The following contains spoilers for Sinners, now playing in theatersThe full soundtrack for Sinners is especially impressive, leaning into the blues roots of the time period to great effect. Set in 1932 Mississippi, Sinners follows Michael B. Jordan’s twin brothers, Smoke and Stack, as they try to open a juke joint — only to be attacked by a murderous figure who transforms his victims into monsters like him. At the very core of the film is music, with Sammie’s singing and guitar skills piercing the layers between the living and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. Even beyond that, the intoxicating power of music and the legacy of blues musicians appear throughout the plot.
As such, Sinners boasts a very impressive soundtrack that matches the critical heights of the Ryan Coogler vampire film. The soundtrack is largely dominated by blues songs. However, the expanded cultural touch of the movie does incorporate some other songs into the run-time, while a few more modern tracks appear in the film’s credits. The full soundtrack to Sinners is a long one, speaking to the full scope of music and the role it plays in the film. Here is every song in Sinners, where they play in the film, and where fans can find the soundtrack to listen to for themselves.
Songs |
Artist |
“Irish Filídh, Choctaw Chant And West African Griot Suite” |
Iarla Ó Lionáird, Jaeden Ariana Wesley and DC6 Singers Collective |
“This Little Light Of Mine” |
Pleasant Valley Youth Choir of New Orleans and DC6 Singers Collective |
“Wang Dang Doogle” |
Cedric Burnside, Tierinii Jackson and Sharde Thomas-Mallory |
“Travelin'” |
Miles Caton |
“My Babe” |
Sharde Thomas-Mallory and Chris Mallory |
“Pony Blues” |
Alvin Youngblood Hart |
“Delta Slim Railroad Blues” |
Bobby Rish |
“Grinnin’ In Your Face” |
James Super Chikan Johnson |
“Juke” |
Bobby Rish, Miles Caton |
“Julie” |
Dominique McClellan and Carl LeBlanc |
“Baby, Please Don’t Go” |
Big Joe Williams |
“Boogie Woogie” |
Lester Snell |
“Every Day I Have The Blies” |
Lester Snell |
“I Lied To You” |
Miles Caton |
“After Hours Blues” |
Eurreal “Little Brother” Montgomery |
“Pick Poor Robin Clean” |
Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis |
“Can’t Win For Losin'” |
Cedric Burnside and Tierinii Jackson |
“Old Corn Liquor” |
Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson |
“Wild Mountain Thyme (Will You Go Lᴀssie Go)” |
Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis |
“Pale, Pale Moon” |
Jayme Lawson |
“Rocky Road To Dublin” |
Jack O’Connell |
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” |
Alice Smith and Miles Caton |
“Sinners” |
Rod Wave |
“Travelin'” |
Buddy Guy |
“This Little Light Of Mine” |
Miles Caton |
When Every Song On The Sinners Soundtrack Plays In The Movie
There Are 25 Songs In The Sinners Soundtrack
Irish Filídh, Choctaw Chant And West African Griot Suite by Iarla Ó Lionáird, Jaeden Ariana Wesley and DC6 Singers Collective: The opening musical beat in Sinners speaks to the importance of songs in human culture, a major element of the film as a whole. During a brief narration that establishes some singers can bend the barriers of the living and the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, a montage of different artists playing their music is shown in drawings. This includes people from across the world, and is represented by a blend of music from Ireland, North America, and West Africa that establishes the movie’s interest in exploring the power of music.
“This Little Light Of Mine” by Pleasant Valley Youth Choir of New Orleans and DC6 Singers Collective: The first proper scene of Sinners is set at the very end of the main plot. After surviving a night of chaos, Sammie returns to his father’s church and interrupts the service. This includes a performance of “This Little Light Of Mine” being sung by a children’s choir. It will later bookend the climax of the film as well as the post-credits scene of the movie.
“Travelin'” by Miles Caton: Sammie plays “Travelin'” early in Sinners, with the song serving as an early indicator of his skills as a musician. He sings the song for his cousin Stack, who is excited by the discovery of just how good a musician his cousin really is. This gets a reprisal at the end of the film, when the older version of Sammie plays the same song for the vampiric Stack.
There are several other songs that appear briefly in Sinners as background songs for character-driven scenes. This article, which currently focuses on the main songs in the film, will be updated once the film is released.
“Delta Slim Railroad Blues/Juke” by Bobby Rush and Miles Caton: Delta Slim is one of the important supporting characters in Sinners, serving as the experienced contrast to the more youthful Sammie. Delta Slim is introduced playing the harmonica by himself at the train tracks. He eventually plays along with Sammie once he finds out how much Stack is willing to pay him to play at the club in a continuation of “Delta Slim Railroad” that is listed as “Juke.”
