WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Shirley.

The new Netflix political biopic Shirley features a stellar soundtrack. The film follows the true story of Shirley Chisholm’s historic 1972 U.S. presidential campaign. Chisholm became the first black American woman to run for President of the United States just one year after becoming the first black woman elected to Congress in 1971. The historical biopic stars an outstanding cast led by Regina King, Lucas Hedges, Terrence Howard, Lance Reddick, and Regina’s real-life sister Reina King.

The ending of Shirley chronicles the result of the 1972 Democratic Convention and Chisholm eventually dropping out of the race after being betrayed by rival candidate Walter Fauntroy. The politics of Shirley reveal the trailblazing efforts of the historic figure to finish fourth among a competitive pool of candidates, earning 5% of the total delegates. Shirley was directed by Academy Award winner John Ridley, who previously worked with King on the acclaimed series American Crime.

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When Every Song On The Shirley Soundtrack Plays In The 2024 Movie

“Sugar” by The Isonics: This song plays around the 2-minute 30-second mark in Shirley immediately following the opening credits. A 45 vinyl record of the song actually plays onscreen from the top, indicating the time period in which the film takes place. The song was first released in 1967 and was one of just a few hit singles recorded by the hit underground soul group. “Sugar” plays over a neighborhood barbecue/block party in which Shirley is shown dancing and having a good time.

“I’m Coming Home” by September Jones: This classic song from September Jones plays around the 18-minute mark in Shirley. After an initially tense meeting between Shirley and her potential campaign manager Stanley Townsend, the two agree to work together in a celebratory moment in the film. Shirley, along with her team of supporters including future husband Arthur Hardwick Jr., get excited about the reality of Shirley making history and actually running for President of the United States. The song marks the beginning of Shirely’s campaign in the film and plays again around the 22-minute mark.

“Street Girl” by Electric Banana: This psychedelic rock song plays around the 23-minute 30-second mark in Shirley after she finishes a conversation with her close friend and political advisor Ron Dellums. Shirley tells Ron she is hungry and wants to get some McDonald’s, providing a more humbling and relatable moment for the prominent figure. The song continues playing over actual footage of various figures speaking about Shirley Chisholm, including author Betty Friedan, New York Congresswoman Bella Abzug, and activist Gloria Steinem.

“I Don’t Mind Doin’ It” by Jackie Lavant & The Fashions: This song plays around the 31-minute 30-second mark in Shirley as Chisholm’s campaign starts to gain traction. A headquarters for Chisholm’s campaign is established and various workers and volunteers are helping out in the historic effort by answering calls and handing out stickers and fliers. A key update in the campaign reveals that younger people are allowed to vote in the 1972 presidential election, something that Chisholm hopes to use to her advantage on the campaign trail.

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“Let a Woman Be a Woman” by Dyke & The Blazers: This classic track appears around the 34-minute 20-second mark as Shirley targets the specific states she wants to hit on her campaign trail. The popular song “How You Like Me Now?” by the English rock band The Heavy famously sampled this song, which is instantly recognizable from its iconic use of horns or electric guitar. The song continues over a television commercial featuring candidate George Wallace.

“Starving Child” by Musi-O-Tunya: This smooth rock/reggae song plays around the 56-minute 15-second mark in Shirley moments after Robert Gottlieb realizes he has to sue the major television networks to get Chisholm on the Democratic national debates. The song carries over into the scene in which Shirley meets with her sister Muriel St. Hill at a restaurant to talk about her campaign. Muriel tells Shirley that members of her community are questioning her decision.

“Think (About It)” by Lyn Collins: This popular track plays directly after Shirley’s scene with her sister around the 59-minute 30-second mark. The lyrics “I’m laying my cards on the table” are extremely applicable to Shirley’s situation who has decided to trudge forward with his campaign despite her own sister expressing her doubts. Momentum continues to grow for Shirley’s campaign at this point in the film as cash donations are collected at a party in the community.

“Four-Letter Words” by Miriam Makeba​​​​​​: This classic from 1966 plays as Shirley flies to Los Angeles to meet with the famous American actress, singer, model, and activist Diahann Carroll. At Diahann’s luxurious L.A. mansion, Shirley discusses her campaign and hopes to get an endorsement from her as well as from Black Panther founder Huey P. Newton. Later in the scene, Newton and Chisholm meet face to face and she earns his public endorsement.

“Why I’m Here” by Samara Joy: This song plays at the end of Shirley over the end credits. The song was written and recorded exclusively for the new Netflix film, which was released on March 22, 2024. It is part of the official Shirley soundtrack.

Where To Listen To The Shirley (2024) Soundtrack

The official soundtrack of Shirley is available to stream on all major platforms including Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube. The original score, composed by Tamar-kali of Shirley is available on these platforms. However, the songs listed above are not included in the soundtrack. Each of the songs featured in Shirley can be found individually on YouTube and most of them can be found on major streaming providers.

Shirley (2024)

Shirley is a biographical drama film written and directed by John Ridley and was created for Netflix. The film explores the life and career of political icon Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to reach Congress successfully and continue to aim higher – as high as running for the office of the President of the United States.

Director

John Ridley

Release Date

March 22, 2024

Studio(s)

Participant , Royal Ties Productions

Distributor(s)

Netflix

Writers

John Ridley

Cast

Regina King , Lance Reddick , Lucas Hedges , Brian Stokes Mitchell , Dorian Missick , Amirah Vann , W. Earl Brown , Brad James , Andre Holland

Runtime

117 Minutes