"The Five-Year Engagement" Soundtrack Lyrics

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"The Five-Year Engagement (Music From the Motion Picture)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

Can a rom-com about delay feel musically impatient? The Five-Year Engagement does, nudging its couple along with crate-digger soul, pub-ready sing-alongs, and a soft-glow score by Michael Andrews. The song choices work like time stamps: parties, moves, breakups, makeups — each beat gets a tune that says, this is the phase you’re in.

Jason Segel and Emily Blunt play Tom and Violet, forever almost-married. The soundtrack splits the difference between bar-band warmth and wistful romance. Van Morrison cuts (in original and cover flavors) bring the grown-up ache; Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse turn back the clock to the costume-party meet-cute; and Chris Pratt’s in-character crooning becomes a plot gag with heart. Andrews’s score threads the moments — small ensemble, gentle motion — so the movie never loses its pulse.

Genres & themes, in phases: 60s/70s soul & Van Morrison — yearning and everyday magic; 00s retro-soul/pop — nostalgia and flirt; indie bar-room — friendship glue; chamber score — the inner wobble when plans stall.

How It Was Made

Composer: Michael Andrews anchors the score; the music department was led on the studio side by music supervisor Jonathan Karp. To accompany the film, Back Lot Music issued a short digital EP with five film-version tracks — including Chris Pratt’s diegetic performance — rather than a full song compilation.

Album / label: The Five-Year Engagement (Music From the Motion Picture) – EP arrived April 17, 2012 via Back Lot Music (Universal). The film itself leans on a wider set of licensed songs than the EP covers, so fans often piece together the “real” soundtrack from scene lists and playlists.

Tracks & Scenes

“Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)” (Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners)

Where it plays:

Right at the top (≈00:01). Title cards into a buoyant San Francisco rhythm — a grin of a prologue as we meet Tom and Violet.

Why it matters:

Sets the film’s warm tone: soul classic reimagined by Dexys for a lived-in, pub-happy vibe.

“Valerie” (Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse)

Where it plays:

Superhero costume party flashback (≈00:04). Color, cocktails, and instant chemistry; their banter locks to Amy’s swing.

Why it matters:

A flirty time capsule — the meet-cute becomes a sing-along memory.

“Sweet Thing” (Van Morrison)

Where it plays:

Tom’s proposal (≈00:05). Quiet street, big question; Morrison’s tenderness wraps the scene.

Why it matters:

Turns a life pivot into a private waltz.

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Billy Joel)

Where it plays:

Alex’s chaotic slideshow about Tom’s dating history (≈00:11). The gag builds as names and headlines fly.

Why it matters:

Comic montage fuel; the rapid-fire lyric mirrors panic about commitment.

“Simon Was” (Petrojvic Blasting Company)

Where it plays:

Engagement party (≈00:12). Accordion and street-band charm under toasted speeches and minor disasters.

Why it matters:

Adds handmade whimsy — a signature texture the film returns to.

“Cucurrucucú Paloma” (traditional) — performed in character by Chris Pratt

Where it plays:

A carriage-ride serenade at the wedding festivities (≈00:23) and reprised for the newlyweds at the end. Over-the-top, and oddly sweet.

Why it matters:

Diegetic comedy that turns sincere; the movie’s best “bad” performance — so good it made the official EP.

“Bright Side of the Road” (Van Morrison)

Where it plays:

Tom and Violet drive to Michigan to start the long wait (≈00:28). Boxes, goodbye skylines, new snow.

Why it matters:

Optimism on cue — the lyric argues for hope just as plans begin to drift.

“Baby, You’re On Your Own” (The Steepwater Band)

Where it plays:

Tom’s job-hunt montage in Ann Arbor (≈00:30). Resumes, rejection, deli shifts.

Why it matters:

Bluesy realism for the film’s first big speed bump.

“Wandering” (The Greyboy Allstars)

Where it plays:

Bar scene as the faculty crew unwinds (≈01:04). Low-slung groove behind professional gossip.

Why it matters:

Ambient cool that frames how far Tom and Violet have drifted from their plan.

“End of a Spark” (Tokyo Police Club)

Where it plays:

Same bar sequence (≈01:05): Violet and Winton’s ill-advised kiss lands as the indie guitars chime.

Why it matters:

Title says it — a turning point disguised as a small mistake.

“When That Evening Sun Goes Down” (Brett Dennen)

Where it plays:

Wedding-planning beats (≈01:10). Mood boards, cake samples, awkward optimism.

Why it matters:

Sunny folk for a plan that keeps slipping out of their hands.

“Into the Mystic” (The Swell Season)

Where it plays:

Later-film reconciliation texture: a hushed cover riding over quiet travel and reflection as summer softens them both.

