Taxi Driver Theme Music

[mrP694]

can you give me other jazz songs similiar to this one?

[fahreineit]

beautifull song

my favorite theme song after the theme song of hitman ( ave maria )

[SuperSuperRoo]

BRILLIANT!

[whoamicrap]

i remember being surprised when i first watched this scene - i expected a completely different mood based on the dvd cover, nothing soothing or haunting like this.

[rowancboi17]

beautifully haunting, just spells out lonliness and deteriation

[Jojopo1226]

I wrote a movie called(Snitches get Stiches) its about a teenaged boy named vernon james he is in highschool he sick and tired of being called gay today he gets his licence he passes one night later he is crying when hes driving and he cant see he gets hit by a person at school that calls him gay

[alberts1985]

Blackberry Kush.

[IraqiDeathSoldier]

Very nice. Relaxing, classy with an edge of Combat Jazz

[NonInflatable]

This is one of the greatest and most revolutionary of all main title themes.

Bernard Herrmann was a genius.

[walshygel2]

it sounds like it would fit in with la noire

[mizswheat]

Bernard Herrman's score is in my estimation the essence of movie music. Herrman is also known for writing the musical scores for Hitchcock's films (Vertigo, Psycho, etc.) as well as the much heard music from Journey to the Center of the Earth. His score for Taxi Driver, however, goes beyond being just movie music. It soars into the realm of such greats as Gershwin, Berlin and Rodgers & Hammerstein.

[AQGOAT24]

@mizswheat Ah, I heard a similarity between the song here and Vertigo. Makes a lot of sense now, it was the same composer.

[PedroTino1]

what's the name of the music?

[ClassicPerformances]

A whole new style for Herrmann at his ending days; some for better and some for worse!

[Beerlejuice]

3 people got shot down by Travis Bickle hahaha!

[KooGuitar]

I think "anouman" by Django Reinhardt would go well to this too

[MrRadzio303]

I love this music ;)

[brandon91616]

To be honest, this reminds me of The Sims Hot Date.

[FiswaT]

@brandon91616 haha word

[Flexstarz]

Could anyone clear me up with the ending when he suddenly looks at his rearview mirror, i didnt get that part, just cause of the viet kong right?

[rampskater0102]

@Flexstarz

SPOILERS

its sort of like a repeat of the scene where iris gets into his cab and he stares into the mirror and watches sport drag her away (whihch is one of the things that got the whole movie going) which implies hes going to become violent again and like paul schrader said "hes not going to be the hero next time."

[Flexstarz]

@rampskater0102 Alright yeah that makes sense thanks

[Einvestigator96]

@rampskater0102  so Travis just pushed the button of madness?

[simolionshane]

rip herrmann

[ATeenCalledLame]

3 people should go fornicate with a stove top

[9harman9]

i hate this it sucks

[jrgorilla1]

@9harman9 fuck you

[jrgorilla1]

folks...i am completely deadly obsessed with this film and this score. is this a bad sign?

[DJBUCKSHOT187]

@jrgorilla1 NO WAY ITS WAS VERY ARTISTIC

[rapideye97]

@jrgorilla1 I'm obsessed with the film, too. It's cool.

[jrgorilla1]

@rapideye97 it's very cool

[alleygh0st]

"Listen, you fuckers[...]''

[craigfromnewcastle]

@alleygh0st

Here is someone who stood up against the scum the dogs the filth the shit - here is someone - who stood up

One day a real rain will wash all the filth from the streets

(I love this film)

[rapideye97]

I'm obsessed with this movie.

[richardmcginty]

Always reminds me of Miles Davis - I love this song.

[radiootoo]

Echoes of the theme from "The Untouchables" TV series...

[katizzlerox101]

This isn't the theme!!! My moms got the record, this is the opening part when he talks

[DoggieBark]

I get chills listening to the theme.

[RC187killa18]

My most favorite Martin Scorsese flick next to GoodFellas & Casino.

[ihavetwodogs]

@RC187killa18 i gotta say gangs of new york takes the cake. but all very VERY good films.

[RC187killa18]

@ihavetwodogs I haven't saw Gangs of New York yet but is it good? cuz the most recent Scorsese film i saw was The Departed and that film was great.

