Ranking All the Songs from The Hell or High-Water Soundtrack
Hell or High-Water is a crime-based film released in 2016. It involves two brothers, Toby and Tanner Howard, who rob two banks. They resorted to the crime following their mother’s long illness, which resulted in incurring debts. Texas Midland Bank had offered them a mortgage for the ranch, which they couldn’t fulfill. Though the robbery was successful, one of the brothers got careless with the loot, causing a rift. As is expected, this film has many background soundtracks. Here are the best ten songs from the movie.
10. “Sleeping on the Blacktop” by Colter Wall (2015)
“Sleeping on the Blacktop” is an incredible track from the album “Imaginary Appalachia.” It was performed and released by Colter Wall in 2015. He sings about a lady donning high heels who’s just entered a bar. The singer is mesmerized by her beauty and can’t wait to take her home to show her how much he loves her. Best line: “Pretty young thing going dancing in the rain.”
9. “Lord of the Plains” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (2016)
“Lord of the Plains” by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis was released in 2016 from the album “Hell or High Water.” If you’ve lived in the country’s landscape, you won’t help but marvel at the beauty of eastern New Mexico and western Texas. Cave is an Australian-born artist and songwriter famous for his gravelly voice. On the other hand, Ellis is a multi-instrumentalist who joins hands with him in the music. The duo has been in the music industry since 2005, and their first debut was in the film “The Proposition.” Best line: “Enraged hearts of the resistance, taking federal rations in January.”
8. “From Cold Dead Hands” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (2016)
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis also featured “From Cold Dead Hands” in their 2016 “Hell or High Water” album. The genre is the singer-songwriter version, making it one of the best tracks on this list. Also, it comes from a popularized slogan from the National Rifle Association (NRA), signifying how gun owners and their supporters felt about the criticisms of proposals for gun ownership and control in America. Best line: “From my cold dead hands.”
7. “Mountain Lion Mean” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (2016)
“Mountain Lion Mean” is a 2.07-minute track by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis, released in September 2016 from the album “Comancheria.” The track featured in the film “Hell or High Water,” composed by Nick Cave. The track is mainly instrumental, making it perfect for a crime-based film. So, that means it doesn’t have any lyrics, but the background instrumentals make it fun to listen to, considering all the energy the film brings.
6. “Robbery” by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis (2016)
“Robbery” is another instrumental song by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. It features among songs in the “Hell or High Water” album, released in 2016. Both artists composed and wrote the track to illustrate the ills that robbery brings. The movie “Hell or High Water” would never have been that interesting were it not for this instrumental song. According to Rotten Tomatoes, it’s easier to synchronize such a song in the film considering the amount of energy that Toby and his brother, Tanner, brought.
5. “Snake Mountain Blues” by Townes Van Zandt (1969)
According to Rolling Stone, “Hell and High Water” is one of the most talked-about films in the US. It is no surprise that it wowed fans at the Cannes Film Festival. One of the songs featured in the film is “Snake Mountain Blues,” composed and sung by Townes Van Zandt. The track comes from the album “Our Mother the Mountain.” Best line: “Mr. ten-dollar man, let me tell you where you’re bound; drink your liquor, Lord.”
4. “Outlaw State of Mind” by Chris Stapleton (2015)
“Outlaw State of Mind” is a 2015 country jam from the album “Traveler.” Chris Stapleton sang it. He is a famous American country music artist who set a new wave for traditionalists. Upon listening to the trick, it’s like Stapleton takes us on a road trip across the US through a lawnmower. It revolves around a friend who joins him in a bar towards closing time. You can tell that he’s focusing on a fairytale that began fifteen years ago when he arrived in Music City, Kentucky. Best line: “And I lost my mind somewhere in New Mexico.”
3. “Blood Sweat & Murder” by Scott H. Biram (2004)
Scott H. Biram released his “Blood Sweat & Murder” song in 2004. The track is also from the “Hell or High Water.” Biram sings about a woman he met downtown, and it was love at first sight. It sounds like a confession to his current lover. So that means he feels guilty about entertaining the woman he met. Best line: “Said the lawman can’t find me, but they know I did it.”
2. “Dust of the Chase” by Ray Wylie Hubbard (1994)
“Dust of the Chase” is a folk/ country song sung by Ray Wylie Hubbard. The singer released it in 1994 in the album “Loco Gringos Lament.” Like Biram’s “Blood, Sweat & Murder,” this song is about a man who is out to wreak havoc but meets a damsel in distress. We like this song because of the powerful lyrics. Best line: “So, I come down from Oklahoma with a pistol in my boot.”
1. “You Ask Me To” by Waylon Jennings (1973)
The best song featured in this film is “You Ask Me To” ‘by Waylon Jennings. The artist released the track in 1973, proving its timelessness. Also, it’s from the album “Honky Tonk Heroes.” Written by Billy Joe Shaver, the track also appeared as the closing song on Elvis Presley’s album “Promised Land” in 1975. The reason behind that is it graced Presley’s 40th birthday. Best line: “Just because you asked me to.”
Conclusion
Overall, the tracks on this list are not only entertaining but also content-worthy. You can tell that the film’s producers and directors did an excellent job selecting the right soundtracks that complement its theme. As is expected, a film doesn’t do well without music. So, in case you hear any song on this list, feel free to hum to it or decide which one suits the number one position on your playlist.