Movies

Track Listing Of John Williams' 'Lincoln' Score Hints At Film's Structure

By Germain Lussier

Steven Spielberg's Lincoln feels like a film we've known about forever. Actually, it's been well-over five years since the director attached himself to the project, originally starring Liam Neeson as the nation's 16th President. Eventually, Daniel Day-Lewis took the role but once shooting began in 2011, things got very, very quiet. In the last few weeks though, the marketing has really begun to kick in for the November 9 release: the first official still, the teaser poster, a trailer can't be long off and now the track listing to John Williams' score has been revealed.

With it, we get a great idea of exactly which historical events are portrayed in the film, a bit about its structure, and more. Check it out below.

The track list below comes form JWFan.com via The Film Stage and will be released November 6. Beware of minor spoilers for story specifics.

  • The People's House (3:41)
  • The Purpose Of The Amendment (3:06)
  • Getting Out The Vote (2:48)
  • The American Process (3:56)
  • The Blue And Grey (2:59)
  • "With Malice Toward None" (1:50)
  • Call To Muster And Battle Cry Of Freedom (2:17)
  • The Southern Delegation And The Dream (4:43)
  • Father And Son (1:42)
  • The Race To The House (2:41)
  • Equality Under The Law (3:11)
  • Freedom's Call (6:06)
  • Elegy (2:34)
  • Remembering Willie (1:51)
  • Appomattox, April 9, 1865 (2:36)
  • The Peterson House And Finale (11:00)
  • "With Malice Toward None" (Piano Solo) (1:31)

    • The film is based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, Team of Rivals (as adapted by Tony Kushner) and takes place during the last four months of Lincoln's life, which ended on April 15, 1865. So, for example, you'll notice track 15 – Appomattox, April 9 1965 – takes place during the end of the movie and refers to Robert E. Lee (Christopher Boyer) surrendering to Ulysses S. Grant (Jared Harris) at Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, all but ending the Civil War. You have a pretty good idea of where the movie goes from there and what it would new to show to make that a truly dramatic, historical moment.

    Another note are the two tracks, "With Malice Toward None," which specifically has quotes around it as that's one of Lincoln's most famous quotes, from his second inaugural address on March 4, 1965:

    With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.

    The first mention is track 6, likely around halfway through the movie, and then track 17, likely the credits track. That repetition clearly points to not only a theme, but a major moment early in the film. It's also a pretty telling window into how quickly time passes through the final four months of Lincoln's life. The speech was given mere weeks before his death.

    Spielberg's historical epics are always special and Williams' contributions equally so. This film, and this score, will hopefully continue that trend.

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