If you’ve seen Todd Solondz’s latest effort “Life During Wartime,” you may have noticed two variations of the title track song played in the film. One is done acoustically by Shirley Henderson (taking on the role of Joy, once played by Jane Adams in Solondz’s 1998 film, “Happiness”) and a second version plays during the credits, performed this time by Beck and his buddy Devendra Banhart. This version is a bit more upbeat (Banhart’s song “Heard Somebody Say” is also featured in the film) with some subtle electronic beats, but it’s still pretty much a low-key affair.
We heard this song almost a year ago when we saw the film at TIFF, but it’s only surfacing now. It’s pretty lovely little slice of folksy magic that finds Banhart at his subdued best. Speaking with Spin, Banhart revealed that he and Beck penned the lyrics, while film composing heavyweight Marc Shaiman (“Hairspray,” “Down With Love”) wrote the music.
As far as we know, no official soundtrack release for “Life During Wartime” is in the works so it remains to be seen if the song will receive a proper release. For now, you can listen to it below.
Devendra Banhart & Beck “Life During Wartime”