[erghtrfgh]

@RC187killa18 Hm.. I didn't like Gangs at all. And I do like The Departed and Taxi Driver, so - who knows?

[TruenoandLevin86]

@RC187killa18 Interesting fact, The Departed is an American Remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs

[RC187killa18]

@TruenoandLevin86  Yes im quite aware of that i actually own both those movies on DVD

[ihavetwodogs]

@RC187killa18 gangs of new york is my favorite movie. of course you need nearly 3 hours to watch it as goes with most scorsese films. leonardo dicaprio stars in it so if you liked him in the departed im sure youd love it. daniel day lewis gives the best performance ive seen from any actor in any movie EVER as bill the butcher. definetly worth watching.

[chrisart7]

@colujomes Bernard Hermann also borrowed from himself! Portions of his music (not rerecorded) for "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) and "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959) made it into the unaired pilot for the "Lost in Space" TV show, and appeared in subsequent episodes (#1 and #5). Hermann made a great use of foreboding, low register brass and woodwind in many scores, but his music for "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947) was quite a departure from that, and remarkably moving.

[TruenoandLevin86]

it makes me want to get a taxi cab and just cruise around, no fares, no tips, just...drive.

[Samurairob]

@TruenoandLevin86 that's fairly to pretty retarded.

[gamester57]

@Samurairob no it isn't

[Ybrethar]

When I first watched this movie, I didnt really know what made is so special. was young and it felt just weird. I watched it again last week, and now I cant get it out of my head... And this song almost frightens me. Powerful cinema.

[chrisart7]

At 0:43 seconds I can hear composer Bernard Hermann emulating the sound of "Laura" as played by jazz saxophone great Charlie Parker (which you can hear on Youtube).

[colujomes]

@chrisart7 Funny you should say that. I was just listening to 'Charlie Parker with Strings' (for the first time), and it reminded me so much of Taxi Driver, I came here to find the theme music. Apparently Herrmann didn't just 'borrow' from Arnold Schoenberg (for Cape Fear).

[RussX5Z]

This music is timeless. I don't give a crap what anyone else says. For some strange reason this music sort of puts my soul to peace.

[RougeMongoose]

I like the Version for the movie, than the original recording (A.K.A - the drum beat, like Drizzlerman said "very powerful piece of music").

[000266617]

This music sums up all the things going on in Bickle's mind. The beautiful soft part referring to him meeting Cybil Shepard, the military drum part where the killing side of him is returning etc. He is disturbed

[mitchac123]

what I don't get is having heard the song in the net the menacing tone seems to be missing.

[bansheewhiskey]

check out 'mean streets' by scorcese

[flipwiggins]

Same dude composed the music for PSYCHO! Saw this on the big screen when I was 16, back in the day. Have never forgotten this music since then.

[dbeezycentex]

@flipwiggins how could you forget this music...Im only 31....this was recorded about the same time I was learnin to crawl and I love it.......hate to sound like an old fogey but they dont make music like this anymore

[crimbomania]

His musical style complements the whole film, as he did with many scores; his music for some of Hitchcock's greatest films shows the successful juxtaposition of Herrmann's beautifully emotional music with Hitchcock's on screen wizardry.

[reticul8this]

who the fuck do you think you talking to?

[ScrapGoldBass]

You may enjoy my video called - Taxi Driver Music AND American History

[ScrapGoldBass]

You may enjoy my video called - Taxi Driver Music AND American History

[saxforth]

Bernard Herrmann's last tome...what a brilliant composer. His music heightened the impact of this great film and many others. Unfortunately, he passed away just hours after he had finished recording this soundtrack. Thanks for your great work, Mr. Herrmann.

[strange6]

Note how the music is very much like Travis - Calm and serene one minute, menacing the next. A classic of classics

[DeathStarJanitor]

You talkin' to me?

[Maldonado1995]

Robert is my hero!

[druha10304]

Listen you fuckers

You screwheads

Here is a man

Who Stood up

Here is....

[Muskadash]

That advert that keeps popping up on the screen on Youtube videos saying 'how will you look old?'

