Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Soundtrack (2026) Guide
When the repressed daughter of a wealthy New England family and her rebellious maid find themselves trapped in a house built on humiliation and cruelty, they escape into a fantasy of sex, power, and revenge. The gruesome unsolved murders that follow don't just shock the world — they give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage, choosing instead to forge her own legend: shocking, monstrous, and gloriously free.
Creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan turn their true-crime anthology toward 19th-century Massachusetts in Netflix's Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. Ella Beatty stars as Lizzie Borden, the repressed young woman trapped inside a suffocating Fall River home ruled by her domineering father Andrew (Charlie Hunnam) and cruel stepmother Abby (Rebecca Hall). Finding an intense romantic and rebellious escape with the household's Irish maid Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps), Lizzie pushes against strict Victorian gender roles until a notorious double axe murder shocks the nation. Featuring standout supporting turns from Billie Lourd, Jessica Barden, and Sarah Paulson, the limited series unpacks the sensational trial and media frenzy that transformed an accused killer into an enduring American myth.
Music supervisor Amanda Krieg Thomas and composer Bryce Dessner shatter period-drama expectations by pairing 1892 New England with fierce feminist punk, gothic post-punk, and alternative rock classics. The Runaways ignite the rebellion in the premiere with "Cherry Bomb", quickly followed by Kate Bush's sweeping art-pop masterpiece "Hounds of Love". Post-punk and indie anthems amplify the household's rising fury, featuring Siouxsie and The Banshees on "Hong Kong Garden", Lambrini Girls on "Cuntology 101", and Wet Leg on "mangetout". The eclectic soundtrack ranges from Chromatics' atmospheric cover of "I'm on Fire" and Bronski Beat's synth-pop staple "Smalltown Boy" to The Doors' dark epic "The End". For the aftermath, the finale brings emotional poignancy through Natalie Merchant's "Carnival", Philip Glass's hypnotic "Opening", and Fiona Apple's brooding closing ballad "I Know".
Episode 1: Bloodbath (Sep 17, 2026)
Tormented by her sharp-tongued stepmother, Lizzie Borden sees her world open up when an unorthodox and provocative new maid joins her household.
-
Maggie Murphy's Home
Dick Hyman
Scene Context: Lamps are illuminated throughout the town.
-
Scene Context: Maggie cleans a bloodstain from the couch while Lizzie observes her.
-
Hounds of Love
Scene Context: Lizzie brings Maggie to a cherry bath containing four bushels of cherries in the dovecote. They soak together as the end credits begin to roll.
Episode 2: Strong Kitty (Sep 17, 2026)
As she grows more intimate with Lizzie, Maggie is burdened with a painful reality. A gruesome act of cruelty by Abby pushes Lizzie over the edge.
-
Scene Context: Maggie serves lunch to Abby and make love with Andrew, whom she refers to as Sarah.
-
Cuntology 101
Lambrini Girls
Scene Context: Lizzie and Maggie prepare poisoned oysters intended to harm Andrew and Abby.
Episode 3: Whack Job! (Sep 17, 2026)
A long-lost family member returns to pressure Andrew for a favor. Maggie endures a sadistic punishment as she and Lizzie revise their revenge plans.
-
Scene Context: Lizzie and Maggie engage in close interactions, slaughter chickens, and practice axe swings together.
-
Scene Context: Lizzie arrives at the scene with injuries; subsequently, the police investigate Bertha's murder.
Episode 4: R.I.P (Rest in Pestilence) Abby Borden (Sep 17, 2026)
Abby searches for the remedy to her deep-seated dissatisfaction. Lizzie unleashes decades of frustration as a brutal plan swings into action.
-
Stumblin' In
Chris Norman
Scene Context: In the car, Aileen identifies herself to Steve as Lizzie Borden before revealing her actual name.
-
I'm on Fire
Scene Context: Episode 4 Ending Credits Song
Episode 5: 41 (Sep 17, 2026)
Andrew revisits the past as he grapples with marital issues in the present — and after a night of debauchery, encounters a new kind of female rage.
-
The Women Of Ireland (The Love Theme From Barry Lyndon)/The Morning Dew
Scene Context: Abby and Andrew consummate their marriage. They then display a bloodstained bedsheet.
