Every Song In Kill Bill Vol. 1

The Kill Bill soundtrack remains one of Quentin Tarantino’s most eclectic and enjoyable releases. Ever since Mr. Blonde tortured a police officer to the tune of “Stuck in the Middle with You” in Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino has been known for his movie’s needle drops. His music choices are as integral to his signature filmmaking style as his snappy dialogue and graphic violence. Music isn’t usually a priority for action movies, but Tarantino proved with Kill Bill that the right song can enhance the energy and excitement of a set piece.

Watching Uma Thurman as the Bride engaging in a blood-soaked sword fight with dozens of hired assassins is thrilling enough on its own, but it’s even more exhilarating with “Nobody But Me” playing in the background. From Bernard Herrmann’s “Twisted Nerve” to Santa Esmeralda’s cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” to an operatic composition by Ennio Morricone, the soundtrack of Kill Bill: Volume 1 is full of great songs, played at the perfect moment.

When Every Song On The Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack Plays In The Movie

Original Songs, Classic Music Scores, And Perfect Mood Music

“Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” by Nancy Sinatra – This song plays over the Kill Bill Vol. 1 opening credits and the lyrics are appropriate for the subject matter. The Bride’s lover guns her down in the opening shot of Kill Bill, putting her in a coma with a bullet to the head. It might be a little too on the point for a Tarantino movie, but it is Nancy Sinatra, so it works.

“Music Box Dancer” by Frank Mills – The next song on the Kill Bill Vol. 1 soundtrack is playing when the Bride pulls up outside Vernita Green’s house in the P***y Wagon. The scene takes place after the Bride leaves the hospital after killing two men who had sexually assaulted her while she was in a coma. Now angry and wanting revenge, she heads to Vernita to kill the first person responsible for the attack that opened the movie.

“Ironside” by Quincy Jones – An excerpt from Quincy Jones’ theme from Ironside plays when Vernita opens her front door to find the vengeful Bride waiting for her. This scene showed Vernita now living life as a housewife, and the attack from the Bride on her was not only a great fight, but also disturbing, as Vernit’s daughter was there to vow revenge against her mother’s killer.

“That Certain Female” by Charlie Feathers – In the flashback to the aftermath of the Massacre at Two Pines, this song is playing as Texas Ranger Earl McGraw arrives at the scene of the crime. The scene was a minor one that showed the scene of the crime, but the song once again had an interesting title considering the story,

“Twisted Nerve” by Bernard Herrmann – This song plays as Elle Driver walks through the hospital to kill the Bride. Elle whistles the melody before the original recording takes over the soundtrack. This was a fun scene thanks to Elle’s mannerisms, but it all ended with Elle leaving the hospital and letting the Bride live.

“Seven Notes in Black” by Vince Tempera – This track, taken from Lucio Fulci’s Giallo classic Sette Note in Nero, plays when Buck returns to the Bride’s hospital room and finds her missing. The track was a nice one that Tarantino pulled out of a movie he loved when he worked as a video rental clerk.

“Main Title from Truck Turner” by Isaac Hayes – This song, another one taken from an earlier film’s soundtrack, plays when the Bride finds the P***y Wagon in the hospital parking lot. Tarantino used several songs like this to pay homage to the movies he referenced in Kill Bill.

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“The Grand Duel (M10)” by Luis Bacalov – This song kicks in when the Bride is lying on the backseat of the P***y Wagon, wiggling her toes as she attempts to regain the use of her legs. To kill some time, she tells the audience the origin story of O-Ren Ishii.

“I Lunghi Giorni Della Vendetta (Cantina)” by Armando Trovajoli – During the anime segment filling in O-Ren’s backstory, this song plays over the grisly murder of her father. The song’s title translates to “Long Days of Vengeance,” which fits the scene perfectly.

