"Sunshine Cleaning" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Sunshine Cleaning (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) — 2009” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

Can a soundtrack sound like lemon cleanser and a hug? Sunshine Cleaning does — bright indie pop and warm, small-scale score cues that keep grief from swallowing the comedy.

The film follows sisters Rose and Norah Lorkowski (Amy Adams and Emily Blunt) as they start a crime-scene cleanup business in Albuquerque. Michael Penn’s score sketches their scrapes and victories in brief, melodic vignettes, while hand-picked songs — Electrelane’s motorik lift, Golden Smog’s jangly glow, Ken Andrews’ alt-rock sheen, and a cheeky “Spirit in the Sky” needle-drop — add personality without turning scenes into music videos. The result: a humane mix that matches the movie’s tone shifts — sad, stubborn, sweeter than it has any right to be.

Genres & themes in phases: indie jangle — scrappy resolve; minimalist score pulses — problem-solving; post-rock/garage edges — impulsivity and sister spats; classic rock gospel-boogie — gallows humor over the credits. Clean, then care — in that order.

How It Was Made

Directed by Christine Jeffs from Megan Holley’s script, the film premiered at Sundance and opened wide in 2009. Composer Michael Penn supplies the original score; music supervision is by Susan (Sue) Jacobs. Lakeshore Records released the soundtrack album, a blend of Penn’s cues and select licensed tracks from Electrelane, Golden Smog, Ken Andrews, Bodega, Emile Millar, and more.

Album sequencing mirrors the film’s rhythm — compact cues (“The Chalk Thing,” “Shrimp Truck,” “Rose and Mac”) interleave with songs placed for character color (“To the East,” “Perfect Days”) and a wry capper (“Spirit in the Sky”).

Tracks & Scenes

“Cure for This” (Golden Smog)

Where it plays:

A sun-bleached early sequence sets the Albuquerque mood as Rose juggles hustles and hope. The jangly guitars frame her “try anyway” energy while life keeps denting the plan. Think morning light, unglamorous errands, and a phone that won’t stop buzzing.

Why it matters:

Establishes the film’s humane, low-stakes optimism — a soft push forward before the messes arrive.

“To the East” (Electrelane)

Where it plays:

Used over a kinetic montage as the sisters start treating the business like a business — supply runs, disposing of coveralls, and awkward client hellos. The motorik beat turns logistics into momentum.

Why it matters:

The groove sells competence arriving by inches; you feel processes clicking into place.

“Perfect Days” (Ken Andrews)

Where it plays:

A mid-film stretch of fragile good vibes: Rose gets a kind word, Norah almost believes she’s useful, Dad has a maybe-scheme. This plays like sun through blinds — forward but not fixed.

Why it matters:

Tints the story hopeful without lying about gravity; a tonal bridge between scrapes.

“Spirit in the Sky” (Norman Greenbaum)

Where it plays:

A cheeky, cathartic placement over the main credits — gospel-boogie swagger after a tale full of biohazard suits and small mercies.

Why it matters:

Gallows humor, pure and simple. The track reframes the macabre premise as survival with a wink.

“Barcelona” (Bodega)

Where it plays:

Bars, backs of trucks, and the between-places — this indie cut sneaks in as a social texturizer when the film exhales between jobs.

Why it matters:

Colors the city as lived-in rather than scenic; the sisters’ Albuquerque isn’t postcard-pretty, it’s home.

“Intro (Stay Here)” (Emile Millar)

Where it plays:

An intimate needle-drop against a small, tender scene — the kind that makes a character choose presence over escape.

Why it matters:

Locates the film’s heart in micro-moments — caretaking, not conquest.

Score picks (Michael Penn)

“The Chalk Thing” / “Bloody Bathroom” / “Rose and Mac”

Lean, melodic stingers that turn problem-solving into rhythm: gloves snap, sprayers hiss, feelings complicate. The music stays small on purpose so the jokes and bruises land.

“Nora Follows Lynn Shower”

A quietly suspenseful cue as Norah trespasses toward connection — tender curiosity with an anxious undertow.

