A Smash Mouth re-working of The Monkees’ delirious ‘I’m A Believer’ ends in a riotous Eddie Murphy vocal performance – “I! Bee-lieve!” – with the full cast making walk-on appearances. Note: this is well before ‘Hallelujah’ became an X Factor inspired karaoke trope – back then, “the secret chord” was pretty much exactly that.Īt times, Shrek’s soundtrack taps into the unlimited joy only childhood can really possess. But think Joan Jett’s ‘Bad Reputation’ soundtracking a wicked fight scene, Eels’ depressive ode ‘My Beloved Monster’ given a literal translation, or even Rufus Wainwright’s truly gorgeous take on Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ used to soundtrack fairy tale heartbreak (although it’s actually John Cale in the film itself). The standout moments are almost so well known that we scarcely mention them without re-treading old ground. Eschewing the grand, big name original scores that dominated Disney flicks in the 90s – think Elton John’s iconic song cycle for The Lion King – Shrek’s irreverent tone was set by its use of all-out pop bangers, recontextualizing golden oldies alongside some carefully chosen deep cuts to illustrate the shifting tones within the story itself. One area that helps Shrek outstrip its peers, however, is its nigh-on perfect soundtrack.
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