"The Boys Are Back" Soundtrack Lyrics

"The Boys Are Back (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, 2010)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

What does grief sound like when the ocean won’t stop glittering? Scott Hicks’ The Boys Are Back answers with a spare, lyrical guitar score by Hal Lindes braided to a run of Sigur Rós pieces that glow like memory. The film follows sportswriter Joe Warr (Clive Owen) as he tries to raise his son after sudden loss; the soundtrack keeps the story honest — tender, windblown, unsentimental.

Lindes’ cues (fingerpicked motifs, small string gestures) sketch everyday rituals: breakfast dishes, car seats, the mess of trying. Across that canvas, Sigur Rós arrive like weather systems — “Fljótavík,” “Festival,” “Samskeyti,” “Ára bátur” — long tones that lift scenes from domestic to mythic without lying about the hurt. Around them, needle-drops from Ray LaMontagne and Carla Bruni give the film its folk-baroque bookends.

Genres & themes in phases: intimate guitar & chamber strings — hands-on parenting, fragile routines; post-rock/ambient (Sigur Rós, Jónsi & Alex) — memory, sea, the ache that doesn’t resolve; folk-soul (Ray LaMontagne) — elegy; European chanson (Carla Bruni) — credits as gentle benediction.

How It Was Made

Director Scott Hicks licensed a suite of Sigur Rós tracks (plus a Jónsi & Alex cut) after noticing how perfectly they sat against the imagery; the band later confirmed the film leans on seven Sigur Rós songs and one Jónsi & Alex piece. Composer Hal Lindes wrote an original guitar-led score to live between those “weather fronts,” recorded with small ensemble and produced for album release. Silva Screen issued the official soundtrack in January 2010, collecting Lindes’ cues and key licensed songs.

Tracks & Scenes

“Fljótavík” (Sigur Rós)

Where it plays:

Early in the film as Joe and his son recalibrate life by the sea. Long coastal views, domestic silence, the ocean breathing under dialogue. Non-diegetic; used as a mood bed across a short montage.

Why it matters:

Establishes the film’s grammar: ordinary images lifted by a patient, tidal piece that refuses easy catharsis.

“Samskeyti (Untitled #3)” (Sigur Rós)

Where it plays:

A private moment after an argument, when Joe tidies a room no one else will see. The piano repeats as the camera lingers on hands and small debris of family. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

The cue’s unchanging figure mirrors grief’s loops — progress without fanfare.

“Festival” (Sigur Rós)

Where it plays:

A mid-film release: father and son go off-script for a day, sunlight and motion taking over the scene. The slow build gives the montage a spine. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Hope with resistance — the crescendo lands like decision, not miracle.

“Ára bátur” (Sigur Rós)

Where it plays:

Late-film reflection around a family milestone. Choir and piano swell while the images hold; the scene breathes instead of explaining. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

A cathedral of a cue — the movie’s biggest feeling, handled with restraint.

“Indian Summer” (Jónsi & Alex)

Where it plays:

Over tender connective tissue: kids asleep in the back seat; the house finally quiet. Non-diegetic; brief but luminous.

Why it matters:

Turns an in-between into a moment — the film’s belief in small mercies.

“All the Wild Horses” (Ray LaMontagne)

Where it plays:

An early elegiac passage following the loss. The camera keeps its distance; LaMontagne’s voice carries the weight. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

A folk prayer that steadies the film — brief, spare, devastating.

“Club Foot” (Kasabian)

Where it plays:

A jolt of teen energy around a school/social scene. Non-diegetic; cut tight to action beats.

Why it matters:

Breaks the elegiac spell on purpose — life barges in with a riff.

“The Fix” (Elbow)

Where it plays:

A transitional city sequence — errands, trains, the grind of starting again. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Wry swagger amid logistics — the soundtrack lets the film exhale.

