Rover game as the girls’ world clicks into view — a quick thesis on confidence and camaraderie.
Why it matters: Announces agency and group identity from frame one.

“I Want You Back” — Jackson 5
Where it plays: A sun-splashed softball dust-up with the boys, all quick cuts and competitive teasing; the girls return serves with swagger.
Why it matters: Turns rivalry into a dance — athletic one-upmanship scored like a Motown call-and-response.

“Band of Gold” — Freda Payne
Where it plays: Soda shop and town-center beats, the quartet people-watching and decoding adult gossip over malts; the camera lingers on rings and roles.
Why it matters: Marriage myths vs. teen reality; a wry counterpoint to Chrissy’s sheltered worldview.

“Daydream Believer” — The Monkees
Where it plays: A small, domestic moment: young Chrissy fusses with her hair in the mirror while the group’s plans percolate off-screen.
Why it matters: Tween ritual meets pop optimism — a miniature character study.

“No Matter What” — Badfinger
Where it plays: The girls pedal hard toward the library, wind and chatter overlapping a power-pop chorus; it feels like summer widening in front of them.
Why it matters: Commitment anthem turned adventure cue; forward motion, literal and emotional.

“Hitchin’ a Ride” — Vanity Fare
Where it plays: Mischief montage: the gang swipes the Wormer boys’ clothes and sprints away shrieking, orbiting sprinklers and fences.
Why it matters: Prank energy without meanness; the single’s bounce keeps it playful.

“All Right Now” — Free
Where it plays: Roadside encounter with a hitchhiker — equal parts curiosity and caution as the girls test boundaries beyond the cul-de-sac.
Why it matters: Classic-rock swagger frames risk-taking; freedom comes with edge.

“Jennifer Eccles” — The Hollies
Where it plays: The infamous Jell-O balloon ambush from the Wormer boys erupts into chaos; shrieks, stained shirts, and a sprinting retreat.
Why it matters: Comic warfare; harmony-rich pop underscoring pre-teen battle lines.

“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” — Diana Ross & The Supremes with The Temptations
Where it plays: Teeny, alone in her room, stage-manages a make-believe TV interview; she lip-syncs to greatness under a hairbrush mic.
Why it matters: A kid’s manifesto about self-reinvention, sung into existence.

“I’ll Be There” — Jackson 5
Where it plays: Adult Chrissy readies herself, nerves and nostalgia mixing — a quiet staging area before reunions and labor.
Why it matters: Promise and caretaking turn literal; the lyric becomes plot.

“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” — Nancy Sinatra
Where it plays: Café and street-side glances as Samantha clocks her mother’s shifting style; the line “How tall are those boots?” lands like a verdict.
Why it matters: Pop-feminine strut sets up a family recalibration; image precedes confession.

“As I Lay Me Down” — Sophie B. Hawkins (not on the OST album)
Where it plays: 1995 frame: adult Samantha chain-smokes on the drive back to Shelby. Night windows reflect a younger self.
Why it matters: A mid-90s adult key signature that sutures “then” to “now.”

“Now and Then” — Susanna Hoffs
Where it plays: The women rejoin a kids’ Red Rover game after the birth, laughter ringing under porch lights.
Why it matters: Original song as benediction — friendship survives the edits of time.

Notes & Trivia

• The story is set in the summer of 1970, yet “Knock Three Times” wasn’t released until 1971 — a minor, much-noted anachronism.
• Songs heard in the film but omitted from the Columbia OST include Sophie B. Hawkins’ “As I Lay Me Down” and Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”
• Cliff Eidelman’s score album is a separate release with 14 cues; it’s where the séance, rescue, and pact cues live as standalone tracks.
• Susanna Hoffs co-wrote and performs the title song; the single anchors the album’s final stretch.
• Score cue titles mirror plot beats (“Pete Saves Sam,” “No More Seances”), making the score a readable scene index.

Music–Story Links

When the quartet crosses a line — stealing clothes, meeting strangers, peeking at adult secrets — the soundtrack trades bubblegum for grit (Vanity Fare → Free). Conversely, moments of caretaking and solidarity pull in Motown, as if the record player itself is promising backup (“I’ll Be There”). Teeny’s hairbrush-mic scene isn’t throwaway: a girl-group groove tells us she will self-author first and ask permission later. The séance arc flips from pop to score; once the girls realize a groundskeeper cracked the headstone, Eidelman’s subdued cues (“No More Seances”) underline disillusion without scolding.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews were mixed on release; the soundtrack drew consistent praise for era texture and emotional clarity. The film later settled into cult-classic status for its centered view of girlhood. Two snapshots:

“A sprightly soundtrack of ’70s tunes takes older viewers down memory lane.” press capsule

“Made of artificial bits and pieces.” Roger Ebert

Availability remains good: the Columbia various-artists album and the Varèse Sarabande score circulate digitally; physical CD editions appear regularly via reissue and second-hand sellers.

Interesting Facts

• Music supervision is credited to Dawn Solér, whose 90s slate at New Line includes several hit compilations.
• Columbia’s song album arrived October 1995; the score followed on Varèse Sarabande later that month.
• Three non-album film uses often flagged by fans: “As I Lay Me Down,” “Midnight Rider,” and “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.”
• “All Right Now” is tied on-screen to the girls’ first risky, unsupervised adult encounter (a hitchhiker), sharpening the lyric’s flirt with danger.
• Placement micro-gag: “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” plays for Teeny practicing fame — the needle-drop as aspiration engine.
• The score’s “Rest in Peace Johnny” closes the cemetery-closure arc with a gentle, unresolved cadence — grief acknowledged, not solved.
• As per the film’s credits and library cataloging, Eidelman’s cues were produced alongside Solér’s clearances to keep montage rhythms tight.
• According to WhatSong’s scene index, several cues (“The Pact,” “Secret Meeting”) map 1:1 to specific revelations, handy for educators/study guides.

Technical Info

• Title: Now and Then — Music From the Motion Picture
• Year: 1995
• Type: Film soundtrack (various artists) + separate original score
• Composer (score): Cliff Eidelman
• Music Supervision: Dawn Solér
• Label(s): Columbia (songs), Varèse Sarabande (score)
• Release context: US theatrical release October 20, 1995; song album issued mid-October; score issued late October
• Selected notable placements: “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” — opening/Red Rover; “All Right Now” — hitchhiker scene; “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” — café/family style shift; “As I Lay Me Down” — adult Samantha’s drive
• Availability: Both albums on major streamers; used CDs common; no official vinyl at original release
• Chart/notes: Compilation remains a 90s-nostalgia staple; individual tracks are legacy hits rather than originals.

Questions & Answers

Why do some songs in the movie not appear on the OST CD?

Licensing and album length. Compilations often favor marquee cuts and clearable masters; a few cues stay film-only.

Is the score album worth it if I own the songs compilation?

Yes — it carries the séance, rescue, pact, and closure cues that thread the drama and aren’t on the song album.

Who performs the original title song?

Susanna Hoffs. She co-wrote and recorded “Now and Then” specifically for the film’s release.

What’s the single most characteristic placement?

“Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” in the opener — it imprints group identity and sets a buoyant rhythm the film keeps testing.

Was the period music historically exact?

Mostly. One oft-cited anachronism is “Knock Three Times,” a 1971 hit used in a story set in 1970.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: film credits; Columbia/Varèse releases; WhatSong scene index; Wikipedia film entry; AllMusic release data; Roger Ebert review; library catalogs.

November, 17th 2025