The Forrest Gump soundtrack features iconic songs from a wide variety of music artists, including Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. The movie chronicles the life of the title character, a warm-hearted man from Alabama who takes a tour of 20th-century American history. Throughout his travels, he fights in the Vietnam War, meets a handful of U.S. presidents, invests in Apple on the ground level, and exposes the Watergate scandal. Along the way, Forrest Gump uses needle drops on its soundtrack to reflect the changing times.
Some songs on the Forrest Gump soundtrack are used to establish the period setting, like Jimi Hendrix and Buffalo Springfield underscoring scenes of the Vietnam War, while others are more integral to the plot, such as when Elvis sings one of his biggest hits to show off the dance moves he learned from Forrest. The soundtrack of Forrest Gump was a key reason the movie became so acclaimed, and was used as an essential narrative device to capture the many decades that the story of Forrest Gump‘s unbelievable life covers.
To tie in with the decades that pass by in its epic narrative, Forrest Gump has one of the most jam-packed and diverse soundtracks in movie history. Six songs play during its running montage alone. Here’s every song on the Forrest Gump soundtrack, in order:
“Lovesick Blues” by Hank Williams — This song can be heard over the radio in the scene where young Forrest gets his leg brace stuck in a sewer grate.
“Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley – Forrest Gump portrays Elvis Presley performing this song on television after young Forrest inspires the King’s signature dance moves. First, though, Elvis plays a bit of the song in his scene with the boy while staying at the boarding house. It’s one of the songs in Forrest Gump that has a direct impact on the plot, as Forrest considers meeting Elvis and then seeing him perform the song as an essential moment of his childhood.
“Rebel Rouser” by Duane Eddy – This instrumental song can be heard on the Forrest Gump soundtrack as the title character is chased through by a group of bullies in a truck. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the scene, and captures the initial fear and subsequent emotional triumph Forrest feels as he outruns them.
“(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do” by Clarence “Frogman” Henry – This song plays in Forrest Gump when an enraged Forrest beats up Jenny’s abusive boyfriend Wesley on the college campus. The title is important, as it explains Forrest’s feelings for Jenny which, due to his below-average intelligence, he doesn’t fully understand.
“Walk Right In” by The Rooftop Singers – This song is playing when Jenny sneaks Forrest into her college dorm. Like “(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do”, the title is symbolic of what’s happening on screen at the time it plays in Forrest Gump.
“Sugar Shack” by Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs — This song also plays in the scene where Forrest is in Jenny’s college dorm, specifically when the camera reveals her roommate.
“Hanky Panky” by Tommy James and the Shondells — This song is playing when Forrest enters the strip club where Jenny is performing. It’s an appropriate song for Forrest’s experience, as he’s clearly uncomfortable with nudity at this point in his life.
“Blowin’ in the Wind” by Robin Wright – Jenny plays a version of this Bob Dylan song when she’s performing naked in a stip club. Actress Robin Wright sings her own vocals in the scene, but the Forrest Gump soundtrack album features Joan Baez’s rendition.
“Land of 1000 Dances” by Wilson Pickett – This song plays as Forrest and Jenny are leaving the strip club. The title is a clear reference to the environment, just like “Hanky Panky”, though this time is more alluding to the strip-club world Forrest is escorting Jenny from.
“Fortunate Son” by Creedence Clearwater Revival — This politically charged rock ‘n’ roll classic, often used to underscore scenes of the Vietnam War, is playing when Forrest is flying into Vietnam by helicopter. It’s one of several songs in the Forrest Gump soundtrack which perfectly captures the era and historical event being portrayed, as it’s a sound many consider synonymous with the conflict.
“I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” by the Four Tops – This song can be heard on the Forrest Gump soundtrack as Forrest and Bubba arrive at their camp in Vietnam. Aside from the sound and the song suiting the era, the title is perfect for the moment, as many soldiers in the Vietnam war were conscripted and had no choice about fighting in the conflict.
“Respect” by Aretha Franklin – This song plays when Forrest and Bubba are introduced to Lieutenant Dan for the first time, reflecting the respect they have for their commanding officer.
“Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” by Bob Dylan — This folk song also plays while Lieutenant Dan is showing Forrest and Bubba around.
“Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys – This song kicks in toward the end of Forrest, Bubba, and Lieutenant Dan’s first interaction, with these lyrics reflecting the situation: “Let me go home/Why don’t they let me go home? This is the worst trip I’ve ever been on.” The title may not suit what’s happening, but the words of this song in the Forrest Gump soundtrack definitely do.
“All Along the Seetower” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience – This psychedelic cover of the Bob Dylan classic plays after the welcome speech at the Vietnam base and is one of the best uses of a Jimi Hendrix song in a movie. It’s another song that many consider culturally synonymous with the Vietnam war, and so an excellent choice for this scene in the Forrest Gump soundtrack.
“Soul Kitchen” by The Doors – This classic Doors song can be heard on the Forrest Gump soundtrack over the montage of Forrest journeying through the jungles of Vietnam as the rain starts to pour. The Doors’ music has been associated with the Vietnam War since Francis Ford Coppola used “The End” over the opening scene of Apocalypse Now.
“California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas – This song is playing when Forrest writes a letter to Jenny while in the pouring rain in Vietnam. It perfectly suits Forrest’s mood in this moment, as his mind is firmly on life back in the United States.