Watchmen Movie Soundtrack

Watchmen CD SoundtrackNo, nothing official’s been announced, and chances are not many fans would even care about a soundtrack to a Watchmen movie. Heck, they may just choose to go with an orchestral score for all I know. But I rattled my brain and thought of what would make the perfect soundtrack to a Watchmen movie, keeping in mind the timeframe the comic is set in (mostly ’80s with flashbacks to ’60s and ’70s) and the characters/events that shape the overall storyline. So here’s what I came up with (all links open up the song on iTunes in case you’re unfamiliar):

  1. All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix/Electric Ladyland
  2. Time - Pink Floyd/Dark Side of the Moon
  3. What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong/single
  4. Call of Ctuthlu - Metallica/Ride the Lightning
  5. The Times They Are A-Changin’ - Bob Dylan/The Times They Are A-Changin’
  6. Valley of the Kings - Blue Murder/Blue Murder
  7. Burn in Hell - Twisted Sister/Stay Hungry
  8. Unchained - Van Halen/Fair Warning
  9. The Joker - Steve Miller Band/The Joker

Some liner notes for ya here to help explain my picks. And if you haven’t read Watchmen yet (?!?), consider this your SPOILER WARNING as I will be discussing some specific plot points below:

  1. How can you NOT include this classic tune somewhere in the movie. It’s even quoted at the end of issue #10 as Rorschach and Nite Owl head off to Ozymandias’ frigid fortress. Granted Bob Dylan’s the one quoted (he did write the song after all), but Hendrix’s cover is just too amazing and gives off the perfect raw energy for this flick.
  2. Not sure where in the film this could fit but most likely during Dr. Manhattan’s “origin” story (issue #4) where we learn all about his love of fixing pocket watches. The entire issue is about time, jumping backwards and forwards through history, as watch cogs fall into place.
  3. This one may seem like the oddest fit of all but it’s the clearest one for me. Picture this. It’s flashback to Vietnam with the Comedian mowing down anyone and everyone in his path, continuing the butchering, all with a smile on his face… and the deep gentle voice of Louis Armstrong singing “What a Wonderful World.”
  4. What better song to represent Ozymandias’ grand scheme and crazy monstrous creation (issue #12’s opener) than this heavy, driving tune by Metallica? Even if the name “Ctuthlu” wasn’t in the title, it’d still fit the bill.
  5. Another Dylan tune, this one could be running in the background during various flashbacks such as the government passing the Keene Act to outlaw masked vigilantes, society turning against the heroes, etc.
  6. Not too well known a song I know but this one is Ozymandias’ theme song basically. Rich with Egyptian mood/atmosphere and powerful driving drum beats, it’s a great tribute to the King of Kings as he explains his master plan to save the world (issue #12).
  7. Appropriate on two levels, I see this classic Twisted Sister tune playing in the background as Rorschach catches up with the psycho kid-killer, handcuffing him in place with a hacksaw inches away, as he proceeds to burn the hole place down.
  8. Rounding out the soundtrack would be this driving David Lee Roth tune. Possibly lead into the ending of the film with this one as Ozymandias realizes “nothing ever ends” soon followed by Eugene reaching for Rorschach’s journal, showing that the future is wide open.
  9. This could fit in just about any part with the Comedian, but I’d love to see it start the whole film off as the Comedian’s falling to his death from his penthouse window. The lively music and lyrics would be a perfect contradiction to what everyone’s seeing on the screen.
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3 Comments

  1. Dave
    Posted May 13, 2008 at 4:56 pm | Permalink

    I dig your list!

    I think there’s a band called “The Watchmen” … maybe they have a good song.

  2. Bryan
    Posted July 3, 2008 at 12:46 am | Permalink

    Love the list, agree with all the choices.

    Yes, there is/was a band called The Watchmen, and they have lots of very good songs. None that I can quite picture for the movie off the top of my head.

    And as for The Times They Are A-Changin’… that song HAS to be in the movie somewhere. It is part of the Nostalgia fragrance ads from the story.

  3. Posted July 7, 2008 at 12:40 pm | Permalink

    Dave - Yep, there was a band called The Watchmen and yes I bought 1 album and no I don’t remember a single song from them.

    Bryan - Thanks so much! I hope Dylan’s tune makes it in too!

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