“I Lied To You” by Miles Caton: One of the big marquee scenes of Sinners, Sammie’s performance of “I Lied To You” draws the attention of Remmick towards the juke joint. The song is an example of Sammie playing so well that he connects to the spirits of the past and future, leading to visions of other performers from across history and culture to appear dancing amid the scene. It’s also one of the most visually arresting scenes of the film.
“Pick Poor Robin Clean” by Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis: “Pick Poor Robin Clean” is the song that Remmick, Joan, and Bert play when they arrive at the juke joint. They try to get into the establishment to share their music, pleasantly enough presenting themselves as musicians instead of vampires. Despite Stack saying they’re not bad, Smoke refuses to let them inside.
“Wild Mountain Thyme (Will You Go Lᴀssie Go)” by Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis: “Wild Mountain Thyme (Will You Go Lᴀssie Go)” is one of the classical Irish songs sung by Remmick, Joan, and Bert. They are playing the song when Mary comes to speak with them about potentially playing for them. It’s another clue to the reveal that Remmick is from Ireland and is faking aspects of his more American accent.
“Pale, Pale Moon” by Jayme Lawson: “Pale, Pale Moon” is sung by Pearline, serving as the background music for several important beats. On the one hand, the stomping set off by the song covers up the sound of a gambling cheat being beaten by Smoke’s men, a grim reminder of how far Smoke is willing to go to maintain power. It’s also the song that a now vampiric Mary uses as the background of her seduction (and eventual murder) of Stack.
“Rocky Road To Dublin” by Jack O’Connell: A traditional Irish song, “Rocky Road To Dublin” is sung by Remmick after he has corrupted many of the patrons of the juke joint into vampires. The scene is a reʙuттal to the blues song sung by Sammie earlier in the film, indicating his own cultural roots. It also showcases the connection between the vampires, as the crowd of new vampires dance and celebrate perfectly in tune alongside him.
“Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” by Alice Smith and Miles Caton: “Last Time (I Seen The Sun)” plays at the end of Sinners. The lyrics are perfectly suited to the film, which ends with the deaths of almost all the main characters. This is one of the songs that also bleeds into the final performances of the film.
Sinners also boasts an impressive score by Ludwig Göransson, who won an Academy Award for one of his previous collaboration with Ryan Coogler, Black Panther.
“Sinners” by Rod Wave: “Sinners” has been released as a single, in tandem with Sinners. The modern hip-hop song, performed by Rod Wave, plays during the credits of the film. It builds on the prior sequence where modern influences bled through to the setting through Sammie’s music.The lyrics reference elements of the film such as vampires, while still being unique distinctive enough from the film’s blues-heavy soundtrack.
“Travelin'” by Buddy Guy: Buddy Guy appears at the end of Sinners as the aged version of Sammie, who was still playing the blues decades later. This version of Sammie is the main focus of the film’s first post-credits scene, which revisits him in 1992. He plays the song when visited by the vampiric Stack, recalling their earlier interactions decades prior.
“This Little Light Of Mine” by Miles Caton: The post-credits scene of Sinners is a small sequence focusing on Sammie. Cutting back to some time before the events of the film, the scene sees Sammie playing the guittar in his father’s church and singing “This Little Light Of Mine.” It’s a direct contrast to the opening of the film, where Sammie returned to the church bloodied and injured from his experiences over the course of the night. It’s a fitting bookend for Sinners.
Where To Listen To Sinners’ Soundtrack
The Soundtrack Will Be Available For Stream And Purchase On April 18
The Sinners soundtrack will be officially released on April 18, corresponding to the theatrical release of Sinners. The soundtrack will be available where all music is sold, such as Apple Music or Amazon Music. The score for the film, composed by Ludwig Göransson and with contributions from Brittany Howard, Rod Wave, Raphael Saadiq, James Blake, Cedric Burnside, Rhiannon Giddens, Don Toliver and Lola Kirke, will also be made available on April 18. One of the main pieces of music from the film, “Why You Here / Before the Sun Went Down,” has already been released.
Hailee Steinfeld, who has experience as a singer, also had a single coming out in conjunction with the film. “Dangerous” will also be released in tandem with Sinners, although the actress did release a preview of the song on YouTube. The critical acclaim surrounding Sinners is also focused on the songs from the film, speaking to their importance in the narrative and the craft of the musicians involved. Sinners is deeply rooted in music, and the lengthy soundtrack and score for the film is a fitting piece of artistry that brings much of the film to life.