Fuck it off, please. It's intrusive and annoying. How do I write to Youtube to complain?

[lumpyloks]

Such a powerful theme song.

[orangefinger]

Incredible piece, beautiful, another Herrmann classic.

[peter5992]

Magnificent music - wonderful to hear it back.

[SpaceOddity38]

You talkin' to me?! Love this movie!

[iTzCiRcA]

The ending, according to Scorcher himself, is not, in fact, Bickle's dying thoughts. It is real, and it is supposed to symbolize how he will fall back into his rage, and that next time, he won't be a hero.

[rockerhead247]

well, the thing about this movie, and all exceptionally great movies like this, is that these symbolic moments can be interpreteded different ways, whether the creator meant it that way or not

[Leviatano78]

a legend

[kadiebeex]

love love LOVE it. favourite movie of all time, love travis/robert de niro.....11/10

[jonasrla]

The first time I heard about this film, was googling Travis Bickle, Rancid's song...

[cbappa1]

i play this on my ipod when i get off the night shift of my taxi driving job. Then I go to a seedy part of town and kill a pimp and his lackies for taking advantage of a young girl

[vanstrommusic]

powerful

[tbedir]

I love sax playing awesome,,tom scott played

[ForMusicVijeya]

Wow ... its Friday evening and when I listen to the saxophone, I wish I was driving through San Francsico Downtown with this music on.

[heyheyjr]

when ever you drive a taxi in gta this music should play

[heyheyjr]

was the end reality or a dieing fantasy?, i can't pick which one. i hope #1

[Drizzlerman]

It seems more like a dream or a fantasy as he is passing away or under the influence of anesthesia or morphine in the hospital after he had been shot and was wounded. But maybe he still doesn't die from his wounds

[rampskater0102]

@Drizzlerman according to paul schrader travis did survive the shootout, and the weird sound at the very end of the film is suggesting that hes gone back to the way he was at the beggining, but i can see what youre saying

[Drizzlerman]

Well, I didn't think he died, but him going back to how he was at the beginning of the film is odd, they're should have been a sequel in that case.

[rampskater0102]

i totally agree but to be honest most sequels usually ruin films so in a way it was better not to

[Drizzlerman]

Sequels do usually suck, especially when they're done by people unaffiliated with the original like in the case of American Psycho and it's terrible straight to video sequel.

[akarpowicz]

I believe it was a fantasy. It makes more sense that way with his personality. The fantasy life could not end or dwindle.

[azurenscens]

he seemed racist to me. not the kind of racist that hates without reason. he was always in bad parts of town and therefore the only blacks he saw were criminals. its justified racism in his case or gave him a decent reason to be racist. environmental factors have a deep impact on people. i am not racist btw.

[pol1407a]

taxi driver is my all time favorite movie and the herrmann's score is one of the most chilling and effective of all time

[Drizzlerman]

About Travis being racist, it is quite ironic because he obviously had some racist sentiments but only because he was seeing a lot of Blacks as criminals due to society and its order ie. perception being reality but all of the people he specifically targets to kill are white in the end and are likely bigger or more serious criminals than the street gang black thugs he glared at throughout the film.

[oeyesea]

In the commentary the writer said the gangsters were black in the original script but studio executives changed it because they already felt the movie was going to be contraversial enough already.

[Drizzlerman]

But he's not racist, they just felt having the gangsters he killed being black would've made people think the film was about a racist taxi driver who wants to attack people because of their race, which would've ruined what the film was truly about; loneliness, insanity, and redemption

[elfucker25]

brilliant!!

[joejoey316]

the music at 43 sec is deadly

[simonfire1]

@joejoey316 I think this silly little girl has no manners and is one UGLY fat biatch

[simonfire1]

@joejoey316 

[garyminion]

@joejoey316

Yes the lovely horn/sax instrument that starts at 0:43 secs is so bad azzz

[BecomingVincent]

@joejoey316

I want to learn the alto sax just for that :)

[Drizzlerman]

This is a super powerful piece of music. Very Noir.

[utubegod35]

"It sucked big time..."

