Every Song & When They Play

Here's every song on the Beef season 1 soundtrack, including when they play in the A24 Netflix series starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun.

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Beef.The Beef soundtrack is one of the most memorable aspects of the show. It mostly features alternative rock songs that were mainstream hits in the '90s and 2000s, with some other indie and pop selections from those eras thrown in as well. While the show takes place in modern times, the deliberate music choices in Beef contribute to its overall theme of repressed frustration, angst, and dissatisfaction. Many of the songs heard throughout Beef season 1 represent an era of popular music that combined catchy guitar riffs with singable lyrics.

The music in Beef taps into a time when both Danny and Amy would have been kids, adolescents, or college-aged young adults. It collectively represents some of the nostalgic and comforting songs from their formative years, which suggests that these two 90s kids both found difficulties adjusting to life in the 2020s. Modern popular music lacks the raw and grungy undertones that defined the 90s rock era and sonically describe Danny and Amy's internal rage that fuels their most shocking actions in Beef.

Episode 1: The Birds Don't Sing, They Screech In Pain

"Liquid Dreams" by O-Town: This 2001 pop song was a radio hit back in the turn-of-the-century era of five-piece boy bands such as Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC. It's comically placed on Amy's car radio after the initial road rage incident she has with Danny. It's how the show introduces Amy as she tries to calm herself after her reckless driving almost kills Danny.

"The Reason" by Hoobastank: This 2004 song is instantly recognizable and is by one-hit wonder band Hoobastank; it's featured at the end of Beef episode 1. Danny urinates on Amy's bathroom floor and runs away from her house with a childlike glee as a furious Amy chases him down. The lyrics "I'm not a perfect person" and "I found a reason for me/ To change who I used to be" resonate on core levels for both Amy and Danny, suggesting that by finding each other, they found a new reason to not completely give up on their lives.

Episode 2: The Rapture of Being Alive

"Shine" by Collective Soul: This is a popular grunge rock song from 1993 that Danny and Paul listen to as they work out. "Shine" is an example of diegetic music that plays in Beef and provides a sense of the type of music that Danny and Paul like. Danny tries to establish a false dominance over Paul by instructing him how to bench press, even though Paul already knows how and is better than Danny.

"Same Squad" by P-Lo: This 2018 bouncy hip-hop track is by Oakland-area rapper P-Lo. It plays in Beef when Danny is at a club with Paul trying to befriend a bartender by buying him a drink. The theme of the song creates an interesting juxtaposition to Danny's apparent isolation. P-Lo boasts about having a group of people around him that constantly support him, while this is clearly not the case for Danny, taking a lonely shot at the bar while gazing at Paul with jealous eyes.

"Cornflake Girl" by Tori Amos: This 1994 indie song appears at the end of Beef episode 2 after Amy vandalizes Danny's truck with white-painted insults. A furious Danny pulls up to Amy's house and grabs a hammer from his truck bed, lost in a reactionary rage. The conflicting lyrics "This is not really happening/ You bet your life it is" enhance the developing circumstances of Danny and Amy's beef, declaring that their feud is about to reach a whole new level.

Episode 3: I Am Inhabited By A Cry

"O Come To The Altar" by Elevation Worship: This 2015 Christian rock song is collectively sung by Steven Yeun and other cast members in Beef during the notable scene where Danny returns to church. He admits earlier in the series that he stopped practicing awhile ago, but shows up at a service at Veronica and Edwin's church feeling devastated and lost.

"Drive" by Incubus: This is a popular alternative song from 2000 that actor Steven Yeun sings and performs as Danny at the church. It appears at the end of Beef episode 3 over a montage where Paul first kisses Amy outside her plant store, June paints an abstract family portrait, and George masturbates to a photo of Amy's intern Mia.

Episode 4: Just Not All At The Same Time

"Fly" by Sugar Ray: This 1997 easy-listening radio hit appears at the beginning of episode 3 as Amy drives Paul home after their first kiss. They listen to it on the radio as Paul tells Amy about his unrealistic valet service app. The song provides a light feel-good and somewhat romantic tone to their sunny drive that furthers the 90s theme.

"Nookie" by Limp Bizkit: This 1999 hard rock nu-metal song appears toward the beginning of episode 4 after Issac comes at Paul for insulting him. Paul thinks to grab a bottle of liquor to lighten up the mood, resulting in Danny, Issac, and Paul partying and taking shots together in Danny's apartment.

"Cure for Pain" by Morphine: This smooth 1993 song features a jazzy saxophone that plays over Paul and Amy's hotel room date in Vegas. The song emphasizes the romantic playfulness that Paul and Amy share as they jump on the bed and dance together. The lyrics are about the pointlessness of self-control when experiencing pain, which is appropriate to the nature of the affair Amy is having.

"Self Esteem" by The Offspring: This alternative rock hit from 1994 appears at the end of episode 4 as Danny and Issac get arrested. Amy appears to witness Danny getting detained by police only to mock him with the wag of her finger. The song plays as the credits roll with an implication that their feud is far from over. The song's lyrics also apply to Paul's situation with Amy and how she's playing him to get back at Danny.

