| Trk | Title, Narrative |
Film Sequence |
| 1 | Alice's Theme (End Title) | 19 |
| 2 | Little Alice (Young Alice & Father, Coach w Mom 1:13) | 1 |
| 3 | Proposal (Down The Hole) (Caterpillar at Proposal, Alice Runs 1:07, Falls 2:08) | 2 |
| 4 | Doors (Locked Doors, Key) | 3 |
| 5 | Drink Me (Bottle, Drinks, Shrinks, Cake) | 4 |
| 6 | Into The Garden (Underland Meeting McTwisp, the Twins, etc) | 5 |
| 7 | Alice Reprise #1 | 20 |
| 8 | Bandersnatched (B Appears and Chases, Fleeing, Twins Captured 1:51) | 7 |
| 9 | Finding Absolem (Escorted, 1st Absolem, Guidance) | 6 |
| 10 | Alice Reprise #2 | 21 |
| 11 | The Cheshire Cat (Forest & CCat, Led To Hatter) | 8 |
| 12 | Alice And Bayard's Journey (Jabberwocky Poem, Riding Bayard 0:50, Leaping Moat 2:00, ?) | 9 |
| 13 | Alice Reprise #3 | 22 |
| 14 | Alice Escapes (Surrounded, Rescued by Bandersnatch, to White Queen) | 10 |
| 15 | The White Queen (Arrival at WQ Castle, Vorpal Sword Presented) | 11 |
| 16 | Only A Dream (Alice and Hatter talk at WQ Castle) | 13 |
| 17 | The Dungeon (WQ Takes Alice to Absolem, CCat Visits Hatter in RQ Jail 1:21) | 12 |
| 18 | Alice Decides (Alice & Absolem FB Montage, RQ Marches 1:07, Alice in Armor 1:44) | 14 |
| 19 | Alice Reprise #4 | 23 |
| 20 | Going To Battle (Truce Broken, Battle, Hatter Joins Fight) | 15 |
| 21 | The Final Confrontation (Facing Jabberwock in Ruins, Victory) | 16 |
| 22 | Blood Of The Jabberwocky (Alice Gets Blood Serum, Goodbye Hatter, Alice Goes Home) | 17 |
| 23 | Alice Returns (Proposal Denied, Father's Co 1:24, Boat Trip 2:10) | 18 |
| 24 | Alice Reprise #5 | 24 |
Danny Elfman's partnership with director Tim Burton is as great as any composer-director relationship in film history, producing many wonderful scores including Batman, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, etc...well it's a long list! Alice in Wonderland is a more recent film, and it shows that the "magic" still exists.
The soundtrack got a fairly decent release when the film came out, though it sometimes featured alternate versions from the final film edit. The final edit of the end battle is particularly fragmented from the original score, and it would be nice someday to hear a "film version" of that whole sequence (apparently the scoring of this film was a bit chaotic - see Filmtracks review).
The 2011 "Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box" set expanded the Alice score with many more cues, though a totally complete score release still doesn't exist. One bonus track, "The Parapet", can be found on the 25th Anniversary USB "Skeleton" key as well.
The score has all of the usual Elfman/Burton signature textures, high choir, high metallic tones, lively winds and dramatic strings. The main theme, "Alice's Theme" is threaded throughout the score, and it's many elements are reused in many different guises as sub-themes. It's absolutely one of my favorite Elfman themes of all time, and pretty much overshadows all of the other themes here for me, but reviews from Filmtracks and Movie Music UK dutifully note a total of 3 Alice-related themes, each representing a different point in Alice's life:
- Past: "Little Alice" theme (in tracks 2, 15, 23, 26, 28, etc), with a melody which rises and falls in waves, derived from the vocal melody in "Alice's Theme", representing Alice's previous journey to Underland as a child
- Present: "Alice's Theme" in track 1, the "main" theme, based on a 6/8 rhythm, a rising harmony and a melody which leaps upwards and then spirals downwards, used all over the place, especially heroic moments
- Future: "Proposal" theme (in tracks 3, 16, 23), opens with a rising figure that falls or rises further on the 5th note, representing a conservative, Victorian marriage
- Red Queen theme: (track 8) fateful and dark figure
"Alice's Theme", the end credit song (track 1 on the CD) has lyrics written by Elfman himself. The structure is described below:
Alice's Theme
| 0:00 |
|
| 0:40 |
Oh, Alice, dear where have you been? |
| 1:12 |
Oh, tell us, are you big or small? |
| 1:44 |
How can you know this way not that? |
| 2:24 |
|
| 2:40 |
Oh, how will you find your way? |
| 3:39 |
So many doors, how did you choose? |
| 4:03 |
Did someone pull you by the hand? |
| 4:36 |
Oh, how will you find your way? |
The aforementioned Filmtracks article analyzes the score extremely well and is recommended reading (though it does spend just a little too much time on "name that influence", especially if one doesn't have an encyclopedic knowledge of film cues). On a side note, the only thing I don't like about this score is the "Futterwacken" song - that whole sequence is kind of a low point for me...fortunately it is not included on the normal CD soundtrack. Also, almost all of the cues on the CD are edits/cross-fades of the film versions, but for listening purposes, the guide below should work very well. The first chart is based on the chronological film sequence (handy for using iTunes to create a custom playlist). Following that is the same chart but sequenced in album order, covering both the regular soundtrack and the Music Box Expanded edition (the second column is the chronological sequence in the film, tracks 25-39 and 46 are found in the 25th Anniversary Box).
