Thirty-five years ago, Twin Peaks took the world by storm. The plot of a murder mystery in a small northwestern town was intriguing enough, but creators David Lynch and Mark Frost wove in surrealist elements to turn it from a TV show into a piece of art. The original series was short-lived, with just two seasons, but its 2017 return proved its enduring legacy.
Twin Peaks and the Sound of Surreal Television
The show’s mood ranged from campy humor to creepy horror, and the musical score reflected this range. The opening theme song perfectly set the mood for each episode, but one theme in particular was the linchpin of the show’s atmosphere.
How “Laura Palmer’s Theme” Defined the Show’s Mood
“Laura Palmer’s Theme” is a recurring piece in nearly every episode that deepens every scene in which it appears. Angelo Badalamenti wrote the song in collaboration with David Lynch, who sat next to the composer to provide direction. Beginning with a moody minor section, the piece gradually builds to an emotional climax.
The writing duo came up with the theme in an improvised session with Lynch guiding Badalamenti with visual cues. The pianist explains it in this clip, which is sure to give you goosebumps.
Even on the first pass, Badalamenti touched on something deep and meaningful. As he explains, Lynch exclaimed, “That’s it! That’s tearing my heart out!”
But what is it about the music that makes it so special?
Inside the Music Theory: Why It Haunts Us
Badalamenti follows Lynch’s visualization of being in a dark, wooded area by beginning “Laura Palmer’s Theme” in C minor. Low octave C’s create a slow, brooding texture before any melodic material even enters. The right hand then plays an Ab harmonized with an Eb. The Eb is the minor third of C, providing the dark, minor sound. The Ab is the sixth note of a C natural minor scale, also known as a flat sixth. It rubs against the tonic C, creating a tension that wants to resolve down to G – the fifth of the chord. Starting each phrase on a dissonance lets listeners know that something is amiss.
“Laura Palmer’s Theme” maintains this dark motif for a considerable time. In the show, this would often be when a tense situation or idea has been introduced. When a character starts to work through their feelings or ideas, the music moves to a new section in C major.
The break in tension signals movement, but after just one bar, Badalamenti tricks us by implementing an E major chord, which does not naturally occur in a C major scale. Again, the effect makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
The composer shocks the listener again by shifting from E major to F minor as the melody continues to slowly climb the keys. F minor is the minor iv chord in relation to C. Although this portion of the song began in C major, it borrows the F minor chord from the key of C minor. This is known as modal mixture, a process where you borrow chord qualities from a parallel key.
The melody finally finds a resolution when it returns to C major, landing on an E, the major third of the key. From here, the chords move to A minor and F, both of which are in the key. Over the F chord, we melodically float down farther and farther until Badalamenti brings us back to the opening motif in the dark woods.
Watch this video by Charles Cornell to get deeper into the brilliance of the song:
Angelo Badalamenti’s Lasting Influence on TV Scores
Twin Peaks turned the idea of network dramas inside out, and Angelo Badalamenti’s score helped it do just that. Check out the sheet music for “Laura Palmer’s Theme” to get inside this gem of television history.
