"This Is Where I Leave You" Soundtrack Lyrics

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“This Is Where I Leave You — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What does mourning sound like when the siblings won’t stop bickering? In This Is Where I Leave You, pop, alt-rock, and coffeehouse folk do the talking while people dodge hard truths. The soundtrack moves like a family argument — tender, then jagged, then unexpectedly funny — with Michael Giacchino’s warm, chamber-ish score slipping between the songs like a steadying hand.

Director Shawn Levy uses familiar tracks to meet his ensemble where they live: ’80s nostalgia as comfort food, indie-folk for regret, and a few defiantly on-the-nose choices to underline the comedy. What makes it distinct is how often music becomes memory-cue: a rink lit by Cyndi Lauper glows like a time capsule; a Coldplay deep cut turns a hug into an elegy. It’s a playlist about growing up when you thought you were already done.

Genres & themes in phases — indie folk & acoustic pop: reflection after blowups; classic ’80s synth-pop: muscle memory and innocent crushes; alt-rock ballads: missed chances; hip-hop: comic undercut and sibling chaos; string-led score: the earned exhale.

How It Was Made

Michael Giacchino composed the original score, recorded with a strings-forward orchestra to keep emotions close to the surface. The song compilation was released by WaterTower Music to coincide with the film’s U.S. rollout, gathering cuts from Alexi Murdoch, Coldplay, INXS, Cyndi Lauper, The Psychedelic Furs, Saint Raymond, and Distant Cousins. The album functions as a curated companion — fewer tracks than heard in the film, but sequenced to mirror the story’s emotional slope.

Tracks & Scenes

“Fall at Your Feet” (Saint Raymond)

Where it plays:

Opens the film (00:00). Judd (Jason Bateman) crosses a Manhattan street and heads into the radio studio. The vocal sits like a confession over city noise. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Softly announces the film’s POV — intimate, rueful, and a little dazed.

“How Do U Want It” (2Pac feat. K-Ci & JoJo)

Where it plays:

At home (~00:02). Judd finds his wife (Abigail Spencer) in bed with his boss (Dax Shepard) and snaps the stereo off mid-groove. Diegetic (stereo).

Why it matters:

Sex as punchline and plot bomb — the needle-drop that detonates the story.

“Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” (DMX)

Where it plays:

Funeral arrival (~00:07). Phillip (Adam Driver) barrels up blasting it, mortifying the family. Diegetic (car).

Why it matters:

Instant character sketch: lovable chaos wrapped in subwoofers.

“Bitch Betta Have My Money” (AMG)

Where it plays:

Altman living room (~00:13). Phillip’s phone keeps misbehaving; the ringtone becomes a running gag. Diegetic.

Why it matters:

Comedy via needle-drop — the wrong song in the worst room.

“Better Man” (Pearl Jam)

Where it plays:

Neighborhood bar (~00:31). The siblings share a booth; Judd re-meets Penny (Rose Byrne). Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Nineties ache fits Judd’s midlife drift — longing in a jukebox.

“Blue Mind” (Alexi Murdoch)

Where it plays:

Quiet interior (~00:36). Judd leans back at a desk, headphones on, trying to drown out family noise from the next room. Non-diegetic blending with room tone.

Why it matters:

A pause button in song form — private space in a crowded house.

“Never Tear Us Apart” (INXS) → “Time After Time” (Cyndi Lauper)

Where it plays:

Ice rink run (~00:40–00:42 and reprise at ~01:33). Penny skates under mood lighting as Judd watches from the boards; flirty banter, a shared history, and that synth glow. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Two ’80s classics become a memory loop — romance as rewind.

“Reign of Love” (Coldplay)

Where it plays:

Late reflection (~01:30). Judd thinks about his father, then folds into a long hug with his mother (Jane Fonda). Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

A deep cut with hymnal calm — grief softened, not solved.

“The Ghost in You” (The Psychedelic Furs)

Where it plays:

Rink return (~01:31). Penny skates; Judd speaks a truth he’s avoided. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Melancholy as momentum — the song nudges him forward.

“Through the Dark” (Alexi Murdoch)

Where it plays:

Wendy (Tina Fey) leaves the house (~01:35). A wave to Horry (Timothy Olyphant), unsaid things between them. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Bittersweet realism — love, but not the life together.

“On Your Own” (Distant Cousins)

Where it plays:

Final moments & end credits (~01:39). Judd starts the car toward Maine; the horizon feels bigger. Non-diegetic into credits.

Why it matters:

Uplift without fireworks — an earned reset.

Notes & Trivia

• This Is Where I Leave You is scored by Oscar-winner Michael Giacchino; the sessions were string-heavy to keep the tone intimate.
• WaterTower Music released the companion songs album in mid-September 2014; it’s a curated subset of the film’s cues.
• Some needle-drops heard on screen (e.g., 2Pac, DMX, AMG) don’t appear on the official album — standard licensing reality.
• The rink sequence’s two ’80s staples (“Never Tear Us Apart,” “Time After Time”) became the film’s most replayed scene pair on streaming.
• The closing “On Your Own” by Distant Cousins doubles as epilogue mood and credits handoff.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews were mixed on the film’s familiarity but often singled out the music’s easy chemistry with the ensemble tone: songs as comfort, score as conscience.

