"Peacemaker" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Peacemaker — Original Television Soundtrack (2022)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What happens when a raunchy vigilante story is soundtracked like a hair-metal time capsule — and it’s sincere about it? Peacemaker makes that paradox its heartbeat. The show follows Christopher Smith (John Cena), post-The Suicide Squad, as he bumbles toward something like redemption while blasting glam, sleaze, and Scandinavian hard rock like it’s oxygen. Big hooks aren’t a joke at the music’s expense; they’re the character’s inner monologue, turned up to 11.

The sound palette does double duty. Needle-drops telegraph swagger and wounded pride, while the original score (by Clint Mansell & Kevin Kiner) stitches fights, freak-outs, and feelings into a unified pulse. Choruses hit as punchlines; bridges carry real emotion. The opener — Wig Wam’s “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” — literalizes the show’s thesis: dance through the cringe and you’ll find honest joy.

Distinctiveness comes from specificity. The series doesn’t graze generic “classic rock”; it curates glam and adjacent acts (from Wig Wam to Band-Maid) that feel like Peacemaker’s personal canon. Across the arc — arrival → adaptation → rebellion → collapse — styles map cleanly: glam pomp = bravado; power ballads = vulnerability; novelty covers = black comedy; piano cues = truth peeking through the chrome.

How It Was Made

Score & curation. Mansell & Kiner’s score favors muscular motifs (distorted bass, toms, guitar harmonics) over wall-to-wall orchestral sweep, so the licensed songs can punch in as character POV. Music supervisors Ian Broucek and Evyen J Klean front-load glam and sleaze-rock cuts, a James Gunn hallmark that turns “taste” into storytelling.

The dance that launched a thousand gifs. The opening sequence — a deadpan stadium-dance to Wig Wam — was conceived to make audiences “not skip.” Choreographer Charissa Barton reverse-engineered moves to keep faces stoic and beats snappy while foregrounding each performer’s comic rhythm.

Album release. WaterTower Music issued an 18-track season-one score album in February 2022, consolidating the series’ original cues; it sits alongside fan-built playlists of the licensed songs.

Tracks & Scenes

“Do Ya Wanna Taste It” — Wig Wam
Where it plays: S1E1, 00:07. The viral opening credits: a full-cast, stone-faced dance in blue-pink wash. Movements are simple, geometric, and absurdly committed; it replays every episode.
Why it matters: Announces the show’s pact — no irony shield, just glory through glam.

“Welcome to the Church of Rock and Roll” — Foxy Shazam
Where it plays: S1E1, ~00:17. Chris returns to his father’s house; flags, small-town silence, big swagger on the soundtrack. The cut fades under a neighbor’s stink-eye.
Why it matters: Sets the hymnal: Peacemaker’s faith is riffs.

“Summertime Girls” — Y&T
Where it plays: S1E1, ~00:33, at the bar. Harcourt drinks alone; Chris sidles up, overplays his hand, and gets iced out. The song keeps the scene lit like a beer commercial.
Why it matters: Sun-bleached cheese framing a social faceplant.

“I Don’t Love You Anymore” — The Quireboys
Where it plays: S1E1, ~00:39. Alone in tighty-whities, Chris lip-syncs on vinyl before a bone-crunch brawl consumes the apartment. The needle-drop keeps spinning through impact beats.
Why it matters: Heartbreak and violence on one platter — his whole deal.

“7 O’Clock” — The Quireboys
Where it plays: S1E2, 00:04–00:07 in playful bursts as Chris searches for socks and dignity.
Why it matters: Quick-cut comedy timing via a pub-rock engine.

“Don’t Treat Me Bad” — Firehouse
Where it plays: S1E2, ~00:27. Record spins as Chris cries in bed; Vigilante pops in mid-sob. The power ballad refuses to blink.
Why it matters: Earnest arena emotion as punchline — and empathy.

“Drag Me Down” — Santa Cruz
Where it plays: S1E2, ~00:33. Forest-weapons montage; refrigerators explode; two idiots bond.
Why it matters: Training-montage DNA with dumb-hero charm.

“Choose Me” — BAND-MAID
Where it plays: S1E3, ~00:34. Judomaster flees the Goff house; tires squeal; the track slices the night air as our duo gives weak chase.
Why it matters: Precision rock for a fighter who actually has precision.

“Push Push (Lady Lightning)” — Bang Camaro
Where it plays: S1E3, ~00:38, end credits after a butterfly erupts from a corpse.
Why it matters: Multi-voice chant as oh-no button.

“House of Pain” — Faster Pussycat
Where it plays: S1E4, ~00:40. A lonely home montage: weed, whiskey, and Peacemaker slow-dancing with himself.
Why it matters: The first clean glimpse of sadness under the chrome.

“11th Street Kids” — Hanoi Rocks
Where it plays: S1E5, ~00:16 (+ callbacks at 00:28/00:33) in the ARGUS van as Chris gets amped, repeatedly cut off by Harcourt.
Why it matters: Musical hype vs. team reality — running joke, perfect cut-tool.

“The Human Paradox” — Dynasty
Where it plays: S1E5, ~00:42, over credits after the X-ray helmet reveal turns on its wearer.
Why it matters: Title-as-theme; contradictions everywhere.

