Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Joker: Folie à Deux’.Yes, the rumors are true. Joker: Folie à Deux is indeed a musical, and not in the most conventional of manners. Keeping in tune with the previous non-musical film, Joker: Folie à Deux once again sees Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) serve the role of an unreliable narrator, with many of the film’s musical sequences taking place entirely in his and Harley Quinn’s (Lady Gaga) minds.
In addition to being a musical, Joker: Folie à Deux is also a jukebox musical. That essentially means that the majority of the songs in the Joker sequel are pre-existing ones that many viewers will likely recognize. If you want a catalog of what songs play during Arthur Fleck’s trial of the century, we’ve compiled a full list of every single song that plays in Joker: Folie à Deux.
‘Merrily We Roll Along’
Written by Eddie Cantor, Murray Mencher, and Charles Tobias
Joker: Folie à Deux kicks things off in a surprising way with a direct homage to another famous Warner Brothers property, Looney Tunes. As soon as the Warner Brothers logo pops up on screen, the classic “Merrily We Roll Along” theme of the Looney Tunes plays along with it.
‘Slap That Bass’
Written George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
There are more than a few callbacks to the first Joker film in Joker: Folie à Deux. One of them is the song “Slap that Bass”, famously sung by Fred Astaire (a clear influence for Todd Phillips‘ version of the Joker). The song appears in the 1937 feature film Shall We Dance, which Arthur watched in the first film.
‘What the World Needs Now Is Love’
Nick Cave
Joker: Folie à Deux is a love story at its core, so you had better believe there are a lot of love ballads present throughout the film. One such song is “What the World Needs Now Is Love”, written by Burt Bacharach (whom fans of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery probably already know). This particular version of the song is sung by Australian musician Nick Cave.
‘When The Saints Go Marching In’
Brendan Gleeson/Jacob Lofland/John Lacy
While Joker and Harley do most of the singing in Joker: Folie à Deux, some casual tunes can be heard by Jackie Sullivan (Brendan Gleeson) – a prison guard who is secretly abusing Arkham’s patients. Despite his dark secrets, Jackie can be seen gleefully singing “When the Saints Go Marching In”, which plays instrumentally several times throughout the film.
We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)
Brendan Gleeson
Another song Jackie Sullivan hums along to is “We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)”, most recently known for playing in the finale of Prime Video’s Fallout.
‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken?’
Lady Gaga and Ensemble
When Arthur and Harley first meet each other, Harley is singing along with the music class as they sing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” as a part of their music therapy group.
‘Get Happy’
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga and Ensemble
Not long after their first meeting, Joker and Harley get to have a one-on-one conversation, where Harley shares how much Joker’s rebellious actions in the previous film made an impact on her. They even briefly sing “Get Happy” together before being sent back to their respective wards.
‘For Once In My Life’
Joaquin Phoenix
The first sequence in Joker: Folie à Deux that feels like a true musical number is when Arthur is back in his ward after talking with Harley. Even after watching TV where district attorney Harvey Dent (Harry Lawtey), Arthur burst into song with “For Once In My Life”. His singing, though, is likely all in his head, as none of the other guards or inmates acknowledge the musical number.
‘That’s Entertainment’
Fred Astaire, Jack Bucahnan, Nanette Fabray, and Oscar Levant/Lady Gaga
Arthur and Harley’s next meeting sees them watching a movie with the patients. The movie in question is 1953’s The Band Wagon, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. Being the couple’s first movie-watching experience, Harley sings her own rendition of the song later in the film.
‘If My Friends Could See Me Now’
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga
Another classic musical song that plays in the Joker sequel is “If My Friends Could See Me Now”, which originates from the musical Sweet Charity. Harley belts the song right after setting the movie room she and Arthur were in on fire. As chaos erupts, the paparazzi get a look at the clown power couple for the very first time.
‘Folie à Deux’
Lady Gaga
While most of the songs are pre-existing, one song in the Joker sequel, “Folie à Deux”. Written and performed by Lady Gaga, the song plays over a beautiful scenic rooftop as Joker and Harley tango to their hearts’ content.
