James Gunn had a problem. How do you follow up a soundtrack that literally went Platinum without featuring a single new song? People forget now, but before 2014, the idea of a space opera fueled by 1970s AM radio gold was considered a massive gamble. Then Awesome Mix Vol. 1 happened. By the time the sequel rolled around, the pressure to curate the songs from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 wasn't just about finding catchy tunes. It was about narrative surgery. These tracks had to do more than provide a beat; they had to function as the literal dialogue for characters who couldn't express their own trauma.
Music is the soul of this franchise. Honestly, it’s the only reason the emotional beats land.
Peter Quill’s relationship with his mother, and subsequently his biological and adoptive fathers, is entirely mediated through a Sony Walkman. While the first film used music as a tether to Earth, the sequel uses it as a mirror. If you listen closely, the lyrics aren't just background noise. They are spoilers. They are character arcs. They are the script hidden in plain sight.
The "Mr. Blue Sky" Gambit and Subverting Expectations
The opening of the film is a masterclass in tonal juxtaposition. We see a terrifying interdimensional beast, the Abilisk, landing to wreak havoc. The stakes are high. Then, Baby Groot plugs in the speakers.
Electric Light Orchestra’s "Mr. Blue Sky" kicks in. Jeff Lynne famously turned down the first movie, but after seeing what Gunn did with the music, he gave the green light for the sequel. It’s a bright, bouncy track that masks the absolute chaos happening in the background. This sets the stage for the entire movie: things look fun and colorful on the surface, but there is a lot of violence and pain happening just out of frame.
Gunn actually choreographs to the music. That’s rare. Most directors edit the scene and then slap a song on top. Here, the action is the rhythm. When Groot is dancing, he isn't just moving; he's ignoring the "adult" problems of the world, much like Quill tries to do for the first half of the film.
Why "The Chain" is the Real Core of the Movie
If you ask a casual fan about the songs from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, they might hum "Fox on the Run" because it was in the trailer. But the emotional spine? That belongs to Fleetwood Mac.
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"The Chain" appears twice. That’s a huge deal. Gunn rarely repeats a song. The first time we hear it, the Guardians are splitting up. The bassline—that iconic, driving John McVie riff—kicks in when the tension is simmering. It represents the literal "chain" of their found family being pulled taut.
Then it comes back.
During the final fight between Peter and Ego, the song returns as Peter realizes his "family" isn't his bloodline. It’s the people who actually showed up. Using a song from Rumours, an album famously made by a band that was literally falling apart at the seams, is the kind of meta-commentary that makes this soundtrack genius. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s perfect for a group of losers who can’t stop yelling at each other.
The Deep Cuts: Looking Beyond the Top 40
Most blockbuster soundtracks play it safe. They pick the hits everyone knows. Gunn went the other way. He dug into the "one-hit wonder" bins and forgotten B-sides to find tracks that felt lived-in.
Take "Lake Shore Drive" by Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah. Unless you’re from Chicago or a hardcore 70s folk-rock nerd, you probably hadn't heard it in decades. It’s a breezy, melodic song about driving down a highway, but in the context of the movie, it’s the sound of traveling through the "quantum asteroid field." It grounds the high-concept sci-fi in a feeling of a Sunday drive.
Then there’s "Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang" by Silver.
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This song was a deliberate "get" for the production. It’s incredibly infectious but was largely forgotten by the mainstream. It plays during the scene where Rocket takes out a fleet of Ravagers using traps and gadgets. It’s playful, almost mocking the danger. This is where the songs from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 differentiate themselves from the first film. They feel more curated, more specific to the internal state of the characters rather than just being "cool songs Peter’s mom liked."
Fatherhood and the "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" Connection
We have to talk about Looking Glass. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" is the most important lyrical piece in the film. Ego, the living planet, uses the lyrics to justify his narcissism. He tells Peter that, like the sailor in the song, he is driven by a "greater calling" (his "sea"), which justifies leaving the woman he loves.
It’s a chilling moment.
It turns a soft-rock staple into a villain's manifesto. Suddenly, that upbeat chorus about a lonely girl in a port town feels a lot more tragic. It's a reminder that we interpret art through our own biases. Ego sees a hero in the song; Peter eventually sees a deadbeat.
"Father and Son" and the Ending That Ruined Everyone
Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) provided the emotional knockout punch with "Father and Son."
The song plays during Yondu’s funeral. It’s a moment of pure catharsis. The lyrics are a dialogue between a father who doesn't understand his son and a son who feels he needs to leave to find himself.
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"It's not time to make a change, just relax, take it slowly."
As Peter listens to this on the Zune (the gift from Yondu), he’s finally hearing the words his "real" father wanted to say but didn't have the emotional vocabulary for. The Ravager funeral ships exploding in the background—the "colors of the Ogord"—synchronized to that gentle acoustic guitar is arguably the most moving scene in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Technical Reality of the Soundtrack
Behind the scenes, getting these songs wasn't just about picking favorites. It involved a massive legal and budgetary undertaking.
- Budgeting: Licensing songs from the likes of George Harrison and Fleetwood Mac is expensive. Reports suggest the music budget for Vol. 2 was significantly higher than the first.
- The George Harrison "My Sweet Lord" Clearance: Getting permission from the Harrison estate is notoriously difficult. The song is used when the Guardians first arrive on Ego’s planet. It fits perfectly—it’s ethereal, spiritual, and slightly overwhelming.
- The "Guardians Inferno" Oddity: The only original track, featuring David Hasselhoff. It was a nod to Peter's childhood hero and serves as a disco-infused parody of the era. It’s the "fun" capstone to an otherwise emotionally heavy tracklist.
Making Your Own Awesome Mix
If you’re looking to dive deeper into the world of these songs, don't just stream the official playlist. To truly appreciate what Gunn did, you have to look at the lyrics alongside the character arcs.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
- Listen to the lyrics of "Southern Nights" by Glen Campbell. Notice how it plays when Rocket is being "domesticated" and showing his softer side while protecting the team. It’s a song about memory and home—two things Rocket pretends he doesn't care about.
- Compare "Bring It on Home to Me" by Sam Cooke. This is the song Peter and Gamora dance to. It’s soulful and grounded. It represents the "unspoken thing" between them. Compare this to the flashy, ego-driven music of the Sovereign.
- Track the Zune vs. The Walkman. The transition from the Walkman (Mom) to the Zune (Yondu/Dad) at the end of the film signifies Peter finally growing up and accepting a more complex identity. The songs change because the man changed.
The songs from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 aren't just a playlist. They are the emotional blueprints for a story about trauma, forgiveness, and the realization that your "cool" dad might actually be a monster, while the "mean" guy who raised you was the one who actually loved you.
Listen to the album from start to finish. Don't skip the "weird" tracks. They are there for a reason. Even "Surrender" by Cheap Trick, which plays over the credits, serves as a final nod to the theme of parents and children. It’s all connected. Every beat. Every chord. Every lyric.