‘Westworld’ Spoilers: Why Modern Songs Are Being Played On The Show

HBO’s new show “Westworld” really provided interesting twists to every little detail. Even the songs that have been included the show gave a certain flair for the dramatic.

Every day before the hosts wake up, the player piano in the saloon will start to play songs from Soundgarden, Rolling Stones and even Radiohead. The songs might not be the traditional fit for a Western setting, but show composer Ramin Djawadi, who also scores the music on “Game of Thrones,” says there’s a reason behind their modern song selection.

“The show has an anachronistic feel to it,” he explained to Vulture. “It's a Western theme park, and yet it has robots in it, so why not have modern songs? And that's a metaphor in itself, wrapped up in the overall theme of the show.”

Djawadi said songs such as “Paint It Black” and “Black Hole Sun” are a constant reminder to the guests that everything that is happening in Westworld is orchestrated, so nothing is truly real.

“What's so great about using these pieces instead of the score is that they are known melodies, which enhances the idea that this is all scripted,” Djawadi said. “‘Paint It Black’ happens during a really big action scene, and it has all these great ups and downs — the shooting, the talking — and so I bring it down and then back up a bit, which was a lot of fun to arrange for the orchestra.”

Meanwhile, show creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy told Collider that the Western theme park is the “ultimate playground” for them because it enabled them to deal with questions about artificial and human intelligence, as well as human behavior.

“Westworld” premiered on HBO on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 9 p.m. ET, reported Variety. It stars Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden and Thandie Newton, among many others.