"True Blood Vol.4" Soundtrack Lyrics

“True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 4” – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What does Bon Temps sound like after the witch wars — older, weirder, hungrier? Volume 4 answers with swamp soul, garage snarl, and end-credits statements that double as episode titles. Compared with the earlier sets, this 2013 compilation leans more electric and nocturnal: covers with bite, dusted jukebox blues, and a few sleek indie pulses for the show’s time-jumps and power shifts.

The vibe moves in phases — reckonings (Koko Taylor’s flinty attitude) → new orders (Bosco Delrey’s wink at authority) → sunrise truths (The Naked and Famous’ reflective glow) → last-dance menace (Los Lobos waving goodbye with gallows humor). It still feels like a True Blood mixtape: Southern-rooted, slyly curated, and built to roll over credits like a curtain call in red light.

How It Was Made

Vol. 4 gathers songs from Seasons 5–6 and dropped May 28, 2013 on ATO Records. It continues the show’s music grammar — every episode is named for the song that closes it — and folds in bespoke recordings: Eric Burdon with Jenny Lewis redoing “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” and the Iggy Pop/Bethany Cosentino one-off “Let’s Boot and Rally.” The team also pulled catalog cuts (Howlin’ Wolf, Los Lobos), modern indie (Warpaint, The Naked and Famous), and a Byrds cover from My Morning Jacket to mirror Season 5’s opening shock.

Gary Calamar’s supervision kept the “swampy, spooky, roots-first” brief intact while letting a few neon-modern textures in for Season 6’s escalation. The compilation peaked on Billboard’s Top Soundtracks and arrived alongside fresh trailers and promos.

Tracks & Scenes

Selections with on-screen moments. “Diegetic” = heard by characters in the scene; times are approximate to the U.S. cuts.

“Let’s Boot and Rally” (Iggy Pop & Bethany Cosentino)

Where it plays:

S5E4 (“Let’s Boot and Rally”) — end credits. After a night of chaos, the brand-new duet slams the door with a grin (non-diegetic).

Why it matters:

Commissioned to fit the title — a punky, swamp-rock wink that became the episode’s identity.

“Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There Is a Season)” (My Morning Jacket)

Where it plays:

S5E1 (“Turn! Turn! Turn!”) — end credits. The Byrds’ classic, newly covered, rolls after the cliffhanger carry-over (non-diegetic).

Why it matters:

Signals a season built on fallout and consequence — time’s wheel grinding forward.

“Authority Song” (Bosco Delrey)

Where it plays:

S5E2 (“Authority Always Wins”) — end credits. After the Authority’s introduction, a hip-swung stomp struts into the roll (non-diegetic).

Why it matters:

Title gag and tonal snap: swagger against the new regime.

“Whatever I Am, You Made Me” (Koko Taylor)

Where it plays:

S5E3 (“Whatever I Am, You Made Me”) — end credits. A blues snarl caps betrayals and bad choices (non-diegetic).

Why it matters:

Old-school fire that frames the episode’s blame and self-redefinition.

“We’ll Meet Again” (Los Lobos)

Where it plays:

S5E4 uses the Vera Lynn standard as an ironic thread; the album includes Los Lobos’ version to echo the episode title and goodbye motif.

Why it matters:

Dark farewell energy — the show loves a curtain call with teeth.

“Undertow” (Warpaint)

Where it plays:

S5E4 — Tara sneaks a smoke behind Fangtasia; a remixed “Undertow” laces the night air (diegetic bleed). Album presents the studio version.

Why it matters:

Hypnotic sway for Tara’s uneasy rebirth — cool on the surface, riptide beneath.

“The Sun” (The Naked and Famous)

Where it plays:

S6E2 (“The Sun”) — end credits. After daylight revelations, synth-shaded pop closes the book (non-diegetic).

Why it matters:

Title mirror and tonal shift — a rare glint of introspection in a bloody season.

