"Three and Out"Soundtrack Lyrics

“Three and Out — Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Score & Songs)” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

Can a film about death-by-train feel tender? Three and Out tries — and the music does most of the heavy lifting. Trevor Jones’ orchestral score gives the story shape: lilting, Irish-tinged warmth for reconciliation beats; stealthy caper pulses when plans go sideways; strings that ache when words fail. Wrapped around it is a motley “various artists” mixtape — Elvis Costello, Blondie, The Pogues, Blood Red Shoes, Juliette & The Licks — that tilts scenes toward irony or punch.

The plot is a dark hook played gently: Tube driver Paul (Mackenzie Crook) meets Tommy (Colm Meaney), a man who negotiates one last weekend with family before agreeing to end his life. The songs carry the film’s tonal tug-of-war — pub energy and punk snap versus hushed, forgiving ballads — while Jones’ cues keep the through-line steady. It’s the soundtrack of two men trying to rewrite endings.

Genres & themes in phases — indie/garage & punk-pop: gallows humor and forward motion; classic rock & pop standards: irony, memory; Irish folk-punk: Tommy’s grit and fatalism; lyrical orchestral score: the human core beneath the stunt.

How It Was Made

The score is by Trevor Jones and was issued as a stand-alone CD by Contemporary Media Recordings (catalog CMR-2008-6), shipping May 5, 2008. The companion “various artists” album (released in late April 2008 in the UK) gathers on-screen and trailer cues, including Elvis Costello’s “Accidents Will Happen,” Blood Red Shoes, Juliette & The Licks, The Pogues, and two new recordings by West End vocalist Lee Mead (“Somebody Help Me,” “You’ve Got a Friend”). The film was released in the UK as Three and Out and in Australia as A Deal Is a Deal; the cast includes Crook, Meaney, Imelda Staunton, and Gemma Arterton.

Tracks & Scenes

“Accidents Will Happen” (Elvis Costello & The Attractions)

Where it plays:

Used on the songs album and in promotional materials to frame Paul’s terrible luck and the film’s black-comedy premise. Non-diegetic needle-drop with wry bite.

Why it matters:

The pun writes itself — sardonic commentary on a premise built around “under the train” incidents.

“One Way or Another” (Blondie) — trailer

Where it plays:

In the UK trailer, underscoring quick-cuts of Paul’s desperate search and Tommy’s reluctant agreement. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Pure pursuit energy — the marketing leans on a recognizable pulse to sell the odd couple road trip.

“Dreaming of You” (The Coral) — trailer

Where it plays:

Trailer montage beats during the “one last weekend” pitch and travel snippets. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Sunny indie swing to soften a morbid proposition.

“Spirit in the Sky” (Norman Greenbaum) — trailer

Where it plays:

Trailer gag cue over shots of plans and mishaps en route north. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

On-the-nose afterlife joke — the campaign’s gallows humor in three minutes.

“Night Time” (N.U.M.B.) — trailer

Where it plays:

Trailer stinger, bridging from comedic beats to a hint of menace before the title card. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Gives the promo a darker edge — a tonal signpost the feature then explores more quietly.

“Hot Kiss” (Juliette & The Licks)

Where it plays:

A bar/club-energy needle-drop tied to Paul and Frankie’s messy flirtation on the road. Non-diegetic with room-tone bleed.

Why it matters:

Turns a morally dubious choice into a chaotic push — the soundtrack lets impulse lead.

“If I Should Fall From Grace with God” (The Pogues)

Where it plays:

Pub or travel montage needle-drop as Tommy wrestles with last-weekend tasks; the lyric shadowboxes with the film’s bargain. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Rowdy fatalism meets Irish pride — Tommy’s backstory in a song.

“Somebody Help Me” (Lee Mead)

Where it plays:

Used to pep up a planning montage and endear Paul to Frankie’s orbit; contemporary pop-soul sheen, non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Radio-friendly brightness that briefly pretends this isn’t a tragedy in progress.

“You’ve Got a Friend” (Lee Mead)

Where it plays:

Late-film reconciliation mood, heard over montage beats between Tommy and his estranged family. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

A sentimental lens that the movie both uses and complicates; friendship as promise — and as debt.

“I Wish I Was Someone Better” (Blood Red Shoes)

Where it plays:

Grinding indie-rock drop under Paul’s guilt and self-reproach following the hill-chase fallout. Non-diegetic.