“Sitting shiva makes the heart grow fonder… and the repressed grievances runneth over.” Variety

“Giacchino’s tender cues and well-worn favorites give Levy’s dramedy a humane pulse.” Festival coverage & trade notes

“The rink scene: a perfect use of an ’80s ballad to thaw two guarded people.” Scene-by-scene soundtrack guides

Interesting Facts

• Playlist architecture: The album front-loads discovery cuts (Saint Raymond, Alexi Murdoch) before sliding into recognizable classics (Lauper, INXS).
• Diegetic gags: Hip-hop drops (2Pac, DMX, AMG) are used for comic friction — car stereos and ringtones crashing solemn rooms.
• Memory rink: The lighting gags and song pair at the ice rink are repeated later, turning a flirt into a motif.
• Score texture: Strings first, then woodwinds — Giacchino keeps themes small and personal, rarely going full orchestral sweep.
• Edition note: The official album is the songs compilation; a separate commercial score album was not issued at the time.

Technical Info

• Type: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (songs compilation; original score by Michael Giacchino)
• Title: This Is Where I Leave You — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
• Year: 2014 (album release: September 16, 2014)
• Film: This Is Where I Leave You (2014), dir. Shawn Levy — 103 min
• Composer (score): Michael Giacchino
• Label (album): WaterTower Music
• Selected notable placements: “Fall at Your Feet” (opening); “How Do U Want It” (affair reveal); “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem” (funeral entrance); “Never Tear Us Apart” → “Time After Time” (ice rink pair); “Reign of Love” (late embrace); “On Your Own” (final road).
• Availability: Streaming/download (Apple Music, Spotify); digital retail.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the film’s score?

Michael Giacchino — a string-forward, intimate approach that complements the needle-drops rather than competing with them.

Which songs score the ice-rink scenes?

INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” into Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time,” first around 00:40–00:42, then reprised near the finale.

Is every on-screen song on the official album?

No — the WaterTower compilation is selective; some hip-hop cues used in the film aren’t on the album.

What track closes the movie?

“On Your Own” by Distant Cousins, carrying the final drive into the end credits.

Where can I hear the soundtrack?

On major services (Apple Music, Spotify); the label page also hosts stream/buy links.

Key Contributors

Subject	Relation	Object
Shawn Levy	directed	This Is Where I Leave You (2014)
Jonathan Tropper	wrote screenplay for	This Is Where I Leave You (from his novel)
Michael Giacchino	composed score for	This Is Where I Leave You (film)
WaterTower Music	released	This Is Where I Leave You — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2014)
Saint Raymond; Alexi Murdoch; INXS; Cyndi Lauper	featured on	official songs compilation
The Psychedelic Furs; Coldplay; Distant Cousins	featured on	official songs compilation
2Pac; DMX; AMG	songs heard in	film (not all on the album)
Warner Bros. Pictures	distributed	This Is Where I Leave You (theatrical)

Sources: WaterTower Music (album page); Apple Music; Spotify; IMDb (film & soundtrack credits); Vague Visages “Soundtracks of Cinema” (scene timings); Variety (festival review); Wikipedia (film & music overview); ScoringSessions (score session notes); YouTube trailer (Warner Bros.).

At her age, Jane Fonda made herself such a breast that has outdone many young girls. In the course of the film there are many jokes released on the subject. She looks younger here than in the movie with Jennifer Lopez several years ago, where she was trying to spoil the wedding of her son. But the essence of the film is not in this detail. There are many family relationships, both old and new. Betrayal, grief, joy, sorrow and pleasure of something new. This film is a brief summary of the average person's life, expressed in a few days, concentrated for the motion picture. There are plenty of talking in the story about life, past, present and future. About the people and what they are and what their actions are. It is about the circle of life. It has lots of ... other stuff you should watch yourself. This film is for those who simply like movies without any special effects. Where the salt is life in many facets of its manifestation and actions that we perform. The film is not completely sad, but the music is matched to it in such a way to make it grief, as it seems to us. At least, in the collection of 8 tracks there is not even one that would carry a positive charge. All either calm or slow (e.g., Blue Mind), or very slow (Reign Of Love is a vivid example). The only song that gives a moderate drive is On Your Own. Coldplay and INXS sang very cool and tasty, but in strict accordance with the character of the entire collection. If you did not know up to this point what kind of music collection you want to play for a wonderful evening with a loved one and a bottle of Grappa, it is precisely this collection will be your best assistant. A total of eight songs, but they create a good mood for many hours to come. You are welcome! ;)

November, 29th 2025

More info: IMDb, Wikipedia

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