“Home Sweet Home (Piano Version)” — Mötley Crüe
Where it plays: S1E6, ~00:43. Chris at a piano after a rare moment of grace with Harcourt; a quiet, searching take.
Why it matters: The show lets itself breathe; glam becomes balm.

“In My Dreams” — Wig Wam
Where it plays: S1E7, ~00:11. Road-rocking with the squad; Economos grumbles; Eagly steals the frame.
Why it matters: Euphoric denial before pain lands.

“If You Really Really Love Me” — Steel Panther
Where it plays: S1E8, 00:01. Van chatter, apology attempts, a fart noise; the song grins through the awkward.
Why it matters: Juvenile veneer over genuinely high stakes — that’s the recipe.

“Do Ya Wanna Taste It” — Wig Wam (battle reprise)
Where it plays: S1E8, ~00:23. The theme returns mid-fight as Butterflies fall and Harcourt bleeds out of frame.
Why it matters: A rare title-track callback that earns its victory lap.

“You Can’t Kill My Rock ’N Roll” — Hardcore Superstar
Where it plays: S1E8, ~00:42, end credits as the team’s scars are tallied and futures teased.
Why it matters: A credo for a found family of stubborn weirdos.

Also notable drops: “Beat the Bullet” (Vain), “Jawbreaker” (The Cruel Intentions), “Borderline Crazy” (The Cruel Intentions), “Pumped Up Kicks” cover by John Murphy feat. Ralph Saenz, “Kiss Me Deadly” (Lita Ford) — each used with scene-specific wit.

Notes & Trivia

• The dance intro’s poker-face rule was deliberate; Barton kept faces blank so the choreo, not mugging, delivered the comedy.
• James Gunn’s glam-lean elevates lesser-known Nordic acts (Wig Wam, Santa Cruz, Kissin’ Dynamite) into needle-drop stardom.
• That “Pumped Up Kicks” cover? An industrial-sleaze spin by John Murphy with Ralph Saenz — a darkly comic contrast.
• Peacemaker’s vinyl fetish (on-screen) mirrors the soundtrack’s tactile, analog love of choruses and chugs.
• Score album dropped digitally in Feb 2022 via WaterTower Music; no official “all songs” compilation — fans stitch playlists.

Music–Story Links

When Chris slow-dances alone to “House of Pain,” bravado collapses into loneliness; it reframes every chest-thump to come. “11th Street Kids” fires him up, only for Harcourt to slam the volume — a gag about leadership and impulse control that repeats as motif. And the mid-finale reprise of “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” says the quiet part loud: his comic armor (glam) can still rally a team to bleed for each other.

Reception & Quotes

The soundtrack landed like a mission statement: bold, funny, oddly moving. The opener became instant appointment TV; playlists exploded; glam vinyl spiked. Even skeptics conceded the song picture-locks were ruthless in the best way.

“The opening credits justify the entire show — a perfect tone promise.” ScreenCrush

“A glorious glam-metal mixtape, weaponized for character.” Vague Visages

“WaterTower’s score release lets the jokes breathe — and the feelings linger.” Album notes coverage

Interesting Facts

• Viral choreography: The opener pulled from Bob Fosse geometry; Barton tested moves at home before staging the proscenium-style shoot.
• Theme song revival: Wig Wam’s catalog streams surged after the premiere; the band later issued new music boosted by the show’s popularity.
• Cover choice: The “Pumped Up Kicks” heavy cover under a jail turn recontextualizes a pop earworm as menace.
• Score cues: Track titles like “Adebayo,” “Judomaster,” and “X-Ray Vision” function as story signposts on the 2022 album.
• Playlists as canon: James Gunn’s public playlists helped fans trace deep-cut glam — a teaching tool disguised as bangers.

Technical Info

• Title: Peacemaker — Original Television Soundtrack
• Year / Type: 2022 / Television (Season 1)
• Score Composers: Clint Mansell & Kevin Kiner
• Music Supervision: Ian Broucek; Evyen J. Klean
• Key licensed songs (select): “Do Ya Wanna Taste It” (Wig Wam), “I Don’t Love You Anymore” (The Quireboys), “House of Pain” (Faster Pussycat), “11th Street Kids” (Hanoi Rocks), “Choose Me” (BAND-MAID), “Kiss Me Deadly” (Lita Ford), “You Can’t Kill My Rock ’N Roll” (Hardcore Superstar).
• Release context: Premiered January 13, 2022 (Max). Score album released digitally February 18, 2022 (WaterTower Music).
• Album availability: Score on major DSPs; licensed songs via artist releases and fan playlists (no “all-drops” official comp).

Questions & Answers

What’s the Peacemaker theme song?

“Do Ya Wanna Taste It” by Wig Wam — it scores the deadpan dance opening each episode.

Is there an official season-one album?

Yes — WaterTower Music released Peacemaker (Soundtrack from the HBO Max Original Series), collecting the original score cues.

Who handled music supervision?

Ian Broucek and Evyen J. Klean steered the glam-heavy needle-drops alongside James Gunn.

Why does glam metal fit this story?

Because it mirrors Chris’s armor: loud, flashy, and covering a bruised heart — so when it cracks, you feel it.

Where can I find the licensed songs?

On the original artist albums across DSPs; fans also maintain episode-ordered playlists mirroring each drop.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Vague Visages episode song guides; Apple Music album page; WaterTower Music release notes; Entertainment Weekly & ScreenCrush features on the opening credits.

November, 18th 2025