Film Order
| Trk | Dur | Title | Film Sequence |
| 25 | 1:20 | Main Title/ Opening |
0:00: Logos (rising Alice choir harmony). 0:34: Opening titles below a cloudy moon, panning down to a house (Alice theme). |
| 2 | 1:34 | Little Alice | 0:00: Alice interrupts her
father's business meeting due to a nightmare, they retreat to her bedroom and she
tells of falling down a dark hole and meeting strange talking creatures
("Little Alice" theme hinted, then presented on flute, celeste). 1:13: Segue to 13 years later, Alice traveling in a coach, seemingly unhappy (Little Alice fragment). |
| 26 | 1:01 | Alice And Mom/ Sniffing |
0:00: Alice's mother gives her a necklace, they arrive at the party (Little Alice, Alice), where Alice learns that she is about to be asked to be married (from 0:27 unused). |
| 3 | 2:58 | Proposal (Down The Hole) |
0:00: At the gazebo, as Hamish
is about to propose, Alice notices a blue caterpillar on his shoulder. Hamish proposes and Alice considers. 1:07: Alice hesitates and decides to dash off and follow the white rabbit ("Proposal" fragment into "Alice's Theme"). 2:08: Alice falls into a deep rabbit hole and, after dodging various odd objects, lands in a dark room with several doors. |
| 4 | 1:52 | Doors | 0:00: The doors are locked. She notices a key on a table. 1:09: Alice begins trying the doors with the key. One opens but is very small. |
| 5 | 2:48 | Drink Me | 0:00: She finds and drinks
liquid from a small bottle which shrinks her. 1:20: Now with the key out of reach, she finds a cake which makes her big again, but too big. She eventually opens the door with the key. |
| 6 | 0:50 | Into The Garden | 0:00: Alice enters the door into
"Underland", and soon runs into McTwisp the White Rabbit, the
Tweedledee and Tweedledum boys, Mallymkun the dormouse, etc."Curiouser and curiouser." |
| 9 | 2:42 | Finding Absolem | 0:00: Alice is escorted to see
Absolem the blue caterpillar. 0:47: Alice meets Absolem. They consult the Oraculum to see a prophecy of Alice slaying the Jabberwock on Frabjous Day with the Vorpal Sword. They decide she is perhaps not the "right" Alice. 2:01: The mood becomes a bit tense. Alice pinches herself but fails to wake up from the dream. |
| 8 | 2:42 | Bandersnatched | 0:00: A Bandersnatch and the Red
Queen's henchmen appear and chase the group.
Mallymkun plucks the Bandersnatch's eye and Alice escapes (alternate
from film mix). 0:48: Stayne (Knave of Hearts) picks up the Oraculum and rushes off, as Alice and the 2 boys try to decide on a path. 1:51: Tweedledee and Tweedledum are captured by the Jubjub bird and brought to the Red Queen's castle (Red Queen theme). |
| 11 | 2:07 | The Cheshire Cat | 0:00: In a dark green forest,
Alice meets the Cheshire Cat. 1:37: The Cat leads her to the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. |
| 27 | 2:21 | Hatter Recital | 0:00: The Hatter recites the
Lewis Carroll nonsense poem/story "Jabberwocky" (same as first 50
secs of T12). 0:50: Disappointed in Alice's reluctance to "slay", the Hatter says that Alice has lost her "muchness". 1:46: The Hatter agrees to tell Alice what the Red Queen has done to Underland. |
| 12 | 4:04 | Alice And Bayard's Journey | 0:00: The Hatter recites the
Lewis Carroll nonsense poem/story "Jabberwocky". 0:50: Despite his objections, Alice orders Bayard to take her to the Red Queen's castle, and they travel through the desolate landscape. 2:00: At the castle, Alice crosses a moat by jumping from floating face to face. 3:04: Unknown, possibly moved to another sequence, or unused |
| 28 | 1:41 | Bayard And The White Queen |
0:00: Bayard reaches the White
Queen and they discuss Alice. 1:03: At the Red Queen's castle, Alice finds the Hatter's hat (ends with "Little Alice" theme fragment). 1:28: On a parapet, the Red Queen wonders why the people like the White Queen more. |
| 29 | 2:16 | Castle Problems | 0:00: Stayne and the Red Queen
discuss the fate of the King, while looking down at the head-filled
moat. 0:23: Alice visits the Hatter who worries that he's gone mad. 1:20: She gives him his hat and he tells her to find the White Rabbit and retrieve the Vorpal Sword. |
| 30 | 2:13 | Saving The Hatter | 0:00: Alice approaches the
Bandersnatch's house to get the Sword.