‘Bewitched’
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga
While being interviewed by journalist Paddy Meyers (Steve Coogan), Arthur expresses his profound newfound love for Harley. To further drive the point home, Arthur sings “Bewitched” to illustrate that he’s under her spell.
‘When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)’
Joaquin Phoenix
What do clowns do? They smile, so you better believe that “When You’re Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)” makes an appearance in Joker: Folie à Deux.
‘To Love Somebody’
Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga
Another imaginary musical sequence that involves Joker and Harley is when they become the impromptu hosts of an old-school variety show. As most shows of that era do, they open their show with a duet song, that is “To Love Somebody” by The Bee Gees. The fantasy comes to an end when Harley shoots Joker in the stomach, foreshadowing the film’s tragic ending.
‘Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)’
Bart Howard
In addition to Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra is another figure who clearly had an influence on the making of both Joker films. Several of Sinatra’s songs appear in the film, including a rendition of “Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)”.
‘They Long To Be (Close To You)’
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Another fitting duet that Joker and Harley sing is “They Long To Be (Close To You)”, originally popularized by The Carpenters.
‘The Joker’
Joaquin Phoenix
Who would have thought that a song called “The Joker” would be present in a Joker movie? “The Joker” plays during one of the most elaborate and violent musical numbers yet. Here, Joker imagines murdering Harvey Dent and Judge Herman Rothwax (Bill Smitrovich), all while Harley dances on Dent’s table.
‘Gonna Build A Mountain’
Lady Gaga and Joaquin Phoenix
Throughout the film, Harley frequently implies that she and Joker are going to build a mountain together. What exactly that means is anyone’s guess, but she and Joker do sing a big band rendition of “Gonna Build A Mountain”, not long before Arthur faces something cruel and unusual back at Arkham.
‘Dancing In The Moonlight’
King Harvest
“You ever dance with the devil in the pale moonlight?” That immortal quote was said by Jack Nicholson‘s Joker in 1989’s Batman. Joker: Folie à Deux cleverly references the influential classic by playing King Harvest’s “Dancing In The Moonlight” while Arthur makes his way back to Gotham.
‘I’ve Got The World On A String’
Brendaan Gleeson/Lady Gaga
Among the other Sinatra songs that appear in Joker: Folie à Deux is “I’ve Got The World On A String”, which is sung in the film by both Jackie and Harley.
‘If You Go Away’
Joaquin Phoenix
Toward the end of Joker’s trial, Arthur Fleck finally admits that he killed six people and he and Joker are one and the same. This is a heartbreaking revelation for Harley, and this is the first step of hers in walking away from their relationship. Arthur tries to call Harley while singing “If You Go Away” in the process.
‘My Life’
Billy Joel
The trail of the Joker comes to an explosive end, literally. The courthouse is bombed by a duo of Joker supporters, leaving Harvey Dent scarred appearance his comic-accurate look and Arthur discombobulated in the process. The two manage to get Arthur in the back of their car, where the Billy Joel song “My Life” can be heard blasting through the speakers.
‘It’s Magic’
As Arthur Fleck’s story draws to a tragic close, the popular Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne song plays before the credits roll.
‘That’s Life’
Frank Sinatra/Lady Gaga
Once the credits do start to roll on Joker: Folie à Deux, one of the Joker series’ most important songs starts to play – “That’s Life”. Fans should immediately recognize the Frank Sinatra song as the one that played at the end of the late talk show host Murray Franklin’s (Robert De Niro) show, and the song that played at the end of the first film. The original Sinatra song plays earlier in the film, and a new rendition by Lady Gaga plays during the credits.
‘True Love Will Find You In The End’
Joaquin Phoenix
Last but not least, even though the film ends with his apparent death, the last words we hear from Arthur Fleck are the lyrics of “True Love Will Find You in the End”.
Joker: Folie à Deux is in theaters now. Click the link below to buy tickets now:
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