The song playing during the opening car chase in Baby Driver is “Bellbottoms” by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

It was originally released on the band’s 1994 album Orange.

But the connection with the film goes much further than an ordinary soundtrack selection.

Director Edgar Wright has explained that hearing “Bellbottoms” inspired the original idea for Baby Driver.

He imagined a car chase unfolding in time with the music.

More than twenty years later, he finally created the scene.

That makes “Bellbottoms” one of the rare recordings that didn’t simply accompany a film.

It helped inspire the film’s entire concept.

What happens during the opening scene?

Baby, played by Ansel Elgort, waits in a car outside a bank.

His associates are carrying out a robbery.

He puts on his music.

The recording begins.

Baby moves with the rhythm, tapping the steering wheel and responding to the instrumental arrangement.

Then the robbers return.

The music becomes more energetic.

And the car chase begins.

The editing, driving and sound effects are carefully coordinated with the recording.

It’s an extraordinary introduction.

Who are The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion?

An American rock band associated with New York’s alternative-music scene.

The group’s classic lineup consisted of Jon Spencer, Judah Bauer and Russell Simins.

Their music combines blues, garage rock, punk and experimental production.

They became known for energetic performances and deliberately raw recordings.

“Bellbottoms” is one of their most recognisable tracks.

Its dramatic instrumental introduction makes it particularly suitable for cinema.

When was “Bellbottoms” released?

1994.

It appeared on the band’s album Orange.

The album was produced during a period when alternative rock was becoming enormously successful internationally.

But The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion didn’t sound like a conventional grunge band.

Their music drew heavily from older blues and garage-rock traditions.

The recordings were frequently abrasive, energetic and rhythmically unusual.

That gave “Bellbottoms” a distinctive personality.

Why did Edgar Wright choose the song?

Because he’d been imagining a car chase while listening to it since the mid-1990s.

Wright has recalled hearing the recording in 1995, when he was twenty-one.

The music created an immediate visual idea.

He imagined a getaway driver moving through traffic in perfect time with the rhythm.

The opening instrumental section suggested anticipation.

The later musical explosion suggested action.

The idea remained with him for years.

Eventually, it became the opening sequence of Baby Driver.

Did the music come before the screenplay?

The original concept did.

Wright has explained that the song helped create the earliest version of the idea.

That makes Baby Driver different from films where music is selected after the scenes have been written.

Instead, Wright developed parts of the story around recordings he already loved.

The musical structure influenced the action.

The result feels almost like a two-hour music video.

But the approach also serves the story.

Why does Baby constantly listen to music?

Because the character experiences tinnitus.

He uses music to manage the ringing in his ears.

That gives his listening habits a practical explanation.

But music also becomes central to his personality.

It helps him concentrate.

It gives him confidence.

And it shapes how he experiences the world.

The audience therefore hears much of the film through Baby’s perspective.

The soundtrack isn’t simply background entertainment.

It’s part of the character.

Why is the opening chase so perfectly synchronized?

Because Wright planned the action around the music.

The timing of the song influenced the scene.

Driving movements, sound effects and editing were coordinated with specific musical moments.

That creates an unusual effect.

The car almost behaves like another instrument.

The brakes, engine and tyres become part of the performance.

The choreography extends beyond human movement.

The entire action sequence dances.

What genre is “Bellbottoms”?

Garage rock.

Blues rock.

Punk-influenced alternative rock.

The recording combines distorted guitar with an unusually energetic rhythm section.

Its sound is raw and physical.

That makes it particularly effective for a car chase.

The music feels unpredictable.

But its underlying rhythm provides enough structure for careful visual editing.

Did Edgar Wright use a similar idea before Baby Driver?

Yes.

Wright directed the 2003 music video for Mint Royale’s “Blue Song”.

The video stars Noel Fielding as a getaway driver waiting for criminals to return from a robbery.

The character listens to music and performs inside the car.

That concept closely resembles elements of Baby Driver.

Wright has discussed developing the underlying idea before eventually turning it into a feature film.

What other songs are in Baby Driver?

The soundtrack includes a broad range of recordings.

Notable examples include:

• The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Bellbottoms
• The Damned – Neat Neat Neat
• Queen – Brighton Rock
• Barry White – Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up
• T. Rex – Debora
• The Commodores – Easy
• Blur – Intermission
• Simon & Garfunkel – Baby Driver

The selections move between rock, soul, funk and pop.

That musical variety reflects Baby’s unusually broad listening habits.

Why is the soundtrack so important?

Because the film’s editing depends on it.

Many action movies use music to increase excitement.

Baby Driver goes further.

The songs become structural elements.

A change in rhythm can signal a change in action.

A vocal phrase may align with something happening on screen.

The soundtrack therefore becomes part of how the film communicates.

That’s why replacing the music would fundamentally change the experience.

Songs like “Bellbottoms”

Try:

• The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Wail
• The White Stripes – Fell in Love with a Girl
• The Black Keys – Thickfreakness
• The Hives – Hate to Say I Told You So
• The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
• Royal Blood – Figure It Out
• Queens of the Stone Age – Go with the Flow
• The Kills – Future Starts Slow

These recordings share different combinations of raw guitar, physical rhythm and garage-rock energy.

Why is the opening still so memorable?

Because the music and action feel inseparable.

The audience understands Baby’s personality before learning much about his history.

He’s confident behind the wheel.

He loves music.

And his sense of timing is extraordinary.

The song communicates those qualities immediately.

It’s an unusually efficient way to introduce a film character.

What is the opening song in Baby Driver?

“Bellbottoms” by The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.

Released in 1994.

Edgar Wright heard it in the mid-1990s and imagined a car chase built around its rhythm.

That idea eventually became the foundation of his 2017 film.

Most soundtracks are chosen for movies.

In this case, the movie was partly created for the song.