The Wire Soundtrack Song List Announced

Earlier this month, we reported that Nonesuch Records would release the first official soundtrack from HBO's The Wire. We can now bring you the complete track list from the album The Wire: “... and all the pieces matter." The deluxe, 35-track disc includes several versions of the show's opening theme song, Tom Waits’s “Way Down in the Hole,” along with tracks from the Baltimore club- and hip-hop scene that have never before been on a major-label release. Also included is some of the most memorable dialog from the program’s five years.

The CD’s booklet features essays by author and series writer George Pelecanos and journalist Jeff Chang, as well as excepts from an interview between the show's creator, David Simon, and writer Nick Hornby that was originally published in the August 2007 issue of The Believer, believermag.com.

We're also pleased to announce that a separate album, Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire, showcasing only tracks by Baltimore musicians,  will be released simultaneously.

Here are the complete track lists from both albums:

The Wire: “... and all the pieces matter.”— Music from Five Years of The Wire

1. “This America, man.” (0:24)
2. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – The Blind Boys of Alabama (2:54)
3. “Why would anyone ever wanna leave Baltimore?” (0:21)
4. OH MY GOD – Michael Franti & Spearhead (5:05)
5. DANCE MY PAIN AWAY – Rod Lee (2:07)
6. MY LIFE EXTRA - DJ Technics (1:17)
7. “The king stay the king.” (0:48)
8. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – The Neville Brothers (1:36)
9. “We used to make shit in this country.” (0:15)
10. SIXTEEN TONS – The Nighthawks (3:36)
11. ASSUME THE POSITION – Lafayette Gilchrist (2:42)
12. “What the fuck did I do?” (0:12)
13. STEP BY STEP – Jesse Winchester (2:56)
14. I WALK ON GILDED SPLINTERS – Paul Weller (4:58)
15. FAST TRAIN – Solomon Burke (5:37)
16. THE BODY OF AN AMERICAN – The Pogues (4:45)
17. “All the pieces matter.” (0:08)
18. EFUGE EFUGE – Stelios Kazantzidis (3:32)
19. “Omar comin’!” (0:40)
20. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE - Domaje (1:43)
21.  “If it’s a lie, then we fight on that lie” (0:22)
22. PROJECTS – Tyree Colion (3:26)
23. “Later for that gangsta bullshit.” (0:38)
24. AYO - Bossman (3:20)
25. ANALYZE - Sharpshooters (2:44)
26. “Wars end.” (0:20)
27. UNFRIENDLY GAME – Masta Ace Feat. Stricklin (3:52)
28. WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BALTIMORE – Ogun Feat. Phathead (3:16)
29. JAIL FLICK - Diablo (3:38)
30. THE LIFE, THE HOOD, THE STREETZ - Mullyman (3:47)
31. “An act of daily journalism.” (0:07)
32. I FEEL ALRIGHT – Steve Earle (2:58)
33. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – Tom Waits (1:45)
34. “You remember that one day summer past?” (0:41)
35. THE FALL – Blake Leyh (1:24)

Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire

1. WAY DOWN IN THE HOLE – DoMaJe (1:46)
2. PROJECTS - Tyree Colion (4:33)
3. DANCE MY PAIN AWAY - Rod Lee (2:52)
4. MY LIFE EXTRA - DJ Technics (2:39)
5. WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT BALTIMORE - Ogun feat. Phathead (3:59)
6. JAIL FLICK – Diablo (4:07)
7. WHEN YOU SEE US - The Get ‘em Mamis feat. L. Cash (4:06)
8. THAT’S DA SOUND - Dirty Hartz feat. Verb (3:56)
9. AYO – Bossman (3:52)
10. THE LIFE, THE HOOD, THE STREETZ – Mullyman (4:44)
11. ASSUME THE POSITION - Lafayette Gilchrist (6:32)