Why it matters:

Title-as-thesis for a character who keeps choosing the expedient thing.

Score: “The Chase” (Trevor Jones)

Where it plays:

Paced action cue for the hillside pursuit after Tommy sees Paul and Frankie together; rhythmic strings, urgent brass. Non-diegetic score.

Why it matters:

Jones accelerates the story without losing its rueful tone — momentum with melancholy.

Score: “A Deal’s a Deal” (Trevor Jones)

Where it plays:

Finale and aftermath — the station platform decision and its emotional reckoning.

Why it matters:

The score, not a pop song, gets the last word, honoring the film’s humane core.

Notes & Trivia

• The film’s Australian title is A Deal Is a Deal; several databases list songs under that name.
• There are two commercial releases: a Trevor Jones score CD and a separate various-artists compilation with 20–21 cuts.
• Lee Mead recorded two new tracks for the album — “Somebody Help Me” and “You’ve Got a Friend.”
• Trailer music leans on Blondie, The Coral, and “Spirit in the Sky,” which aren’t all heard in-picture the same way.
• Contemporary Media Recordings issued the score; the label entry lists catalog CMR-2008-6.

Reception & Quotes

Critics were cool on the movie but often noted the cast’s effort and the film’s uneasy tonal mix. The soundtrack’s juxtaposition — rowdy songs versus tender score — mirrors that divide.

“Too gauche, too derivative and merely sporadically amusing.” Time Out

“A misguided romp whose solitary redeeming feature is its quality cast.” Film4 (via aggregator)

“Ostensibly a black comedy… engages most in its more reflective moments.” Total Film (via aggregator)

Interesting Facts

• Alt-market title: In Australia the film and listings appear as A Deal Is a Deal — handy when hunting song credits.
• Score label: The Jones album is a compact 16-track release on CMR; it arrived one week after the UK theatrical opening.
• Trailer vs. film: Several trailer songs aren’t album cues; they’re marketing-only placements.
• Pogues resonance: “If I Should Fall From Grace…” lands with thematic bite given Tommy’s Irish backstory.
• Cast heat: The film’s campaign highlighted Gemma Arterton’s rising profile post-Bond, while the music leaned on familiar classics to broaden appeal.

Technical Info

• Type: Feature film soundtrack — separate score album + songs compilation
• Title: Three and Out (UK); A Deal Is a Deal (AU)
• Year: 2008 (UK release); score CD shipped May 5, 2008
• Composer (score): Trevor Jones
• Score label/catalog: Contemporary Media Recordings — CMR-2008-6 (CD)
• Songs album highlights: Elvis Costello “Accidents Will Happen”; Blondie “One Way or Another” (trailer); The Coral “Dreaming of You” (trailer); Norman Greenbaum “Spirit in the Sky” (trailer); Juliette & The Licks “Hot Kiss”; Blood Red Shoes “I Wish I Was Someone Better”; The Pogues “If I Should Fall From Grace with God”; Lee Mead “Somebody Help Me” & “You’ve Got a Friend”.
• Film basics: Dir. Jonathan Gershfield; starring Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Imelda Staunton, Gemma Arterton; UK runtime ~95–106 min (sources vary).

Questions & Answers

Is there a single “official” album?

No — there are two: a Trevor Jones score CD, and a separate various-artists disc with pop/rock tracks (plus trailer cuts in the marketing).

Who sings the two new recordings?

Lee Mead contributes “Somebody Help Me” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” recorded specifically for the soundtrack.

Which songs are only in the trailer?

Notably Blondie’s “One Way or Another,” The Coral’s “Dreaming of You,” Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky,” and N.U.M.B.’s “Night Time.”

What label released the score?

Contemporary Media Recordings (CMR), catalog CMR-2008-6; it shipped May 5, 2008.

Who composed the film’s music?

Trevor Jones, whose album cues (e.g., “The Chase,” “A Deal’s a Deal”) carry the film’s emotional through-line.

Key Contributors

Sources: Wikipedia (film overview & trailer-song notes); MovieMusic (score listing); SoundtrackINFO (score release details); MusicBrainz (label/catalog); Amazon UK (score listing); Lee Mead Timeline (two new recordings); Elvis Costello/artist discography listings (songs album entries); Rotten Tomatoes aggregator (critical blurbs); Time Out (UK review); YouTube trailer.

November, 29th 2025