A “needle drop” is an existing piece of music that is used in a movie or show instead of an original score. Social Distortion’s 1990 single “Story of My Life” shows up in the background of all types of scenes. It’s used because it’s a hard, fast, hooky country-tinged anthem with universal themes, and because filmmakers won’t take the time to look into a second option for a song. But it usually works because it’s about growing up, looking back, and self-reflection, it fits in everywhere. If a needle drop is a tool, “Story of My Life” is a Swiss Army Knife.
Here are six of the best “Story of My Life” needle drops:
6. The Hammer (2007)
This Happy Gilmore ripoff is a vehicle for everyone’s second favorite racist podcaster, Adam Carolla. This generic underdog sports movie came out in 2007 and is based on his background in boxing and carpentry. The story offers nothing, but has a surprisingly good soundtrack featuring Bad Religion, The Offspring, and two Social Distortion songs. “Story of My Life” is featured over the closing credits, so you don’t need to support this anti-vax right-wing nutjob by digging into the film to listen to how it’s used.
5. Life or Something Like It (2002)
In this 2002 tepid rom-com, Angelina Jolie basically plays a ravishing reporter, who has an existential crisis when a homeless psychic tells her that she’s gonna die in a week. During her journey of self-discovery, she briefly reverts to her teenage rebel self. She literally lets her hair down, wears glasses, and listens to Social Distortion while wearing a Social D shirt, and boy, does this turn off her professional ballplayer boyfriend!
4. The Break-Up (2006)
This somewhat enjoyable comedy features two charismatic leads who are prone to saying dumb shit off-screen. Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston play a couple who split but refuse to leave their luxury Chicago condo. Antics ensue as they try to drive the other out. Vaughn decides to be a man by buying himself a pool table and inviting his buddies over for beers. Social Distortion does the heavy lifting showing that this is a regular working class Joe (despite the fancy apartment) being a shitty person (because his girlfriend asks him to clean up).
3. Reality Bites (1994)
Along with “Pulp Fiction” and “Swingers,” the “Reality Bites” soundtrack was what every older sister had nestled in their CD binder on the floor of their car. But the album that introduced the world to Lisa Loeb’s “Stay” does not have “Story of My Life” on the CD itself! The song is featured in the movie in a meta way as Winona Ryder’s documentarian character watches a recut version of her film at an ersatz MTV network. Those big-wigs made her movie into a “Real World” style mockery of Gen-X values. In their cut they use “Story of My Life” as a narrative tool for the show within the movie. Offended that her artistic vision is being taken away, she storms out, successfully defending the integrity of an entire generation.
(No clips of this sequence on YouTube, so enjoy the official music video and picture Janeane Garafalo smoking cigarettes on a rooftop instead)
2. Love (2016)
This Netflix series is the most Apatow-est of Apatow productions. It has all the benchmarks–an amazing supporting cast plus one of his daughters, cringe humor, and a nerd who stumbles his way into poorly written, but beautiful actresses. In a meta moment, star Paul Rust, who looks like an R. Crumb cartoon come to life, awkwards his way through a hip party in the Hollywood Hills, and our favorite track is playing, probably because all these characters are 40-something producers and music executives.
(This clip isn’t online, so enjoy an adorable Mike Ness talking about all the TV he watches)
1. Orange County (2002)
This amusing but forgettable romp, uses the song in the most on-the-nose fashion imaginable. In the opening, Colin Hanks, writes an impassioned letter to a college professor about his life so far, how he’s a former surfer who gave it up to be an aspiring writer. His voiceover states the first two verses verbatim as it is visually depicted on screen. A movie set in Orange County, called “Orange County” features the most famous song from one of the best bands from Orange County. If you’re driving down the 5 and listen closely, you can still hear the writer patting himself on the back for that one.
(Ok we couldn’t find a quick clip of this either, so here is Social D playing live in Anaheim which we are pretty sure is in Orange County.)