She gets the Bandersnatch's eye from Mallymkun. Stayne harasses Alice. 1:46: Alice gives the eye back to the Bandersnatch. |
| 31 | 1:09 | Vorpal Sword | 0:00: Alice gets the key to the
chest from the Bandersnatch, the Bandersnatch licks Alice's wounds. 0:29: Alice opens the chest and gets the Vorpal Sword. |
| 32 | 1:15 | Alice Revealed | 0:00: Stayne tells the Red Queen
that Alice was the cause of his behavior.
Stayne fights the Hatter. 0:54: Mallymkun exposes who Alice really is, Alice flees. |
| 14 | 1:07 | Alice Escapes | 0:00: Alice is exposed and is surrounded, but the Bandersnatch rescues her. They escape to the White Queen's castle. |
| 15 | 0:37 | The White Queen | 0:00: Alice reaches the White Queen and gives her the Vorpal Sword (includes "Little Alice" theme). |
| 17 | 2:19 | The Dungeon | 0:00: The White Queen takes
Alice to meet someone. 0:25: She meets Absolem again. 1:21: In the Red Queen's dungeon, the Hatter is visited by the Cheshire Cat. |
| 33 | 2:40 | Execution | 0:00: The execution in the
morning: the Hatter comes out. 0:51: However, after the chop, the Hatter disappears, and the Cheshire Cat appears. The Hatter appears and exposes the court. He urges a rebellion against the Red Queen. "Down with the Bloody Red Queen!"1:42: The Red Queen orders the release of the Jubjub bird which then terrorizes the assembled crowd. The Hatter makes his escape in the confusion. The Red Queen orders Stayne to prepare the Jabberwock for a visit to the White Queen. |
| 46 (USB) |
1:22 | The Parapet | 0:00: On a parapet, the White Queen urges Alice to become their warrior-savior. They see the Hatter and his friends arrive. They have a fine reunion. |
| 16 | 1:26 | Only A Dream | 0:00: Alice and the Hatter talk about how everything is just Alice's dream and not "real" (includes "Proposal" theme developed). |
| 34 | 1:29 | Alice Under Pressure | 0:00: On Frabjous Day, when the White Queen looks for a Champion, the Oraculum is presented. They look to Alice but she runs away and cries. She runs into Absolem. |
| 18 | 3:15 | Alice Decides | 0:00: Absolem talks about
Alice's 1st visit and she remembers in a montage. 0:37: Alice realizes it's all real. Absolem cocoons himself. 1:07: The Red Queen marches towards the White Queen's forces. 1:44: Alice appears in her armor riding the Bandersnatch. They ride out and meet the Red Queen's forces on a giant chessboard. The two Queens walk towards each other to talk. |
| 20 | 2:42 | Going To Battle | 0:00: The Red Queen turns down
the White Queen's offer of peace. 0:19: Probably battle (film version cuts to T35), returns at 1:38 1:52: The Hatter interferes with the battle and the two armies converge in a grand melee, film jumps back to T35 (end battle is blend of 20 and 35 essentially) |
| 35 | 3:40 | Dragons & Swords | 0:00: The Jabberwock is called
forth by the Red Queen. 0:20: Alice tells the Hatter that: "This is impossible." "Only if you believe it is." "Sometimes I believe as many as 6 impossible things before breakfast."0:55: Alice steps forward to face the Jabberwock, their battle begins, eventually leading to a general melee (film version jumps to T20, then back, etc). 2:10: Unused (?) soft textures, sustained tones. |
| 21 | 1:41 | The Final Confrontation | 0:00: Alice faces the Jabberwock
at the top of the ruins and... 0:31: ...cuts off its head. The Red Queen's forces rebel and the crown is returned back to the White Queen. |
| 22 | 2:37 | Blood Of The Jabberwocky | 0:00: After the
"Futterwacken" Dance, the White Queen gives Alice the blood of the