“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (Eric Burdon feat. Jenny Lewis)

Where it plays:

Season 6 era — used across promos/album push; a smoky duet that threads the show’s lust vs. judgment tension.

Why it matters:

Icon returns to his own classic with a new foil; the performance fits the series’ sultry, haunted tone.

Not on the album — “Radioactive” (Imagine Dragons)

Where it plays:

S6E10 (“Radioactive”) — end credits of the finale (non-diegetic).

Why it matters:

Season button that nods to a “new age” status quo; often asked about and absent from Vol. 4.

Notes & Trivia

• The album spans Seasons 5–6 but keeps the show’s convention: episodes are named after the closing-credits song.
• “Let’s Boot and Rally” was written/recorded specifically for S5E4 after the title locked.
• My Morning Jacket’s cover of “Turn! Turn! Turn!” ushers in Season 5’s premiere credits.
• Eric Burdon & Jenny Lewis’ “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” led the 2013 single/lyric-video push for the album.
• Chart note: the compilation reached No. 13 on Billboard’s Top Soundtracks.

Reception & Quotes

Reviews called Vol. 4 a cohesive night-drive through True Blood’s world — equal parts sultry roots and sly modern choices.

“Clearly favor[s] sex, rot and fine times in between.” Rolling Stone

“Diverse, artful and intelligently assembled… gets anyone’s blood flowing.” American Songwriter

“Super enjoyable with a great track listing.” Renowned for Sound

Interesting Facts

• Episode-title rule: S5’s early run (“Turn! Turn! Turn!,” “Authority Always Wins,” “Whatever I Am, You Made Me”) appears on the album in some form.
• Bespoke duet: “Let’s Boot and Rally” united Iggy Pop with Best Coast’s Bethany Cosentino for one rowdy, made-to-order ender.
• Icon revisited: Eric Burdon re-sang a signature classic with Jenny Lewis, shaping it to the show’s swamp-goth vibe.
• Barroom DNA: Howlin’ Wolf and Koko Taylor keep the diegetic jukebox world feeling honest to Louisiana.
• Finale curiosity: Season 6 closes with Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive,” memorable but not included on the album.

Technical Info

• Title: True Blood: Music from the HBO Original Series, Vol. 4
• Year: 2013
• Type: Various-artists compilation (songs from Seasons 5–6)
• Label: ATO Records
• Key commissioned/featured cuts: Eric Burdon & Jenny Lewis — “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”; Iggy Pop & Bethany Cosentino — “Let’s Boot and Rally”; My Morning Jacket — “Turn Turn Turn”; The Naked and Famous — “The Sun”; Warpaint — “Undertow”; Koko Taylor — “Whatever I Am, You Made Me”; Los Lobos — “We’ll Meet Again”
• Chart: Billboard Top Soundtracks — No. 13
• Context: Companion to Season 5’s title-song run and Season 6’s shorter, faster arc and promo push

Questions & Answers

What seasons does Vol. 4 cover?

Primarily Seasons 5 and 6 — the album arrived during the Season 6 rollout.

Was “Let’s Boot and Rally” written for the show?

Yes. It was commissioned for S5E4’s end credits to match the locked episode title.

Which songs match episode titles on screen?

“Turn! Turn! Turn!,” “Authority Always Wins” (as “Authority Song”), and “Whatever I Am, You Made Me” are all reflected in Season 5’s end-credits choices.

What’s the Season 6 finale song, and is it on the album?

“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons closes S6E10 — memorable, but not included on Vol. 4.

Where can I hear the album?

It’s streaming widely; ATO hosts the track list with links to Apple Music and Spotify.

Key Contributors

Sources: ATO Records (official track list); Wikipedia (album overview, charts, reviews); Apple Music/Spotify (availability); KCRW & Pitchfork (Iggy/Cosentino story); True Blood Wiki & episode song logs (S5/S6 end-credits); IMDb soundtrack pages; Vulture & Pop Culture Nexus (S6 finale song notes).

November, 29th 2025