In-Universe Music In Star Wars: What Are They Listening To?

Star Wars

Mar 16

The Star Wars films are known for their award-winning soundtracks. Countless current composers list the original Star Wars score as a massive influence, and it is among the greatest movie soundtracks of all time. John Williams. What else is there to say? He is the modern-day Mozart. Now there are modern greats like Kevin Kiner, Michael Giacchino, John Powell, Bear McCreary, Joseph Shirley, and Ludwig Göransson. Then there is Gordy Haab scoring Battlefront I and II, Squadrons, and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Various amazingly talented composers also contribute to Star Wars Visions. They are all really great, but what about the music we hear within the Star Wars galaxy?

When we stop to think about music within Star Wars, the two most well-known musical pieces are by the cantina band from A New Hope, playing that jazzy lounge music while Greedo gets toasted by Han Solo. Another is "Lapti Nek," which is heard in Jabba’s Palace, played by the Max Rebo Band in Return of the Jedi. Who can forget those lips? I want to dig a little deeper into the in-universe Star Wars music and what exactly they are listening to.

Fortunately, most of the in-universe music in Star Wars can be found on their respective soundtracks, so it is not difficult to find them. In addition to Figrin D’an and the Modal Nodes' "Mad About Me" played in Chalmun’s Cantina, and Max Rebo Band's “Lapti Nek” (or “Jedi Rocks” in the special edition), the Ewok celebration music is also heard at the end of Return of the Jedi. These catchy tunes are played with hand-made instruments, not including the helmets of dead imperials. Even in the first three films, we have a good idea of what type and variety of music are heard in the Star Wars universe.

Moving on from the original trilogy to the prequels. On The Phantom Menace Ultimate Edition soundtrack, there is a strange track at the end of the first side (or first CD depending on what format you are listening to), called “The Street Singer.” This track is heard as Qui-Gon and the gang are walking the streets of Mos Espa. “The Street Singer” is most likely played by a street performer looking to make extra credits on the side. It is a haunting track that sounds tribal and a bit creepy if you are not expecting it. Its vocals and wind instruments with similar tones give the feeling of a sandy wind blowing through the air. Ugh, sand, it gets everywhere!

From there, we move on to The Clone Wars, which has loads of in-universe Star Wars music but unfortunately, not much of it is on any soundtrack. Of course, the music I am referring to is heard on Florrum inside Hondo Ohnaka’s base where his gang operated. The music in the background sounds heavily influenced by real-world Indian pop music. In The Clone Wars movie, we hear “Ziro’s Nightclub Band” and “Seedy City Swing” as Padme walks in. It is no surprise to hear this type of music which sounds like something from an early 20th-century serial that George was a huge fan of. It is also very reminiscent of the cantina band music from A New Hope.

People in Star Wars love to rock out! Especially Garazeb Orrelios. On the Star Wars Rebels: Season Two soundtrack, there is a track called “Zeb Rock,” which is a short 67-second clip of a tune Zeb is listening to. If you have not heard it, “Zeb Rock” basically sounds like a guitar solo from an 80s power ballad. I can totally picture Zeb cruising in a suped-up landspeeder blasting “Zeb Rock” on his way to the beach.

Similar to the cantina band music in A New Hope, “Jabba Flow” from The Force Awakens is heard inside Maz’s castle. It may not have had the same impact as “Mad About Me,” but it is pretty catchy and has lyrics, which “Mad About Me” does not have. However, unlike “Mad About Me” and the cantina scene in general, “Jabba Flow” and the introduction to Maz’s castle is sort of glossed over. What the song has to do with Jabba the Hutt is anyone’s guess. According to Wookieepedia, “Jabba Flow” is sung in Huttese and performed by Shag Kava, a traveling band composed of Taybin Ralorsa, Infrablue Zedbeddy Coggins, Ubert “Sticks” Quaril, and Sudswater Dillifay Glon. In the real world, “Jabba Flow” is a reggae fusion created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and J. J. Abrams.

Last is “Chicken in the Pot” from Solo: A Star Wars Story heard in Dryden Vos’s ship. Where to begin? “Chicken in the Pot” is obviously influenced by real-world lounge music. It is a duet sung in Huttese about what to eat. The real question is, do chickens exist in Star Wars? In the original Star Wars novelization, Luke does not know what a duck is. Anyway, “Chicken in the Pot” is one strange tune.

After looking at the variety of music in Star Wars, it is safe to say, as strange as it sounds to us, a lot of it has real-world influences. Even Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge has its own soundtrack of music heard inside Oga’s Cantina. This music is very upbeat, fast, and electronic, which is not conducive to reading, trust me. Then there is “Tatooine Rhapsody” from Star Wars Visions which is about an in-universe rock band in Star Wars. Music and Star Wars will forever go hand-in-hand. Its soundtrack gives us a taste of what it is like living in the galaxy far, far away.