Wild at Heart soundtrack: A definitive guide to all the songs in the movie

Wild at Heart is a 1990 black comedy romantic crime film directed by David Lynch, adapted from Barry Gifford’s novel. It's about a young couple named Sailor Ripley and Lula Fortune who are trying to stay away from Lula's controlling mother and the thieves she's hired.

Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, and Willem Dafoe all play important parts in the movie. After it premiered on August 17, 1990, the movie won the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for Oscars and Golden Globes.

Music is an important part of Wild at Heart and adds to the story's depth. David Lynch put together a great soundtrack with music from many styles, such as rock, jazz, and orchestral pieces.

With themes from Elvis Presley's music and The Wizard of Oz, the soundtrack goes well with the mood of the movie.

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Soundtrack from the Wild at Heart: Smoke Rings, Up in Flames, and more

The Wild at Heart soundtrack includes a mix of dynamic tracks that reflect the film's varied emotional landscape. Below is the list of songs featured in the movie:

• Slaughterhouse by Powermad
• In the Mood by Glenn Miller
• Smoke Rings by Casa Loma Orchestra
• Up in Flames (Live) by Julee Cruise
• Love Me (August 12 – Midnight Show) by Elvis Presley
• Avant De Mourir by Jean-Claude Vannier
• Vier letzte Lieder, TrV 296: 4. Im Abendrot by Richard Strauss, Jessye Norman, and Gewandhausorchester
• Baby Please Don’t Go by Them
• Boomada by Les Baxter
• Be-Bop-A-Lula (2002 Remastered) by Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps
• Kosmogonia by Krzysztof Penderecki and Warsaw Philharmonic Choir
• Wicked Game by Chris Isaak
• Blue Spanish Sky by Chris Isaak
• In the Heat of the Jungle by Chris Isaak
• Wrinkles by Willie Dixon and The Big Three Trio
• Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley

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About the music composer

Angelo Daniel Badalamenti was an American composer who lived from 1937 to 2022 and was famous for his moody film scores, especially those he made with David Lynch. His work includes iconic pieces for Blue Velvet (1986), Twin Peaks, The Straight Story (1999), and Mulholland Drive (2001).

He also wrote music for movies like The City of Lost Children (1995) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). His influence went beyond movies, as he worked with artists like Nina Simone, David Bowie, and Julee Cruise.

He won a Grammy in 1990 for the Twin Peaks Theme song and many other awards for his lifetime work, establishing his position in the history of both film and music.

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Plot overview of Wild at Heart

In Wild at Heart, Sailor Ripley and Lula Fortune's love story is full of ups and downs as they try to get away from Marietta Fortune, Lula's controlling mother. At the start of the story, Sailor is in jail for killing a man who attacked him on Marietta's orders.

Lula picks him up after he gets out of jail, and the two of them decide to run away to California. In order to find and kill Sailor, Marietta hires private detective Johnnie Farragut and gangster Marcelles Santos. Along the way, they face danger, violence, and emotional problems.

Sailor and Lula see some upsetting things on their trip, like the consequences of a fatal car accident. They stop in Big Tuna, Texas, as they are out of money. Here, they meet Bobby Peru, a criminal who tricks Sailor into a bad robbery.

Sailor doesn't know this, but Peru has been hired to kill him. The heist goes wrong, and Peru and Sailor are both arrested.

While Sailor is in jail, he finds out that Lula is pregnant with their child. After six years, Sailor is freed and decides to leave Lula and their son because he thinks they will be better off without him. But a strange vision makes him decide to follow his heart.

In an endearing scene, he gets back together with Lula and their son and sings Love Me Tender to show how much they love and care for each other.

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Wild at Heart is available to stream on Prime Video.