Episode 5: Such Inward Secret Creatures

"Natural One" by Shearwater: This 2013 alternative rock song plays when Paul and Amy have sex at Amy's house. It doesn't fit into Beef's overall '90s and 2000s theme but acts as a support to Paul and Amy's sex scene with its suggestive lyrics. The fact that it's more modern could point to Paul's younger age and how he takes over the narrative in this scene. The deviation from the '90s theme also alludes to how out of character Amy acts by cheating on her husband.

"Lonely Day" by System of a Down: This hard rock song from 2006 plays in Beef at the end of episode 6 after George's mother Fumi falls down the stairs trying to scare Issac's robber-buddies out of Amy's house. Fumi is placed in an ambulance as Amy's neighbor Noami rushes over. The song could allude to the sadness as isolation in the scene, as it's unclear at the time whether Fumi is alive. It also adheres to the show's broader theme of loneliness.

Episode 6: We Draw A Magic Circle

"Raise a Hallelujah" by Bethel Music: This 2019 Christian rock song is performed by the church-going cast in the show. Issac and his buddies attend the church service with Danny after getting away with the home invasion at Amy's. Issac is allowed to attend because he got a religious exemption from his house arrest. Danny seems annoyed that Issac is there because he clearly doesn't take church seriously. This strengthens the notion that Danny actually cares about the idea of worship secretly dislikes Issac.

"I Don't Want to Wait" by Paula Cole: This 1997 pop radio hit plays in the car as George breaks off his so-called entanglement with the intern Mia. The instantly recognizable song aligns with the on-screen breakup with lyrics like "I don't wanna wait for our lives to be over/ Will it be yes or will it be sorry?". In this case, the answer is sorry.

"Genie in a Bottle" by Christina Aguilera: This 1999 pop hit appears as another example of Amy's taste in music. She listens to it as she drives in her SUV before taking a call from Naomi about Fumi. It furthers the 90s theme for both Danny and Amy and represents an example of music that Amy finds comforting and enjoyable.

"Machinehead" by Bush: This 1996 grunge rock appears at the end of Beef episode 6 as Danny speaks to Issac in jail and defeats Edwin in basketball. The song represents Danny finally winning in the show at the expense of two other people who believed in him and helped him out. The lyrics "Got a machine head, it's better than the rest" alludes to Danny's soulless choices to betray Issac and to humiliate Edwin after all they'd done for him.

Episode 7: I Am A Cage

"Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane: This 2004 pop ballad is another well-known, singable hit in the same category as Hoobastank's "The Reason". It appears at the end of Beef episode 8 as Danny is finally able to deliver on his promise to his parents to bring them back to America.

Episode 8: The Drama of Original Choice

"Mockingbirds" by Grant Lee Buffalo: This 1994 soft rock song appears at the end of episode 8 as Danny is in his worst position yet. George discovers who he really is and threatens him with Amy's handgun. Danny gets the best of him and knocks him out accidently, fleeing the scene only to find June in the backseat of his truck, making him an unintentional kidnaper. The lyrics in "Mockingbirds" are just as dire as Danny's circumstances, with lines like "Devastation at last we finally meet." Throughout Beef, birds and specifically crows are themes for Danny and Amy.

Episode 9: The Great Fabricator

"Jinx" by Tad: This pre-Nirvana 1990 grunge song appears in Beef in Danny's van as he and his friends drive to Jordan's mansion to steal her ancient headpieces. Danny and Paul are held hostage with June, hands zip-tied in the backseat. The song sets an edgy tone for the felony that Issac is about to perform. This is the second use of diegetic music to represent Issac's character, the first being Limp Bizkit's "Nookie". Both songs have an underlying sense of danger that can be seen as unsettling in this situation.

"All is Full of Love" by Björk: This unique, atmospheric song from 1999 ends Beef episode 9 with an eerie finality following the home invasion at Jordan's mansion. Jordan is killed, Paul is thought to be dead, Issac is arrested again, and Danny and Amy drive their cars off a cliff. The poetic lyrics are cerebrally beautiful and take over the final scene with lines like "You'll be given love/ You'll be taken care of" and "You're just not receiving". It's another instance where the song choice amplifies the theme of the scene, in this case the mutual fact that Amy and Danny are blocking out love in their lives through their rage and destruction. It offers a glimmer of hope for both protagonists.

Episode 10: Figures Of Light

"Mayonaise" by The Smashing Pumpkins: This intentionally misspelled alternative rock song from 1993 appears in Beef's final scene and closes out season 1. It cements the '90s rock theme and plays as outro music for protagonist Amy and Danny as they lie together on a hospital bed. The lyrics embody the essence of both characters and an overall theme of the show with lines like "We'll try and ease the pain/ But somehow we'll feel the same." This alludes to the notion that Danny and Amy's anger at the world and each other comes from their deep internal pain from generational trauma and personal failure. In this way they are "doomed" to live with themselves, but at least they have each other.