This article contains spoilers through the latest episode of Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets has been doing deep-cut needledrops since before Stranger Things season 4 made it cool. While the series certainly leans into the late ’90s setting of the plane crash flashbacks for much of its music (as it should), the present day timeline keeps the series from feeling too limited in its scope of song choices. Yellowjackets is one of the few shows that could pull off having songs from Papa Roach and Sharon Van Etten in the same episode without it being too distracting. Instead, this eclectic mix of music shows that the music supervisor and showrunners know how important the right song is to the story.
Yellowjackets may cover heavy things like trauma and cannibalism, but that doesn’t mean that its soundtrack can’t be full of bops and bangers, including the title sequence song “No Return” by Anna Waronker and Craig Wedren. Here are the best needledrops from each episode, as well as the other notable songs featured.
Episode 3 – Digestif
“Bells for Her” – Tori Amos
This episode ends with both versions of Lottie (teen version played by Courtney Eaton, adult played by Simone Kessell) struggling with the weight of their visions. After a flock of dead birds fall onto the cabin, teen Lottie reassures the others that they aren’t diseased, but rather a gift from the forest. Adult Lottie is starting to have visions for the first time since their rescue and sees the beehives of her wellness retreat covered with blood. “Bells for Her” by Tori Amos plays over both scenes, its haunting melody conveying the danger that awaits Lottie in both the past and the present. The lyrics of the chorus “Can’t stop what’s coming. Can’t stop what’s on its way” further emphasizing the impending doom that Lottie feels.
Other Notable Songs:
- “Past Not Forgotten” – Parachute Men
- “These Are Days” – 10,000 Maniacs
- “Full Time Jack Move” – Larry Thomas West
- “Seether” – Veruca Salt
- “When I Go Walking” – Popecoke
- “Take Me Down” – Sonica Disturbia
Episode 1 – Friends, Romans, Countrymen
“Last Resort” – Papa Roach
It was hard to choose just one great song from this episode, but Jeff’s (Warren Kole) angst-filled car jam sesh to “Last Resort” by Papa Roach is so unexpected and hilarious that it has to be talked about. Jeff is doing his best to be supportive of Shauna (Melanie Lynskey) and he continues to help her cover up Adam’s (Peter Gadiot) murder. This includes going to Adam’s art studio that happens to be covered with paintings and sketches of Shauna and getting rid of the evidence. When they get back home, it becomes clear that as much as Jeff still loves Shauna, he is also struggling to fully embrace her darker side. Jeff’s golden retriever energy makes him seem like the last person who would have Papa Roach on his playlist, and yet the unexpectedness of this song choice is what makes this scene so good.
Other Notable Songs:
- “Seventeen” – Sharon Van Etten
- “Drown” – Smashing Pumpkins
- “A Night in Rio” – Graham Francis de Wilde
- “#1 Crush” – Garbage
- “Cornflake Girl” – Tori Amos
Episode 2 – Edible Complex
“Climbing Up the Walls” – Radiohead
With lyrics that include “you know we’re friends till we die,” “open up your skull” “ and “lock the kids up safe tonight,” what better song to accompany the Yellowjackets’ first foray into cannibalism than Radiohead’s “Climbing Up the Walls?” This song plays as the teens eat the freshly barbequed Jackie, and we see them shift in and out of reality, imagining that they’re eating a feast of regular food instead of a dead friend.
Other Notable Songs:
- “No Room For A Nihilist in Hollywood” – Peachy!
- “Inertia Creeps” – Massive Attack
- “Little Queenie” – Sadgirl
New episodes of Yellowjackets season 2 premiere via Showtime.com on Fridays and Showtime on Sundays.