Why it matters:

A classic, re-voiced — grown-up romance with a little weather in it.

Score highlights — Michael Andrews

Key cues to notice:

Small-ensemble themes that sneak in under dialogue; a tender motif for almost moments, and a brighter cadence for the finally-now ending. Subtle, human-scale writing — very Andrews.

Trailer notes

What you hear:

The official trailers lean on upbeat pop cuts and quick score stings to sell the comic/romantic whiplash — a sampler of the film’s radio-friendly palette.

Notes & Trivia

• The music is supervised by Jonathan Karp; Michael Andrews composed the score.
• Back Lot Music released a five-track digital EP — not a full compilation. Many in-film songs never appeared on that EP.
• Chris Pratt’s in-character “Cucurrucucú Paloma” is the EP’s delightful curveball.
• Multiple Van Morrison cuts thread the story, with the Dexys cover of “Jackie Wilson Said” opening the film.
• Several scene-favorite IDs — “End of a Spark,” “Wandering,” “Simon Was” — became fan go-tos when people asked what’s that song?

Reception & Quotes

Reviews called the movie overlong but warm, praising the Segel–Blunt chemistry. The soundtrack’s mix of vintage soul, indie, and a gentle score drew steady praise from soundtrack watchers for matching the film’s bittersweet tone.

“A funny, romantic script with surprising depth — and music to match its soft center.” — critics’ consensus round-ups

“Andrews keeps the orchestra small and close; the songs do the social shorthand.” — score write-ups

Availability: Official 5-track EP (digital) via Back Lot Music; broader song list lives across streaming playlists and film-credit databases.

Interesting Facts

• Diegetic star: Chris Pratt’s serenade is both joke and needle-drop; it’s the track most likely to make you check the EP.
• Ann Arbor vibe: Local bars and a deli cameo get their own grooves; the music leans Midwest cozy when the couple relocates.
• Van Morrison thread: From proposal to road-move, his songs quietly map the couple’s arc.
• Playlist culture: The official EP is tiny; most fans rebuild the film’s sound via playlists and scene-time guides.
• Score stealth: Andrews’s cues rarely grandstand — they’re there to make the jokes land softer and the arguments land truer.

Technical Info

• Title: The Five-Year Engagement — Music From the Motion Picture (EP)
• Year: 2012
• Type: Feature film soundtrack — short EP (songs) + original score in film
• Composer: Michael Andrews
• Music supervision: Jonathan Karp
• Label: Back Lot Music (EP, digital; April 17, 2012)
• Selected notable placements: Dexys Midnight Runners — “Jackie Wilson Said” (opening); Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse — “Valerie” (meet-cute); Van Morrison — “Sweet Thing” (proposal); Billy Joel — “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (Alex’s slideshow); Petrojvic Blasting Company — “Simon Was” (engagement party); Chris Pratt — “Cucurrucucú Paloma” (diegetic serenade); Van Morrison — “Bright Side of the Road” (drive to Michigan); The Steepwater Band — “Baby, You’re On Your Own” (job hunt); The Greyboy Allstars — “Wandering” (bar); Tokyo Police Club — “End of a Spark” (bar kiss); Brett Dennen — “When That Evening Sun Goes Down” (wedding-planning); The Swell Season — “Into the Mystic” (reconciliation texture).
• Release context: Film released April 27, 2012 (US).

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Michael Andrews. His intimate cues carry the emotional beats between the big needle-drops.

Is there a full soundtrack album?

No — the official Back Lot Music release is a five-track EP. Most film songs were licensed for the movie but not collected on a retail album.

What’s the song over the opening?

Dexys Midnight Runners’ cover of “Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile).”

What’s the diegetic song Chris Pratt sings?

“Cucurrucucú Paloma.” His in-character performance appears on the EP.

Where can I find scene-by-scene song times?

Community scene guides list timestamps for the big placements (party, bar, move to Michigan, proposal, etc.).

Key Contributors

Entity	Relation	Entity
Nicholas Stoller	directed	The Five-Year Engagement (film)
Michael Andrews	composed score for	The Five-Year Engagement
Jonathan Karp	music supervised	The Five-Year Engagement
Back Lot Music	released	Music From the Motion Picture (EP)
Universal Pictures	distributed	the film
Chris Pratt	performed (diegetic)	“Cucurrucucú Paloma”

Sources: Wikipedia (film & music credits); Apple Music EP page (label/date/track names); community timestamp guides (SoundtrackRadar/Soundtrakd); streaming playlists mirroring in-film usage; official trailers on YouTube.

November, 28th 2025

'The Five-Year Engagement' is a 2012 American comedy film co-written, directed, and produced by Nicholas Stoller. Find more on IMDb and Wikipedia

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