"Stealing Beauty" Soundtrack Lyrics

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

Overview

What does first love in Tuscany sound like? In Stealing Beauty, it’s trip-hop velvet meeting old-world airs: Portishead and Hooverphonic drift across terraces while Mozart and Billie Holiday cool the rooms. The 1996 compilation is less a period mix than a mood: sultry, sun-bleached, and a little bruised — perfect for Lucy Harmon’s search for truth, fatherhood and desire.

Bernardo Bertolucci leans on songs that breathe. “2 Wicky” and “Glory Box” wrap the camera in velvet; Mazzy Star and Cocteau Twins score private awakenings; John Lee Hooker and Stevie Wonder anchor the villa’s earthly pulse; Nina Simone and Billie Holiday turn the evenings blue. The effect: modern intimacy pressed against antique hillsides.

Genres & themes in phases: trip-hop & downtempo — sensual curiosity; 90s alt-dream pop — interior voice; classic jazz & soul — twilight, memory; electric blues — appetite and consequence; classical (Mozart) — reflective hush between temptations.

How It Was Made

Original score by Richard Hartley; music supervision by Peter Afterman. The commercial soundtrack (1996) gathers a curated set of various-artist cuts — Hooverphonic, Portishead, Liz Phair, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Mazzy Star, Cocteau Twins, Lori Carson, Sam Phillips, more — issued on CD by Capitol/EMI imprints in different territories. Several classical cues (Mozart concerti) and an extra needle-drop (Hole’s “Rock Star”) appear in the film beyond the core album.

Tracks & Scenes

“Rocket Boy” (Liz Phair)

Where it plays:

Opens the film, establishing Lucy’s point-of-view as she heads toward the Tuscan summer. Guitar chime, sly vocal — it’s the door in.

Why it matters:

Frames Lucy as a 90s kid in an old country; her inner monologue has a hook.

“2 Wicky” (Hooverphonic)

Where it plays:

Car ride through the Italian countryside — long takes, sun on the road, the bassline like heat haze.

Why it matters:

Trip-hop as travelogue: it slows the heartbeat and lets the place enter.

“Glory Box” (Portishead)

Where it plays:

Romance-tilted moments and promotional spots; the sultry pull underscores Lucy’s awakening and the camera’s gaze.

Why it matters:

Desire with gravity — the song gives the film its most unmistakable mood.

“Alice” (Cocteau Twins)

Where it plays:

First night at the villa, alone. Lucy breaks into sobs as she masturbates — a private storm under a whispering, otherworldly vocal.

Why it matters:

Dream-pop as confession; the scene collapses innocence and longing into one breath.

“Rhymes of an Hour” (Mazzy Star)

Where it plays:

Intimate scene between Lucy and Osvaldo; dusk tones and languid guitar trace the tenderness.

Why it matters:

Turns an encounter into reverie — time slows, choices sharpen.

“Rock Star” (Hole) — in the film, not on the album

Where it plays:

Alone with headphones, Lucy sings and thrashes along — a private, giddy explosion before plans and crushes collide.

Why it matters:

Shows the kid inside the muse; it’s the film’s loudest burst of personality.

“Annie Mae” (John Lee Hooker)

Where it plays:

Villa social rhythms and earthy interludes; Hooker’s groove grounds the floating summer.

Why it matters:

Gives the idyll some grit — appetite belongs here too.

“My Baby Just Cares for Me” (Nina Simone) & “I’ll Be Seeing You” (Billie Holiday)

Where it plays:

Evening scenes at the villa — needle-drop jazz cools the rooms after sun-struck days.

Why it matters:

Classic records as palate cleansers; night belongs to memory.

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A, K.622 (Adagio) / Horn Concerto in D, K.412 (II)

Where it plays:

Quiet reflective passages (studio, gardens). The camera lingers on stone and skin as the music holds its breath.

Why it matters:

Old masters steady the film between pulses of pop and blues.