Jabberwock, so that she can go back home. 1:03: The Hatter suggests she could stay, but Alice says she will return another time. 2:05: Underland fades and Alice goes back up the rabbit hole. |
| 23 | 3:15 | Alice Returns | 0:00: The partygoers see a
returned Alice. She turns down the
marriage proposal ("Proposal"). 1:24: Alice joins her father's company. 2:10: Alice gets on a boat headed for China and says hello to a blue butterfly…Absolem ("Little Alice" theme in celeste). |
| 1 | 5:07 | Alice's Theme | End credits score |
| 7 | 0:27 | Alice Reprise #1 | Chorus with soloist, soft
strings.Oh, how will you find your way? |
| 10 | 0:39 | Alice Reprise #2 | Intro strings, soloist/choir,
winds, brass, 1st Verse:Oh, Alice, dear where have you been? |
| 13 | 0:24 | Alice Reprise #3 | Bridge A: Wordless, female choir and metal percussion (chimes, etc..) |
| 19 | 1:02 | Alice Reprise #4 | 1st Verse (female/boy's choir,
strings, high winds)Oh, Alice, dear where have you been?2nd Verse (with boy soloist joining) Oh, tell us, are you big or small? |
| 24 | 2:59 | Alice Reprise #5 | 0:00: 1st/2nd Verses in building
layers: strings, wordless choir, chimes, winds, brass, drums, vocal soloists,
timpaniAlice! Alice! Oh, Alice!1:10: Bridge B Oh, how will you find your way?1:28: Bridge A (mostly wordless) 1:53: 3rd Verse Did someone pull you by the hand?2:26: Coda Oh, how will you find your way? |
| 36 | 0:53 | Alice's Theme (demo 1) |
Alice's Theme (demo 1) |
| 37 | 0:39 | Alice's Theme (demo 2) |
Alice's Theme (demo 2) |
| 38 | 1:42 | Alice's Theme (demo 3) |
Alice's Theme (demo 3) |
| 39 | 3:45 | Alice's Theme (1st recording) |
Alice's Theme (1st recording) |
| Trk | Film Seq. |
Dur | Title | Film action |
| 1 | 31 | 5:07 | Alice's Theme |
|
| 2 | 2 | 1:34 | Little Alice |
|
| 3 | 4 | 2:58 | Proposal (Down The Hole) |
|
| 4 | 5 | 1:52 | Doors |
|
| 5 | 6 | 2:48 | Drink Me |
|
| 6 | 7 | 0:50 | Into The Garden |
|
| 7 | 0:27 | Alice Reprise #1 |
|
|
| 8 | 9 | 2:42 | Bandersnatched |
|
| 9 | 8 | 2:42 | Finding Absolem |
|
| 10 | 0:39 | Alice Reprise #2 |
|
|
| 11 | 10 | 2:07 | The Cheshire Cat |
|
| 12 | 12 | 4:04 | Alice And Bayard's Journey |
|
| 13 | 0:24 | Alice Reprise #3 |
|
|
| 14 | 18 | 1:07 | Alice Escapes |
|
| 15 | 19 | 0:37 | The White Queen |
|
| 16 | 23 | 1:26 | Only A Dream |
|
| 17 | 20 | 2:19 | The Dungeon |
|
| 18 | 25 | 3:15 | Alice Decides |
|
| 19 | 1:02 | Alice Reprise #4 |
|
|
| 20 | 26 | 2:42 | Going To Battle |
|
| 21 | 28 | 1:41 | The Final Confrontation |
|
| 22 | 29 | 2:37 | Blood Of The Jabberwocky |
|
| 23 | 30 | 3:15 | Alice Returns |
|
| 24 | 2:59 | Alice Reprise #5 |
|
|
| 25 | 1 | 1:20 | Main Title/ Opening |
|
| 26 | 3 | 1:01 | Alice And Mom/ Sniffing |
|
| 27 | 11 | 2:21 | Hatter Recital |
|
| 28 | 13 | 1:41 | Bayard And The White Queen |
|
| 29 | 14 | 2:16 | Castle Problems |
|
| 30 | 15 | 2:13 | Saving The Hatter |
|
| 31 | 16 | 1:09 | Vorpal Sword |
|
| 32 | 17 | 1:15 | Alice Revealed |
|
| 33 | 21 | 2:40 | Execution |
|
| 34 | 24 | 1:29 | Alice Under Pressure |
|
| 35 | 27 | 3:40 | Dragons & Swords |
|
| 36 | 0:53 | Alice's Theme (demo 1) | ||
| 37 | 0:39 | Alice's Theme (demo 2) | ||
| 38 | 1:42 | Alice's Theme (demo 3) | ||
| 39 | 3:45 | Alice's Theme (1st recording) |
||
| 46 (USB) |
22 | 1:22 | The Parapet |
|
More variations and expansions of the music from "Alice in Wonderland" would return in 2016's "Alice Through the Looking Glass".
Links
iTunes Soundtrack Listing
Spotify Listing
Alice In Wonderland 2010 Wiki
Danny Elfman Wiki
Filmtracks Review/Analysis
Movie Music UK Review
Danny Elfman & Tim Burton 25th Anniversary Music Box
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