Score highlights (Hal Lindes): “The Boys Are Back” • “Water Fight” • “Joe & Laura” • “Katy’s Garden” • “Paddington Farewell”

Where they play:

Throughout: playtime that turns into real laughter (“Water Fight”); remembered tenderness (“Joe & Laura,” “Katy’s Garden”); a platform goodbye on the UK trip (“Paddington Farewell”).

Why it matters:

Guitar motifs make the ordinary cinematic without smothering it — a hand on the shoulder instead of a speech.

“You Belong to Me” (Carla Bruni)

Where it plays:

Over the end credits — a gentler key for goodbye. Bruni’s breathy standard closes the circle.

Why it matters:

After all the seas and separations, the last word is a lullaby.

Notes & Trivia

• Seven Sigur Rós tracks and one Jónsi & Alex piece form the film’s atmospheric backbone, at the director’s insistence after temp use worked too well.
• Hal Lindes (ex–Dire Straits) composed the original score; Rick Wentworth handled orchestration/conducting on the sessions.
• Silva Screen released the album in January 2010 (catalogue SILCD1304), pairing Lindes’ cues with the licensed songs.
• Ray LaMontagne’s “All the Wild Horses” and Carla Bruni’s “You Belong to Me” serve as tender bookends — early elegy and end-credits benediction.
• Kasabian’s “Club Foot” briefly cracks the film’s meditative tone with teenage voltage.

Reception & Quotes

Reviewers often singled out the music’s tact — big feelings delivered with clear air and no syrup.

“As the film ended… over the final credits Carla Bruni performs ‘You Belong to Me’.” — The Guardian

“Guitar score paired with Sigur Rós and carefully chosen songs.” — Label notes

Availability: Official soundtrack (Silva Screen) released January 2010; streaming compilations mirror the CD sequence on major platforms.

Interesting Facts

• Temp that stayed: The Sigur Rós cuts began as temp and became the film’s pulse.
• Two textures, one story: Lindes’ intimate cues handle daily life; Sigur Rós lifts the same images into memory and myth.
• Chanson grace note: Ending on a 1950s standard (via Carla Bruni) reframes the film as a love story to family.
• South Australia as instrument: Landscapes do half the musical work — long-held shots leave space for tones to bloom.
• Label lineage: Silva Screen’s 2010 batch also included The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and Daybreakers — a gold run for film-music collectors.

Technical Info

• Title: The Boys Are Back (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2010 (album; film 2009/UK 2010 release)
• Type: Film soundtrack (original score + licensed songs)
• Composer: Hal Lindes (score)
• Key licensed artists: Sigur Rós; Jónsi & Alex; Ray LaMontagne; Carla Bruni; Kasabian; Elbow
• Label/edition: Silva Screen Records — SILCD1304 (release dated January 18, 2010)
• Selected notable placements: “Fljótavík” — coastal adjustment montage; “Festival” — day-trip release; “Ára bátur” — late reflection; “All the Wild Horses” — early elegy; “You Belong to Me” — end credits.
• Release context: Film premiered 2009; UK theatrical January 22, 2010; soundtrack compiled to accompany international rollout.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the original score?

Hal Lindes — a restrained, guitar-led score recorded with small ensemble.

Is Sigur Rós really that prominent in the film?

Yes. Seven Sigur Rós tracks plus one Jónsi & Alex cut appear; they’re foundational to the film’s tone.

Which song plays over the end credits?

Carla Bruni’s version of “You Belong to Me.”

Who released the soundtrack album and when?

Silva Screen Records, January 2010 (catalogue SILCD1304), on CD and digital.

Does the album include both score and songs?

Yes — Lindes’ cues sit alongside licensed tracks (Sigur Rós, Ray LaMontagne, Carla Bruni, Kasabian, Elbow).

Key Contributors

Sources: Silva Screen Records album page & catalogue; Sigur Rós official news item (track usage); Spotify album listing; IMDb Soundtracks; The Guardian review note on end-credits song; MusicBrainz label entry (catalogue/date).

November, 28th 2025