Notes & Trivia

• The album’s marquee cuts include Hooverphonic’s “2 Wicky,” Portishead’s “Glory Box,” Liz Phair’s “Rocket Boy,” John Lee Hooker’s “Annie Mae,” Nina Simone’s “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” Billie Holiday’s “I’ll Be Seeing You,” Mazzy Star’s “Rhymes of an Hour,” and Cocteau Twins’ “Alice.”
• Hole’s “Rock Star” is heard in the film (Lucy’s headphones scene) but isn’t on the commercial CD.
• Music supervisor is Peter Afterman; Richard Hartley handled the original score and conducting for sessions.
• U.S. CD issues were on Capitol/EMI (territorial variants exist); runtime sits around 51 minutes.
• “2 Wicky” became an early calling card for Hooverphonic via this soundtrack.

Music–Story Links

Lucy’s world toggles between public charm and private ache, and the songs follow suit. Trip-hop cues (“2 Wicky,” “Glory Box”) score the looking — drives, glances, the erotic weather. Dream-pop (“Alice,” “Rhymes of an Hour”) scores the feeling — when action slips into thought. Jazz standards and Mozart catch her in the afterglow or the doubt, while blues plants the summer back on the ground. The mixtape is the character arc.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response to the film was mixed, but the soundtrack’s curation was consistently singled out for atmosphere and for bridging 90s intimacy with classical grace.

“Bertolucci’s Tuscan reverie with a 90s pulse — the needle-drops do as much talking as the dialogue.” Contemporary soundtrack coverage

“Trip-hop velvet, jazz twilight, and a whisper of Mozart.” Album write-ups

Interesting Facts

• Album persona: the CD is a true various artists showcase — no score album, just select Hartley cues woven into the film.
• Capitol/EMI issue: U.S. retail copies list Capitol catalog numbers; UK/Europe pressings circulated via EMI affiliates.
• Cocteau Twins rarity: “Alice” premiered via the soundtrack before appearing on the single “Violaine.”
• Not just 90s: Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Mozart sit alongside trip-hop, giving the mix a timeless spine.
• Headphones moment: the Hole “Rock Star” scene became a cult clip — Lucy dancing alone before the crush reality check.

Technical Info

• Title: Stealing Beauty — Music From the Motion Picture
• Year: 1996
• Type: Various-artists compilation (songs) + original score in film by Richard Hartley
• Composer (score): Richard Hartley
• Music Supervision: Peter Afterman
• Label (notable pressings): Capitol/EMI (regional variants)
• Selected notable placements: “Rocket Boy” (opening); “2 Wicky” (countryside drive); “Glory Box” (sensual interludes/promo); “Alice” (first-night solitude); “Rhymes of an Hour” (love scene); “Annie Mae” (villa earth-tones); Nina/Billie standards (evenings); Mozart K.622/K.412 (reflective passages); Hole’s “Rock Star” (headphones, in-film only).

Questions & Answers

Is there a dedicated score release?

No official standalone score album; Hartley’s cues are in the film, while the retail CD focuses on songs.

Which song plays during Lucy’s car ride through Tuscany?

Hooverphonic’s “2 Wicky.”

What’s the dreamy track in the private love scene?

Mazzy Star’s “Rhymes of an Hour.”

Is Hole’s “Rock Star” on the album?

No — it’s used in the film (Lucy’s headphones scene) but omitted from the CD.

Who handled music supervision and score?

Music supervisor: Peter Afterman. Original score and conducting: Richard Hartley.

Key Contributors

Sources: Wikipedia (film & soundtrack section); IMDb Soundtracks & credits; AllMusic album page; retail/pressing listings noting Capitol/EMI; SoundtrackINFO track list; Liz Phair’s discography site; playlist/official stream hubs; coverage noting Hooverphonic’s “2 Wicky”; scene-specific write-ups for “Rocket Boy,” “2 Wicky,” “Alice,” “Rhymes of an Hour,” and the in-film use of Hole’s “Rock Star.”

November, 27th 2025