"Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1" Soundtrack Lyrics

“Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

Can a TV drama feel symphonic without a traditional score? Treme answers by letting New Orleans itself do the orchestrating. Season 1’s official album bottles that approach: street-captured brass, barroom trad jazz, Mardi Gras Indian chants, R&B grandees, and cast-in-the-mix cameos. It plays like a walking tour — corner to corner, set to set — where songs aren’t background wallpaper but living scenes.

The curation sketches an emotional arc: second-line defiance (“Feel Like Funkin’ It Up”), nightclub swagger (“Skokiaan”), bittersweet street hymns (“Just a Closer Walk With Thee”), and porch-deep memories (“Time Is On My Side”). John Boutté’s title song opens the door; Steve Earle’s “This City” closes it with weary hope. In between, you hear a culture rebuilding itself one chorus at a time.

Genres & themes, in phases: brass band/second line — resilience, public joy; New Orleans R&B and jazz — continuity, craft; Mardi Gras Indian music — identity, ritual; singer-songwriter codas — reflection and resolve.

How It Was Made

Treme made a radical choice for prestige TV: no composed underscore. Music supervisor Blake Leyh staged and cleared in-world performances; the show’s drama rides on source music captured in clubs, kitchens, streets, and parades. The Season 1 compilation arrived first as a digital release in late September 2010, with a physical CD in October, carrying 19 tracks by New Orleans fixtures alongside cast-led performances (Steve Zahn, Lucia Micarelli, Wendell Pierce).

Tracks & Scenes

Selected placements with compact scene context (episode numbers refer to Season 1; timestamps vary by cut/region).

“Treme Song (Main Title Version)” (John Boutté)

Where it plays:

Every episode’s main titles — second-line horns, strut beat, neighborhood photography.

Why it matters:

A thesis in two minutes: Tremé’s sound is communal, local, proud.

“Feel Like Funkin’ It Up (Live Street Mix)” (Rebirth Brass Band)

Where it plays:

S1E1 (“Do You Know What It Means”) — second-line procession through the neighborhood; snare crack bouncing off color houses while characters intersect.

Why it matters:

Rebirth’s groove is the city’s pulse — grief and joy moving together.

“Skokiaan” (Kermit Ruffins & The Barbecue Swingers)

Where it plays:

S1E1 — club set at Vaughan’s; Kermit swings while friends talk shop at the bar.

Why it matters:

Nightlife as narrative — musicianship and community share the same table.

“Ooh Poo Pah Doo” (Trombone Shorty & James Andrews)

Where it plays:

Early-season club sequence; crowd call-and-response turns into a sweat-slick party.

Why it matters:

A lineage jam — younger stars keeping R&B standards roaring.

“We Made It Through That Water” (Free Agents Brass Band)

Where it plays:

Post-Katrina montage — high-stepping horns under boarded windows and rebuilt porches.

Why it matters:

Testimony in brass — survival set to parade cadence.

“At the Foot of Canal Street” (John Boutté, Paul Sanchez, Glen David Andrews & New Birth Brass Band)

Where it plays:

Street-corner singalong; a chorus builds as characters trade verses and grins.

Why it matters:

Neighborhood choir energy — the show’s “join in” invitation.

“My Indian Red” / “Indian Red (Wild Man Memorial)” (Dr. John; Mardi Gras Indians)

Where it plays:

Indian practice and memorial scenes — chants answered by drums and call-sung harmonies.

Why it matters:

Ritual on camera — the series honors Mardi Gras Indian culture on its own terms.

“Time Is On My Side” (Irma Thomas & Allen Toussaint)

Where it plays:

Heart-sore midseason cue; a character rethinks the long road back while Irma delivers the classic.

Why it matters:

Elegance and endurance — the city’s royalty framing private doubts.

“This City” (Steve Earle)

Where it plays:

Late-season montage and credits — aerials and street-level faces as cleanup continues.

Why it matters:

A songwriter’s benediction — weary, stubborn, tender.

“Just a Closer Walk With Thee” (Treme Brass Band)

Where it plays:

Funeral/second-line sequence; the dirge lifts to celebration as the beat flips.

Why it matters:

New Orleans theology in sound — grief turns into motion.

Notes & Trivia

• No underscore: The series famously uses only source/performance music — no traditional score.
• Two-step rollout: Digital release landed late September 2010; the physical CD followed in October.
• Cast in the band: The album includes performances by cast members (Steve Zahn, Lucia Micarelli, Wendell Pierce) alongside scene legends.
• Grammy nods: The album earned two nominations — including one for Steve Earle’s “This City.”
• Documentary DNA: Many cuts were captured live in actual clubs or streets, then licensed for the album.

Reception & Quotes

Critics praised the release as a living document rather than a tidy “music inspired by” — a snapshot of a city playing itself back to life.

“There is no score.” — the show’s music philosophy

“A broad, boots-on-the-ground survey of New Orleans styles.” — album capsule

Availability: Digital streeted September 28, 2010; physical CD followed October 26, 2010. Streaming editions mirror the 19-track set.

Interesting Facts

• Theme singer on screen: John Boutté, voice of the opener, also appears in-club during the season.
• Lineage jam: Trombone Shorty and James Andrews team on “Ooh Poo Pah Doo,” connecting families and eras.
• Indian culture centered: Multiple versions of “Indian Red” underline that these songs are living ceremonies, not set dressing.
• Street to stereo: Rebirth’s “Live Street Mix” really was — recorded in the neighborhood for the show.
• Song-map of Episode 1: The pilot alone weaves 30+ pieces through parades, kitchens, and clubs.

Technical Info

• Title: Treme: Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 1
• Year: 2010
• Type: Various artists compilation from in-world performances; no traditional score
• Music supervision: Blake Leyh
• Labels: Geffen Records (original release)
• Release context: Digital release Sept 28, 2010; physical CD Oct 26, 2010
• Core artists on album: John Boutté; Rebirth Brass Band; Kermit Ruffins; Trombone Shorty & James Andrews; Soul Rebels Brass Band & John Mooney; Free Agents Brass Band; Dr. John; Tom McDermott & Lucia Micarelli; Donald Harrison; Irma Thomas & Allen Toussaint; Steve Earle; Treme Brass Band; Leigh “Li’l Queenie” Harris
• Selected notable placements: “Treme Song” (main title); “Feel Like Funkin’ It Up” (second line); “Skokiaan” (Vaughan’s set); “At the Foot of Canal Street” (street singalong); “Indian Red” sequences; “This City” (credits)

Questions & Answers

Is there a traditional score in Season 1?

No — the show uses diegetic performances and licensed source music throughout.

When did the soundtrack come out?

Digitally on Sept 28, 2010, with a physical CD following Oct 26, 2010.

Who’s on the album?

New Orleans mainstays (Rebirth, Kermit, Dr. John, Irma Thomas) plus cast performances (Steve Zahn, Lucia Micarelli, Wendell Pierce), among others.

Which song plays over the opening titles?

“Treme Song (Main Title Version)” by John Boutté.

What closes the album?

“My Darlin’ New Orleans” by Leigh “Li’l Queenie” Harris — a tender curtain.

Key Contributors

Sources: AllMusic; Apple Music; Uproxx/HITFIX tracklist post; Discogs; IMDb episode music logs; American Songwriter interview; Wikipedia series page; MoviesOST episode guide; Wynton Marsalis site (teaser).

November, 29th 2025