“The Grand Duel (Parte Prima)” by Luis Bacalov – This track plays as O-Ren cowers under the bed in Kill Bill’s emotional flashback sequence, witnessing her parents’ gruesome deaths. ​​​​​​​This song is by Luis Bacalov, who had two songs in this movie and also three songs in Tarantino’s Django Unchained. He previously wrote music for the original Django in 1966.

“Run Fay Run” by Isaac Hayes – This song plays when O-Ren shoots a foreign politician. This brief sequence demonstrates her increasing prowess as a killer. The song by Isaac Hayes was originally recorded in 1974 for the Fred Williamson action movie Tough Guys.

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“Armundo” by David Allen Young – This song plays over the introduction of O-Ren’s entourage: Sofie Fatale, Gogo Yubari, and Johnny Mo. The scene leads to a meeting with O-Ren and introduces the women that the Bride will battle very soon in the movie.

“The Wound That Heals” by Lily Chou-Chou – This track plays as the Bride goes into Hattori Hanzō’s attic and finds one of his legendary swords. She commissions a new one for her showdown with O-Ren. Lily Chou-Chou is a Japanese band that debuted in 2000, so this was a rare chance for Tarantino to bring some attention to younger music artists.

“The Lonely Shepherd” by James Last & Gheorghe Zamfir – This song from the Kill Bill soundtrack is used a few times throughout Kill Bill: Volume 1. It first plays when Hanzō gives the Bride her new sword. It reappears when the Bride writes her kill list on the plane and plays again in the end credits.

“Green Hornet” by Al Hirt – The theme from the old Green Hornet series plays as the Bride follows O-Ren’s convoy atop her motorcycle. The song is mostly used as a fun callback to the old-school comic book character. One of Tarantino’s later movies introduced his version of Bruce Lee, which also ties into Green Hornet, as he played Kato in the classic TV appearances.

“Battle Without Honor or Humanity” by Tomoyasu Hotei – One of the most recognizable tracks on the Kill Bill soundtrack, this song plays as O-Ren, Gogo, Sofie, and the Crazy 88s enter the House of Blue Leaves. The song was originally featured in a movie with the same title as the musical track. Other than Kill Bill, it has also appeared in Transformers, Shrek the Third, and The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

“I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield” by The 5.6.7.8’s – The 5.6.7.8’s play themselves in Kill Bill; they can be seen performing at the House of Blue Leaves. They’re playing this song as O-Ren and the Crazy 88s settle down in the club and the Bride is shown to be lingering nearby. It is the first of three songs by the band to appear in the Kill Bill soundtrack. This song was from their 1994 self-titled album.

“Woo Hoo” by The 5.6.7.8’s – The band plays this song as Sofie goes to the bathroom in the club and the Bride lurks around her. This was the only of the three tracks by The 5.6.7.8.’s that was released after Kill Bill Vol. 1.

“I’m Blue” by The 5.6.7.8’s – The 5.6.7.8’s’ cameo in Kill Bill culminates with this song when Gogo is sent to investigate a suspicious noise and the Bride hides from her. This song was on the album Teenage Mojo Workout, which came out one year before Kill Bill Vol. 1.

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“Death Rides a Horse” by Ennio Morricone – This iconic score can be heard briefly as the Bride calls to O-Ren before taking on the Crazy 88s. As with many songs on the Kill Bill soundtrack, “Death Rides a Horse” is the theme for a movie, this one a Spaghetti Western from 1967 starring Lee Van Cleef.

“Super 16” by Neu! – A quick excerpt of this song plays as O-Ren retreats and leaves her goon squad to take care of the Bride. This is an older song from the album Neu! 2, which came out in 1973. The style of music is called krautrock, which is German experimental rock from West Germany in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Crane/White Lightning” by The RZA/Charles Bernstein – This song plays when the Bride is surrounded by the Crazy 88s and prepares for battle. This was one of the tracks by RZA, who produced and orchestrated the music for the Kill Bill soundtrack. According to RZA (via Wuforever.com):

“There was one situation where you see, “Crane and White Lightning.” That’s part of the original score, so it’s not really a song. A lot of that stuff is what I use to keep the vibe going between songs. “Crane and White Lightning” is a piece of music that Quentin wanted on the soundtrack, but was originally set for a Metallica track.”

