"True Blood 2" Soundtrack Lyrics

“True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 2” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What happens when a vampire soap leans hard into Delta roots and alt-country? True Blood: Vol. 2 answers with a humid, lived-in mixtape — originals commissioned for the series rubbing shoulders with crate-dug classics. Where the first album introduced Bon Temps with swamp-rock swagger, this 2010 set widens the field: Beck growls through a back-porch blues, M. Ward howls Wolf, and Lucinda Williams twines with Elvis Costello on a bruised duet that could close down Merlotte’s at 2 a.m.

Across the season the songs do character work. Rockabilly and garage-soul flag danger; gospel and country mark ritual and memory; indie and noir-pop score the 3 a.m. confessions. The vibe moves in phases — hunger & heat (Howlin’ Wolf covers, Screamin’ Jay) → small-town ritual (classic country and soul) → myth getting louder (Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”) — while Nathan Barr’s score keeps the heartbeat low and twangy underneath.

How It Was Made

The compilation landed May 25, 2010 on Elektra, tied to the show’s Season 3 marketing. Gary Calamar’s supervision again steered toward Louisiana DNA and “swampy, spooky” textures while commissioning fresh material: Beck’s “Bad Blood,” M. Ward’s Howlin’ Wolf cover “Howlin’ for My Baby,” and Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello’s “Kiss Like Your Kiss.” The album also folds in Bob Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” Thievery Corporation’s “The Forgotten People (Bon Temps Remix),” King Britt & Sister Gertrude Morgan’s “New World in My View,” and deeper catalog pulls (Jr. Walker, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, 13th Floor Elevators).

In parallel, Nathan Barr issued a separate Season Two (Original Score) album — dulcimer, cello, acoustic guitars, and brooding motifs that thread the show’s rituals, revels, and very bad nights.

Tracks & Scenes

Key songs from Season 2 with scene context. “Diegetic” = heard by characters on screen; times are approximate to the U.S. cut.

“The Golden State” (John Doe feat. Kathleen Edwards)

Where it plays:

Season 2, Episode 1. At Merlotte’s, Tara and Eggs finally kiss amid clatter and chatter; the tune rises under the room’s glow (~mid-episode, non-diegetic bleed).

Why it matters:

Warms Tara’s arc with plainspoken alt-country tenderness — a rare calm before Maryann’s chaos.

“Hello Walls” (Faron Young)

Where it plays:

S2E1. A lonely morning at Sookie’s kitchen table; classic Nashville on the radio (diegetic).

Why it matters:

Everyday grief in a song — it roots the supernatural in ordinary loss.

“Lá Vem a Baiana” (Jussara Silveira)

Where it plays:

S2E1. Maryann’s poolside revel — fruit, flirting, a beatific haze (diegetic party music).

Why it matters:

Sunny sway masking menace; Maryann’s glamour always comes with a cost.

“Nothing But the Blood (Of Jesus)” (Randy Travis)

Where it plays:

S2E1 end credits; the episode title is the song title (series convention).

Why it matters:

Turns the credits into a weekly “track reveal” and tees up the season’s religion-and-ecstasy themes.

“New World in My View” (King Britt & Sister Gertrude Morgan)

Where it plays:

Season 2 arc — title/needle-drop for the late-season return to Bon Temps order, echoing the episode of the same name.

Why it matters:

Gospel-house fusion as rebirth signal — sacred and sweaty at once.

“The Forgotten People (Bon Temps Remix)” (Thievery Corporation)

Where it plays:

Season 2 montage and promo context; a snake-charming riff coils around party and pursuit beats.

Why it matters:

Exoticized groove that fits the show’s “ritual under the streetlight” mood.

“Howlin’ for My Baby” (M. Ward)

Where it plays:

Album-commissioned cover used in the season’s music mix and marketing; a smoky, close-mic’d growl.

Why it matters:

Threads the season’s lust-and-danger thesis through a vintage lens.

“Evil (Is Going On)” (Jace Everett & C.C. Adcock)

Where it plays:

Album duet of the Howlin’ Wolf staple; appears in series rotation and promos as a swagger cue.

