Source Music in Movies

[David]

The term "source music" in a film refers to background music that's coming from a realistic "source" within the fictitious world of the movie -- someone has a radio on or some such. It can have a stronger emotional impact than music coming out of nowhere that the characters don't hear.

What are some of your favorite examples of source music in movies?

Mine:

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" at the party in the bungalow in THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY: Torrid, steamy, seductive, redolent of orchid & eucalyptus ... & that's just the tropical Indonesian weather!



How about when the Whos in Whoville sing the opening credits theme song -- "Welcome, Christmas" -- in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE XMAS? It warms the cockles of the heart. On second thought, this might have been written specifically for the show, thus rendering it ... not ... source music per se?

Or when the psychotic preacher sings "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" in "NIGHT OF THE HUNTER? A little irony there, no? "Leaning, leaning, safe & secure from all alarms"?




Blanche hums (& "hears") the "Varsouviana" in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, & the talented Alex North strings the lilting waltz (which some weirdly call a polka) across the soundtrack like pearls of illumin'd wisdom -- in those scenes in which Blanche is especially discombobulated.