Every song on the Garden State soundtrack, ranked

Image
Photo: K.C. Bailey

Zach Braff's Garden State (2004) was—and continues to be—known as much for its soundtrack as for, well, everything else. The 13-song mix introduced The Shins and Frou Frou to a wider audience and gave well-established bands like Simon & Garfunkel and Coldplay a new home. And it gave thousands of Garden State fans something to pop into their CD player and keep there for days (or, you know, months) on end.

Braff's other films, including 2014's Wish I Was Here, also have impressive soundtracks, but here's a look back at the Grammy-winning soundtrack that started it all—and a ranking of all of its tracks, because not every song can be a life-changer.

13. "Winding Road" by Bonnie Somerville

Do you even remember this song? Does anyone even remember this song?

12. "Don't Panic" by Coldplay

Coldplay is typical Coldplay here: Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that you want to make all your friends listen to right away.

11. "One of These Things First" by Nick Drake

Nick Drake's lyrics in this song are fine, if a bit overly wistful thanks to the series of "I could have beens" that come off as whiny. But it's the actual music—with a combination of piano and guitar—that's reminiscent of tunes from The Sims, that makes it forgettable.

10. "Lebanese Blonde" by Thievery Corporation

This soundtrack is full of emotional, rock-leaning tracks, but "Lebanese Blonde" is anything but: It's a dreamy song highlighted by sitar and a funky bass that would make more sense playing over the speakers of a dimly-lit bar than in a Zach Braff movie.

9. "Blue Eyes" by Cary Brothers

Cary Brothers (who is one man, not the brothers Cary), is a go-to artist for soundtracks: His songs have been featured on shows like One Tree Hill, Grey's Anatomy, and Braff's very own Scrubs, just to name a few. His acoustic-driven, love-focused songs are appropriate for those small (and in Garden State's case, big) screen moments that need that extra dose of emotion. But alone? "Blue Eyes" isn't much more than a sentimental love song.

8. "In the Waiting Line" by Zero 7

Imagine lying down on a giant, comfy bed after a long, exhausting day—this song matches that feeling.

7. "Caring Is Creepy" by The Shins

"Caring Is Creepy" is no "New Slang," but it's a solid rock-inspired song that could be easily mistaken for a track off an old record many years before its 2001 release.

6. "Fair" by Remy Zero

With its swelling chorus and the singer's rocky rasp, "Fair" is one of those songs that's the perfect soundtrack for a moment when two characters are about to make out for the first time—fitting, since it plays at the point in Garden State when Braff's Largeman confesses his crush to Natalie Portman's Sam.

5. "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" by Colin Hay

A melancholic tune that seems only appropriate for a rainy day, "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You" is sad and meditative in a way that makes it the ideal song to cry along to. What, that's not what you do when you listen to this soundtrack?

4. "Such Great Heights" by Iron & Wine

Originally an up-tempo song by electronic duo The Postal Service, Iron & Wine took "Such Great Heights" and made it into a delicate, sweet ballad only faintly like its (also great) parent.

3. "Let Go" by Frou Frou

Imogen Heap (one-half of Frou Frou, along with Guy Sigsworth) sings in her typical breathy style for "Let Go," a song that invites the listener in with the beginning crescendo and keeps you staying with that dramatic cello and Heap's uplifting lyrics. It's a could-be dance track but with more drama, more heart, and just enough Imogen Heap.

2. "Only Living Boy in New York" by Simon & Garfunkel

This 1970 song is about loneliness, but without the somberness that usually accompanies songs about loneliness. Instead, its angelic background vocals create a hopeful vibe that works wonders behind the now-famous(ly cheesy) scene of Braff and company screaming into the infinite abyss.

1. "New Slang" by The Shins

Yes, it's the song that Natalie Portman told us would change our lives. Maybe it didn't change your life, but it probably got stuck in your head thanks to its strange, open-to-interpretation lyrics and a folk sound that's easy to bop your head along to. It doesn't matter if "New Slang" is actually life-changing or not—it's a beautiful song that one fictional character thought was good enough to alter someone's perspective. And that's enough to make it memorable, decades post-Garden State.

Related Articles