Why it matters:

The show’s theme singer (Everett) goes full Delta; it’s swamp-rock in concentrated form.

“Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” (Bob Dylan)

Where it plays:

S2E12 end credits and in Season 2 promos; the title becomes the finale’s title as well.

Why it matters:

World-weary tango as curtain: desire spent, consequences due.

“The Good Life” (Ann-Margret)

Where it plays:

S2E11. Poolside with the Queen and Bill; ironic lounge gloss over scheming.

Why it matters:

Campy needle-drop that makes the vampiric high life feel chillingly civilized.

Notes & Trivia

• The album arrived May 25, 2010 on Elektra — timed to the show’s Season 3 push, while drawing from Season 2 highlights.
• Brand-new recordings were cut for the set (Beck’s “Bad Blood”; M. Ward’s “Howlin’ for My Baby”; Williams/Costello’s “Kiss Like Your Kiss”).
• “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’” closes the Season 2 finale and doubles as that episode’s title.
• Separate from the song album, Nathan Barr’s Season Two score album spotlights dulcimer, cello, and acoustic guitar motifs.
• In the U.K., the compilation hit No. 13 on the Official Soundtrack Albums Chart.

Reception & Quotes

Critics praised the second set’s cohesion and sultry sense of place; fans treated it like a mixtape for Bon Temps nights.

“An eclectic, expertly chosen set of songs that help define why True Blood is such addictive watching.” AllMusic

“Evokes that supernatural Louisiana swamp of longing, bloodlust, and just… lust — and works apart from it, too.” Entertainment Weekly

Availability: The album streams widely; physical editions include different bonus tracks in some territories. Barr’s Season Two (Original Score) album is available separately.

Interesting Facts

• Episode-title rule: Every episode title is the end-credits song — S2’s closer takes its name from Dylan’s track.
• Mixtape marketing: EW streamed the full album pre-release — a rare TV-soundtrack stunt in 2010.
• Two Wolfs: Season 2 features two Howlin’ Wolf covers on the album (M. Ward; Everett & Adcock).
• Roots & remixes: The “Bon Temps Remix” of Thievery Corporation’s cut was tailored to the show’s vibe.
• Score lane: Barr’s Season 2 cues lean more percussive and ritualistic as Maryann’s plotline peaks.

Technical Info

• Title: True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 2
• Year: 2010
• Type: Various-artists compilation; separate original score album for Season 2
• Label: Elektra Records
• Executive Music Supervision: Gary Calamar
• Key commissioned tracks: Beck — “Bad Blood”; M. Ward — “Howlin’ for My Baby”; Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello — “Kiss Like Your Kiss”
• Other notable inclusions: Bob Dylan — “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’”; Thievery Corporation — “The Forgotten People (Bon Temps Remix)”; King Britt & Sister Gertrude Morgan — “New World in My View”
• Companion release: True Blood: Season 2 (Original Score From the HBO Original Series) — Nathan Barr
• Charts (selected): US Billboard 200 No. 84; US Top Soundtracks No. 8; UK Soundtrack Albums No. 13

Questions & Answers

What exactly does “Volume 2” cover?

Songs tied to Season 2 of the series, plus a few new recordings commissioned for the album.

Who handled the show’s music choices?

Music supervisor Gary Calamar — he favored Gulf-South artists and swamp-gothic textures.

Is the score on this album?

No. Nathan Barr’s Season 2 score was released separately as its own album in 2010.

Which new tracks were created for the compilation?

Beck’s “Bad Blood,” M. Ward’s “Howlin’ for My Baby,” and Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello’s “Kiss Like Your Kiss.”

What’s the finale’s end-credits song?

Bob Dylan’s “Beyond Here Lies Nothin’,” which also lends its title to the episode.

Key Contributors

Sources: Wikipedia (Vol. 2 album & finale entry); Entertainment Weekly (track list & full-album stream); Pitchfork (new tracks & release); AllMusic (album overview); Official Charts (UK chart peaks); Apple Music (Season 2 score album); Discogs (album credits/editions); MoviesOST scene guides; HBO UK Season 2 trailer.

November, 29th 2025