"Race to Witch Mountain" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Race to Witch Mountain (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

How do you make a family chase movie feel like a rollercoaster without losing the laughs? Race to Witch Mountain answers with Trevor Rabin’s muscular, theme-forward score stitched to a handful of pop placements that wink at Vegas neon and UFO-convention kitsch.

Rabin plays to his strengths — big hooks, elastic ostinatos, and bold brass for pursuit — but keeps cues compact so jokes land clean. Around the score, Disney-era pop (Steve Rushton’s sprinty “Emergency”) and country-rock source from Brokedown Cadillac add in-world color you can see on screen. The result: set-piece propulsion with a jukebox grin.

The album mirrors the film’s arc: arrival (light, curious textures), adaptation (motivic cells tighten as Jack trusts the kids), rebellion (percussion and low-brass weight as the Siphon closes in), and closure (anthemic cadences as the ship punches out). According to Apple Music and Spotify’s listings, the official release collects 19 tracks from the film’s songs-and-score package issued by Disney in 2009 — a tidy, family-friendly listen that still thumps on the treadmill.

Genres & themes by phase: power-chord adventure and synth pulse for arrival; rock-groove and handclap pop for adaptation; darker, rhythmic action writing for rebellion; bright major-key statements and victory-pop for closure.

How It Was Made

Composer Trevor Rabin recorded at Sony’s scoring stage with a large orchestra plus choir, shaping a clear “escape-and-pursuit” language: ostinatos for motion, brass calls for hero beats, choir for alien awe. ScoringSessions reported the sessions as the film locked, letting Rabin write close to picture and thread action motifs through comedy edits.

Walt Disney Records assembled a mixed “songs + score” album: Steve Rushton’s Disney Channel–friendly “Emergency” fronts the release; Brokedown Cadillac’s roadhouse cuts (“Boogie Woogie Saturday Night,” “Southern Nights”) reflect the on-screen bar band; the remainder leans score-forward with track titles that map cleanly to set pieces.

Tracks & Scenes

“Emergency” — Steve Rushton
Where it plays: Early film/marketing tie-in and album opener; in-film usage aligns with upbeat Vegas energy and convention bustle, also featured prominently in Disney’s promo clips. Non-diegetic over montage and transitions.
Why it matters: A pure momentum starter — snappy drums and handclaps that set the family-adventure tempo.

“Boogie Woogie Saturday Night” — Brokedown Cadillac
Where it plays: Diegetic in a roadhouse/bar setting near the start — the band appears on-screen while Jack navigates the chaos around the UFO-con crowd.
Why it matters: Grounds the movie’s Americana vibe and sets up the film’s running joke of ordinary places colliding with extraordinary visitors.

“Southern Nights” — Brokedown Cadillac
Where it plays: Same roadhouse arena — a later moment of diegetic twang as the plot pivots and Jack gets pulled deeper into the kids’ orbit.
Why it matters: A laid-back counterpoint to the encroaching chase mechanics; the calm before helicopters.

“Stars” — Barcelona
Where it plays: Contemporary source needle drop underscoring reflection — a brief respite as Jack, Seth, and Sara reset and trade truths. Non-diegetic overlay.
Why it matters: Dreamy indie-pop provides a breath between sprints, softening Jack’s edges.

“Into the Fridge” — Trevor Rabin
Where it plays: An infiltration/escape beat — strings dig in, low brass answers, electronics ratchet stakes as doors slam and the Siphon prowls. Non-diegetic score.
Why it matters: The score’s grammar in microcosm: motor, burst, heroic cadence.

“Long Goodbye” — Trevor Rabin
Where it plays: After the dust — the farewell exchange as the ship powers up and Jack and Alex look skyward. Non-diegetic; melody resolves in a warm, open cadence.
Why it matters: Emotional payoff cue; the theme stands up without the fireworks.

“Fly on the Wall” — Miley Cyrus
Where it plays: Brief source needle-drop in the Vegas milieu/UFO-convention orbit. Non-diegetic flavor that tags the film to its late-2000s moment.
Why it matters: Pop sheen that keeps the action-comedy tone buoyant for younger audiences.

Trailer & promo music not on the album:
The Offspring — “Stuff Is Messed Up” and Future World Music — “Heart of Fury” drive select trailers/TV spots; both are marketing-only placements.

Notes & Trivia

• Rabin’s score was recorded with a 78-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir at the Sony Scoring Stage.
• Country band Brokedown Cadillac performs on-screen in the opening act; two of their songs are on the album.
• Disney’s album is a hybrid: radio-ready pop + score cues; the digital release runs 19 tracks.
• Promo spots leaned on trailer-library cues (Future World Music) and a burst of The Offspring.
• Yes, that’s a cameo by original Witch Mountain stars Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann — a franchise handshake.

Music–Story Links

When Jack (Dwayne Johnson) first clocks that his passengers aren’t ordinary kids, Rabin’s ostinato clicks up a gear — quick, clipped figures undercutting banter. In the roadhouse, Brokedown Cadillac’s diegetic twang paints a human, dusty palette; minutes later, the score swaps it for metallic pursuit as SUVs bite into frame. During the Witch Mountain infiltration, synth pulses and low brass fold around the Siphon’s silhouette — the “alien threat” color of the score. The last pages turn warm again: “Long Goodbye” lets the melody say what the characters can’t.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews were mixed on the film, but score commentators praised Rabin’s knack for kinetic, theme-led writing that plays well away from picture.

“Fun and adventurous… with enough distinct personality to make it enjoyable on its own terms.” — Movie Music UK

“Big hooks and clean propulsion fit a family chase film to a tee.” — album/retail editorial

Interesting Facts

• Digital soundtrack credits list Walt Disney Records/Disney Enterprises, Inc. for 2009.
• “Emergency” doubled as a Radio Disney single and a Disney.com promo clip.
• Barcelona’s “Stars” is licensed in-film — a rare indie-pop breath amid the chases.
• Trailer cuts rotate between Disney’s official channel and third-party uploads; the first official trailer on YouTube is from Disney UK.
• Rabin’s Witch Mountain theme shows up in fan-extended edits online, a testament to its hummable spine.

Technical Info

• Title: Race to Witch Mountain (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year / Type: 2009 — Film soundtrack (songs + score)
• Composer: Trevor Rabin
• Notable songs: “Emergency” (Steve Rushton); “Boogie Woogie Saturday Night” & “Southern Nights” (Brokedown Cadillac); “Stars” (Barcelona); “Fly on the Wall” (Miley Cyrus)
• Label: Walt Disney Records / Disney Enterprises, Inc.
• Album footprint: 19 tracks; digital release
• Promo-only cues: The Offspring — “Stuff Is Messed Up”; Future World Music — “Heart of Fury” (trailers/TV spots)

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Trevor Rabin — recorded with a large orchestra and choir at Sony’s scoring stage.

Is the official album score-only?

No. It mixes songs (“Emergency,” Brokedown Cadillac cuts) with Rabin’s score cues.

What’s that country band we see on screen?

Brokedown Cadillac — they appear in the opening-act roadhouse and have two tracks on the album.

What music is in the trailers?

Disney used pop/rock plus trailer-library cues; notably The Offspring’s “Stuff Is Messed Up” and Future World Music’s “Heart of Fury.”

Where can I stream the soundtrack?

Apple Music and Spotify carry the 2009 release with 19 tracks.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music; Spotify; ScoringSessions; Wikipedia; Disney Video; Movie Music UK; Amazon Music.

November, 19th 2025