“Winston’s Store”

A blink-and-gone motif for the one-armed supply-shop owner who becomes the sisters’ ally — a smile in miniature.

Trailer note: The film’s official trailers lean on the bright end of the album, with quick flashes of Penn’s cues and upbeat needle-drops to sell the off-beat comedy vibe.

Notes & Trivia

• The soundtrack album was released by Lakeshore Records in March 2009, mixing Penn’s score with licensed songs.
• Music supervision by Sue (Susan) Jacobs — the same music mind behind Little Miss Sunshine and Capote.
• “Spirit in the Sky” doubles as a sly tonal reset in the credits; Jacobs also deployed it years later on another film — she loved the juxtaposition.
• Electrelane’s “To the East” adds Krautrock thrum to a very New Mexico story — inspired, not obvious.
• Compact cue titles (“Shrimp Truck,” “Winston’s Store”) are practically scene headings — you can trace the plot just by reading them.

Music–Story Links

When Rose decides the business won’t be a hustle but a livelihood, “To the East” gives her a conveyor-belt beat — systems, not scrambles. When Norah overreaches emotionally, Penn switches to fragile motifs (woodwinds, light percussion) that feel like a held breath. After messy jobs — bathrooms, motels, worse — the score stays kind: brief, melodic resets so the audience can keep caring about these women. And that irreverent credits song? It’s the film whispering, “We made it through” without pretending the work is clean.

Reception & Quotes

The film drew warm-positive reviews; the album earned special praise as a steadying force — sunny but not sugary. Critics singled out Penn’s restraint and the smart, modest needle-drops.

“Original music by Michael Penn plus inspired popular choices — consistent, vaguely upbeat, with clouds on the horizon.” Den of Geek

“A gentle, witty Penn score for a small human story.” MovieMusic UK

“Comedy-drama with heart… Adams and Blunt carry it.” Encyclopedic film summaries

Interesting Facts

• Label & date: Lakeshore Records released the album March 10, 2009.
• Score-to-song ratio: Most tracks are Penn’s compact cues; the songs are strategically few — quality over quantity.
• Hidden grin: Those cue titles (“Bloody Bathroom,” “Some Ice Cream”) double as deadpan jokes.
• Studio crossover: The same supervision brain trust that shepherded Little Miss Sunshine shaped this record — that explains the tone control.
• Credits kicker: “Spirit in the Sky” over the credits reframes the macabre premise as resilience with rhythm.

Technical Info

• Title: Sunshine Cleaning (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2009 (film limited U.S. release March 13, 2009; album released March 10, 2009)
• Type: Feature film — soundtrack (original score + licensed songs)
• Composer: Michael Penn
• Music Supervision: Susan “Sue” Jacobs
• Label: Lakeshore Records (CD/digital)
• Notable placements: “Cure for This” (Golden Smog); “To the East” (Electrelane); “Perfect Days” (Ken Andrews); “Intro (Stay Here)” (Emile Millar); “Spirit in the Sky” (Norman Greenbaum)
• Production/Studio: Big Beach; distributor Overture Films; runtime 91 minutes
• Availability: Streaming and CD in circulation; digital storefronts carry the full album.

Questions & Answers

Who wrote the original score?

Michael Penn. His cues are short, melodic, and deliberately understated to fit the film’s intimate scale.

Who supervised the song choices?

Susan (Sue) Jacobs — a veteran supervisor known for calibrating tone on indie dramedies.

Is “Spirit in the Sky” really in the movie?

Yes — used over the main credits, a playful send-off after a story steeped in loss and cleanup work.

What’s the standout needle-drop?

Electrelane’s “To the East” for the work-montage lift; Golden Smog’s “Cure for This” for character warmth.

Is the album mostly songs or score?

Mostly score by Penn, punctuated by a handful of well-placed indie/rock cuts.

Key Contributors

Sources: Lakeshore/Apple Music album listing; Discogs and retailer track details; Den of Geek review; MovieMusic UK review; IMDb soundtrack & credits; MusicBrainz release metadata; Wikipedia film entry; official trailers on YouTube.

November, 27th 2025