Episode 6: Bed and Breakfast (Sep 17, 2026)
Lizzie and Maggie race to scrub the scene before their grisly crime comes to light. A shaky statement leads investigators to dig deeper.
-
Hong Kong Garden
Scene Context: Maggie seeks assistance while Lizzie collapses in distress; police conduct a search of the Borden house.
-
Scene Context: Aileen and Lizzie alternate between dancing, with Aileen subsequently driving away, while Lizzie is arrested.
Episode 7: The Trial of the Century (Sep 17, 2026)
With the public transfixed by the lurid scandal, Lizzie must deliver a life-or-death performance, with help from an unexpected ally.
-
Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492: Cosa mi narri? - Che soave zeffiretto
Scene Context: Lizzie awaits the jury's verdict in the courtroom and is subsequently acquitted.
-
The Last Time
Andrew Oldham Orchestra
Scene Context: Outside the courthouse, Lizzie speaks to the gathered crowd and notices Maggie.
Episode 8: Carnival (Sep 17, 2026)
As the burden of her monstrous legacy threatens to pull her under, Lizzie searches for meaning — and a way to move forward.
-
Carnival
Scene Context: Aileen is secured to a gurney in the execution chamber while Natalie Merchant's "Carnival" plays in the background.
-
Stardust
Scene Context: Lizzie escorts Nance through the estate grounds and showcases the hidden home bar at Maplecroft.
-
Opening
Scene Context: Lizzie leaves her guests in the parlor and goes downstairs.
-
Carnival
Scene Context: Aileen encounters the spirits of Lizzie and Maggie, who confess to her. She then follows them outside to the execution room.
-
Scene Context: Last song from the series
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story (Soundtrack from the Netflix Series)
-
Monster Theme
-
This Evenings Proposal
-
More Instructions
-
Cleaning the Sofa
-
Lizzie and Maggie
-
You Can and You Will
-
Necessary Alterations
-
Dust Check to Doves
-
Real Mother
-
Blood Bath
-
Maggie's Crate
-
Marriage Proposal
-
Maggie Kiss
-
Abby Kills
-
Andrew's Axes
-
John Morse
-
Lizzie Steals
-
Story to Whips Maggie
-
Real Hero to Sex
-
Abby's Journal
-
Elizabeth's Revenge
-
Conflicting Story
Anachronistic music choices have become a trademark of Ryan Murphy's productions, and using loud punk and modern bedroom pop breathes visceral energy into a well-known historical crime. Instead of keeping Lizzie Borden locked in dusty Victorian silence, the songs highlight her isolation, sexuality, and desire for absolute freedom. Netflix viewers get a bold, confrontational soundtrack where contemporary female rage clashes with historical tragedy, making every domestic confrontation feel raw, dangerous, and unforgettable.
Main Cast
- Ella Beatty Lizzie Borden
- Vicky Krieps Bridget Sullivan
- Sarah Paulson Aileen Wuornos
- Charlie Hunnam Andrew Borden
- Rebecca Hall Abby Borden
- Billie Lourd Emma Borden
- Jessica Barden Nance O'Neil
Official Trailer
Complete Soundtrack List - All Songs Played in Every Episode
| Episode | Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| E1 | Maggie Murphy's Home | Dick Hyman |
| E1 | Cherry Bomb | The Runaways |
| E1 | Hounds of Love | Kate Bush |
| E2 | mangetout | Wet Leg |
| E2 | Cuntology 101 | Lambrini Girls |
| E3 | Today | Jefferson Airplane |
| E3 | The End | The Doors |
| E4 | Stumblin' In | Chris Norman |
| E4 | I'm on Fire | Chromatics |
| E5 | The Women Of Ireland (The Love Theme From Barry Lyndon)/The Morning Dew | The Chieftains |
| E6 | Hong Kong Garden | Siouxsie & The Banshees |
| E6 | Smalltown Boy | Bronski Beat |
| E7 | Le nozze di Figaro, K. 492: Cosa mi narri? - Che soave zeffiretto | Mozart |
| E7 | The Last Time | Andrew Oldham Orchestra |
| E8 | Carnival | Natalie Merchant |
| E8 | Stardust | Hoagy Carmichael |
| E8 | Opening | Philip Glass |
| E8 | Carnival | Natalie Merchant |
| E8 | I Know | Fiona Apple |