How very eloquently put. I'd argue that this is the very best part of a fantastic movie, but whatever. I guess it sucked big time.

[BrotherAJ213]

what are you talking about that's the best part.

[peppersax]

In the 80's every movie track had bullshit sax in it. All the lethal weapons movies have it..........and it sucks hard time! I'm from the old school. I love the orchestral type of scoring and you NEVER hear a sax in that shit. Don't get it 'twisted'. I AM A SAX PLAYER. I just don't think it belongs in movie scores as a 'lead' instrument.

[anpanagasidis]

Great movie!

[RAHAproductions]

My favorite movie ever. so good

[000266617]

ToFu4 Dinner made a valid point. I did recently see, that the plan was to have him first shoot up a place full of blacks with a black pimp, but it was felt that this would tip it overwhelmingly in the direction of being clearly racist.

Funny Peter Boyle of "Joe" that was called racist, is a friend of Travis. (but so is a black guy who loans him money) So with changes, it seems this film escaped a racist label, eventhough it has a few questionable scenes.

[strange6]

Notice how the actual score reflected Travis' split personality. Menacing in mood one minute, then all of a sudden changes to a calm, smooth, romantic, kind of normal tempo!

[rickvanhattum]

good point

[000266617]

Is he something like the Catcher in the Rye character with guns?

[Tofu4Dinner]

Ha. No. He is a disgruntled, racist, depressed Vietnam vet.

[AlexTheRockingRabbi]

I dont think he was racist was he ?

[Tofu4Dinner]

Yes, he was a racist character. They originally even wanted to cast Harvey Keitel's pimp character with a black actor, but were afraid it might incite race riots.

[forman1200]

he is not a racist. he saw the dirty shit as it is and wanted to clean it up.

[utubegod35]

So you're a racist? :)

[rickvanhattum]

I think he was just like every other white guy around his age, he also clearly states that some of his co-workers don't take spooks : those are the real racists of the film, he is just a guy who hates them all, white people who mess up the govermont, black pimps etc.

Think he was just a like any other white guy around his age, in a time where black and white didnt hanged around that much as we do now :)

[kickthecat65]

travis bickle is a misanthropist a dark hidden part of everybody's personality.

[ChromeGhost0219]

he certainly was not racist

[pol1407a]

actually in the "making of taxi driver" featurette Paul Schrader said that he intentionally made travis a racist character

[ChromeGhost0219]

hmm well he didnt seem racist in the movie(not to me anyway)

[pol1407a]

honestly i didn't notice it either until i watched the featurette but after re-watching the film you can see that it is certainly implied

[ChromeGhost0219]

true

[utubegod35]

uh... wow.

[mrnosaj]

more like raskolnikov, only you get the sense that he wouldn't be as guilty about killing a body

[hotvision]

yea sort of similar. tragic character really.

[silverstein13]

It's kind of telling that Paul Schrader said in hindsight that Taxi Driver is about not loneliness, but the pathology of loneliness.

This was a good movie, but also a very powerful movie.

Paul went on to say that loneliness might feel singular, but everyone making the movie felt what Travis was feeling once and that people can see themselves in context.

[grotland1]

barisax

Alto solo is by Ronnie Lang

[rickvanhattum]

The atmosphere of the 70's NYC with hookers, drugs, robbers and porn is in some way even more atractive then the zero tolerance modern city of New York that we know now, in combo with this soundtrack, you can almost feel yourself being there.

The city seems more alive

[dewbunny110362]

great score unforgettable movie

[zachtblauw]

kinda reminds me of Gustav Holt's Venus

[eternalpeacemaker]

is it me, or is there something dark and twisted in this music? Anyways, it really suits the film, beautiful and gentle in some parts but kinda disturbing and scary in some. Really reflects Travis'insanity.

[000266617]

I was about to write the same thing, as I wrote it before, then saw eternal's posting that took the words out of my mouth.

You will see that at first the music is totally beautiful, but a little drum miltary beat is added then a little more of the beat, until finally when Travis has lost it, there is a version like this that shows his completely troubled mind.

The ending where he becomes a hero is weird though. Its like a columbine killer becoming a hero.