“Champions of Death” by Shuzsuko Kibushi – This is one of many songs that play during the Bride’s battle with the Crazy 88s, one of Tarantino’s greatest action sequences.

“Police Check Point” by Harry Betts – During the showdown at the House of Blue Leaves, the soundtrack switches to this song. Betts was an American jazz trombonist who worked on several movies in the 1960s and 1970s, including Black Mama White Mama (1972) and Nice Dreams (1981).

“I Giorni Dell’ira” by Riz Ortolani – This song is heard briefly when the Bride pulls out one of the Crazy 88s’ eyes. Riz Ortolani was an Italian composer who worked on several movies over his career. Translated to “Days of Anger,” this song also appeared in Django Unchained​​​​​.

“Nobody But Me” by Human Beinz – When the battle changes from color to black-and-white, this song kicks in on the soundtrack. The song is from the Human Binz debut album, which was released in 1968. The song was a hit when it was released, peaking at 8th on the Billboard Hot 100, although it was the band’s only song to ever chart.

“Banister Fight” by The RZA – This song plays when the Bride fights Johnny Mo while balancing on a banister after defeating the Crazy 88s. This was a song that RZA created for the Kill Bill soundtrack.

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“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmeralda – This song plays as the Bride fights O-Ren in the snowy garden. This is one of the best fight scenes in Kill Bill, with the white snow contrasting with the red blood, while Tarantino perfectly choreographed the battle. This was a disco remake of the Animals’ version of the song, where Esmeralda used Latin rhythm ti shake things up.

“The Flower of Carnage” by Meiko Kaji – This song from the Kill Bill soundtrack plays when the Bride defeats O-Ren and then walks away. Kaji is not only a Japanese singer but also an actor in her own right. Fans know her best from the lead role in Lady Snowblood, which was the movie that Tarantino homaged during this big fight between the Bride and O-Ren in the snow.

“Yagyu Conspiracy” by Toshiaki Tsushima – This song plays as the Bride explains why she let Sofie live. Tsushima is a Japanese composer who worked on several movies throughout the 1960s and 1970s. This specific song comes from the 1978 martial arts movie Shogun’s Samurai starring Sonny Chiba.

“Urami Bushi” by Meiko Kaji – This track plays over the closing credits of Kill Bill: Volume 1. Once again, Tarantino uses a song by the Lady Snowbird actor to close out the movie which owes its existence to that martial arts classic.

Where To Listen To The Kill Bill Vol. 1 Soundtrack

The Kill Bill Soundtrack Is Available On Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, And Several Other Platforms

The official Kill Bill soundtrack is available to stream and purchase on major music platforms like Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Deezer. However, not all the songs from the movie are available to stream in those places. For example, there are 22 tracks on Spotify, but not all of them are songs and some are just moments from the movie, as the last three tracks are sound effects from Kill Bill called “Flip Sting,” “Sword Swings,” and “Axe Throws.”

The Kill Bill soundtrack is what Spotify has, which Warner Bros. released in 2003. There was also a vinyl version of the movie soundtrack Warner Bros. released that only included 15 of the songs, leaving off both RZA songs as well as “Super 16” and “Ironside.”

Kill Bill

Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill is a classic tale of betrayal and revenge. When the Bride (Uma Thurman) awakens from a four-year coma, she sets out to settle the score with the team of assassins that betrayed her at the behest of her former boss, Bill (David Carradine). Tracking and killing the world-class assassins isn’t easy, but the Bride uses all the tools at her disposal in her relentless pursuit of revenge.

Release Date

October 10, 2003

Cast

David Carradine , Michael Madsen , Uma Thurman , Daryl Hannah , Lucy Liu , Vivica A. Fox

Runtime

111 minutes

Franchise(s)

Kill Bill