In the earÂly 1980s, aspirÂing filmÂmakÂer Jim JarÂmusch immersed himÂself in New York’s underÂground music scene. He played keyboards–a “fairÂly primÂiÂtive Moog synthesizer”–in places like CBGB and the Mudd Club with a No Wave band called The Del-ByzanÂteens and was deeply influÂenced by the spirÂit of punk rock. “The aesÂthetÂics of that scene realÂly gave me the courage to make films,” JarÂmusch latÂer recalled. “It was not about virÂtuÂosÂiÂty. It was about expresÂsion.”
Over the years, JarÂmusch cast musiÂcians instead of actors in many of his films: Joe StrumÂmer, Tom Waits, John Lurie, Iggy Pop–all had someÂthing in comÂmon. Each had stood up against comÂmerÂcial presÂsure from the mainÂstream popÂuÂlar culÂture. JarÂmusch carÂried the same uncomÂproÂmisÂing spirÂit into the creÂation of his films.
In the disÂcusÂsion above, recordÂed someÂtime after the release of 1999’s Ghost Dog, JarÂmusch explains his approach to using music in film.
The openÂing sequence of JarÂmusch’s 1986 film Down by Law (above) rolls to the groove of Tom WaitÂs’s “JockÂey Full of BourÂbon,” from the clasÂsic Rain Dogs album. Waits himÂself plays a leadÂing role in the film. His music fits perÂfectÂly into the atmosÂphere of the stoÂry, writes Juan A. Suárez in his critÂiÂcal study, Jim JarÂmusch: “WaitÂs’s songs tell of fracÂtured romances set in an underÂworld of drifters, pimps, and prostitutes–to a large extent the milieu of the film. And both JarÂmusch’s film and WaitÂs’s songs recyÂcle retro idioms. The visuÂal style of Down by Law draws from a numÂber of 1940s and 1950s stuÂdio genÂres, while WaitÂs’s songs are replete with pasÂtichÂes of polÂka, waltz, clasÂsic blues, and Caribbean rhythms.”
For the surÂreÂal 1995 westÂern Dead Man (samÂpled in the monÂtage above) JarÂmusch enlistÂed Neil Young to comÂpose and perÂform the soundÂtrack. “To me,” Young is quotÂed as sayÂing at the outÂset of the project by Jonathan RosenÂbaum in his BFI ModÂern ClasÂsics book on the film, “the movie is my rhythm secÂtion and I will add a melody to that.” Young recordÂed his minÂiÂmalÂist score, much of it improÂvised, in a large wareÂhouse in San FranÂcisÂco while watchÂing a rough cut of the film. Young played all the instruÂments: elecÂtric and acoustic guiÂtars, pump organ and a detuned piano.
The othÂer-worldÂly, someÂtimes jarÂring music bafÂfled a few of the critÂics. “A mood might have develÂoped here,” wrote Roger Ebert in a scathing review, “had it not been for the unforÂtuÂnate score by Neil Young, which for the film’s final 30 minÂutes sounds like nothÂing so much as a man repeatÂedÂly dropÂping his guiÂtar.” OthÂers heard genius. Rock hisÂtoÂriÂan Greil MarÂcus, in his “Ten reaÂsons why Neil Young’s “Dead Man” is the best music for the dog days of the 20th cenÂtuÂry,” wrote: “The music, as you lisÂten, sepÂaÂrates from the movie even as it frames scenes, banÂter, recitals. It gets bigÂger and more abstract, and it becomes hard to underÂstand how any film, showÂing peoÂple doing this or that in speÂcifÂic, non-abstract ways, could hold it.”
If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletÂter, please find it here. Or folÂlow our posts on Threads, FaceÂbook and BlueSky.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The Music in Quentin Tarantino’s Films: Hear a 5‑Hour, 100-Song Playlist
god i love dead man soundÂtrack… and more imporÂtantÂly it comÂpliÂments the film, i read eberts rewiew but its not the first time he missed the point of a movie (blue velÂvet, and anyÂthing made by lynch, some othÂer jerÂmush films: limÂits of conÂtrol for exmÂple, to name a few), and i stil say its a masÂterÂpiece, espeÂciali for a westÂern fan its as far as westÂern came after clints unforÂgivÂen. GrantÂed there is great westÂerns after this one but in comÂparÂiÂson, at least to me Dead Man preÂveiles
engÂlish not first lanÂguage :D :D
Neil Young ruined DeadÂman for me. It was the laziÂest sound track ever. It didÂn’t fit the film and came across as someÂthing that was added as an afterÂthought. That Mr. Young simÂply sat in front of a screen and picked at his guiÂtar. DeadÂman had the potenÂtial to be a great westÂern and the score, in my opinÂion, realÂly kept it from being that.
I give a kudos to night on earth, also by tom waits, as my favorite jarÂmusch soundÂtrack.
I perÂsonÂalÂly didÂn’t like Neil Young’s soundÂtrack for Dead Man. It soundÂed to me like nothÂing more than Cheech Marin, noodling on his guiÂtar for an hour and half.
I love JarÂmusch’s ear for music, creÂatÂing sinÂguÂlar atmosÂpheres.
And the soundÂtrack to “Dead Man”? One of my all-time favourite soundÂtracks. It creÂates an altered state, imo.
I watched this to hear about John Lurie’s music and there is nothÂing! Lurie did the first four scores for Jim JarÂmush’s movies and they were amazÂing!!
WantÂed to read about John Lurie’s conÂtriÂbuÂtion. BumÂmer.
Can’t imagÂine a criÂtique of Dead Man in pieces. As a comÂbine, it is the best westÂern and most realÂisÂtic westÂern ever made. F((k john ford, brothÂers, amoldin in his grave.
So the music is a part there — and it’s subÂtle where the light is subÂtle. and it’s a burnÂing irriÂtaÂtion when it’s in your eyes. some are born to sweet delight — like this film in all peaces.