[dazza5266]

it was an ironic statement of the media . how he trys to at first be societies saviour then when he was obssessed with being its destroyer before being made a hero

[000266617]

Oh I get it now, the soft music relates to his feelings toward Sybil Shepard (romantic) the drum beat to his growing anger.

All these different emotions are reflected by the music. How is that?

[oussama13014]

All the animals comes out at night: whores, skunk-pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal.

Someday, a real rain will come and was all this scum off the streets.

I go all over. I take people to the Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem. I don't care. Don't make no difference to me. It does to some. Some won't even take spooks.

[cooperdan64]

Love this music!

[badbabybear1]

I think we can all relate to Travis in some way. That's the whole point of the movie, really.

[mamobster1500]

this tune continues to stay in my head I can relate to travis in alot of ways.

[stevoverbino]

I hope not in too many ways mate!

[mamobster1500]

not in the violent ways or the porn theater addiction but the way he felt alienated and the way girls felt about him. also i dont like pimps or drug dealers

[stevoverbino]

glad to hear lol. I know what you mean though with the alienation, I think like badbabybear1 says we can relate in some ways. Travis couldn't comform to a society that tells you to behave in certain way and that speaking your mind is wrong. Its why this is one of the best movies of the 1970's if not of all time.

[mamobster1500]

its my favorite movie though. how do u think he survived that gunshot wound to the neck

[lulvis]

Bernard Herrmann was Stravinsky like. Unique in style.

[Wilshire001]

What's the name of this piece?

[1modernmessage]

h e l l y e a h :]

[BurnumBurnum123]

God this film was brilliant. Loved it.

And yeah i'll admit it, i can somewhat relate to travis.

The soundtrack was perfect for it

[tziviker]

This is the kind of tune that you'd sing when walking alone beneath the street lights...timeless

[Watchmann777]

In the original version the pimps were supposed to black, you know like in real life, the libs in hollywood made him change that.

[sadman666]

there were some black pimps ....

[campbellvstherock]

best movie of all time easily, its one of tarantinos top 3 favourite movies as well

[mustardstane]

it's not tarantino it's scorsese

[campbellvstherock]

i know its a scorcese movie, i was saying that it is one of tarantinos top 3 personal favourites

[mustardstane]

oh right, sorry mate.

[campbellvstherock]

its kl

[floresed]

that's because Tarantino idolizes Scorcese's work. He's learned a lot from his awesome films.

[sadman666]

tarantino's influence from this masterpeice is clearly shown in his films and this is an absolute amazing film with a incredible soundtrack

[hoppeppers]

This has to be one of my favorite movies of all time

[beauanddustinunleash]

should have won ever oscar it was nominated for

rocky is good but taxi driver and scorcese deserved the awards that year

[cmonutube]

rockys boxing coreogprahy was absolutely terrible, I say this movie should have taken the cake

[raysiri42]

N.Y.C.- FUN CITY!! SOME FUN!

[grtas1]

Hermann the fourth genius element of Taxi Driver.

[MrNytn2001]

@grtas1

agreed and i know the four you mean.

awesome film.

[january301973]

Did you know that the "Are you talking to me" scene was completely improvised?

[zamboangaVillain]

ive noticed this song on the gta san andreas game..its in the finale scene when cj and sweet chase tenpenny on the firetruck..check it out

[KashyaCharsi]

fearful

[larry89]

one of my favorite scores

[DevinarGremio]

Herrmann´s last work was Taxi Driver..

R.I.P.

[SJ363]

the music describes not just the movie, but a mood that can happy to anyone, the sort of mood when you are confused, worried and bored ;S

[wolfgangle]

Hermann`s magic

[lithiumX666]

badass soundtrack

[filogonio]

IAM NOT MEXICAN!!!!!!!

[Thegyptianone]

i loved this movie it was one of a kind and de niro does an amazing job. also the music just makes the mood of the movie better

[Rikss09]

Such a good film and soundtrack! De Niro at his best...."You Talkin to me!"

[Stormpowner]

this is a absolutely great soundtrack

[crystalmoon45]

I remember this movie.. one of my favorites of all time.. the music is incomparable. takes me back.. time goes by tooooo fast..