Cillian Murphy reveals a curated playlist of tracks that capture the essence of Peaky Blinders, timed with the release of the new film Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
The Return of Tommy Shelby
The Oscar-winning actor reprises his iconic role as Thomas “Tommy” Shelby, the ruthless Birmingham gangster emerging from exile to battle inner demons and aid his son, played by Barry Keoghan. The film features Tim Roth and Rebecca Ferguson and arrives on Netflix on March 20 after a limited cinema run.
Murphy’s Handpicked Soundtrack
In a video shared on the official Peaky Blinders Instagram account, Murphy selects seven songs tied to key themes from the series.
‘War Pigs’ by Black Sabbath
Murphy opens with this Birmingham-born classic, calling it “a phenomenal, blistering piece of music.” He draws parallels between Tommy Shelby and Ozzy Osbourne, noting both as “kind of rebels.”
‘You Want It Darker’ by Leonard Cohen
For a standout series track, Murphy chooses this song, which he says “feels like it’s the essence of Peaky Blinders and Tommy Shelby kind of distilled into a track.” He praises its dark brilliance.
‘The Eraser’ by Thom Yorke
To get into character, Murphy picks Yorke’s track, inspired by its atmosphere and the lyric: “The more you try to erase me, the more that I appear.” He adds, “That felt to me very much like Tommy Shelby, like you can’t get rid of him.”
‘Mandika’ by Sinéad O’Connor
Dedicated to Polly Gray (Helen McCrory), this energetic track embodies O’Connor’s punk spirit. Murphy explains, “She was such a punk and a rebel, and she spoke truth to power… Polly Gray had that same ferocity and fearlessness as a woman that Sinéad O’Connor embodied.”
‘Lazarus’ by David Bowie
Bowie, an early fan of the show, inspires Murphy’s choice from Blackstar. He recalls working with Bowie shortly before his death, sharing how the icon adored the series and once wore Murphy’s signature razor-blade cap.
‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ by Christina Rossetti
Reflecting Tommy’s World War I trauma amid the film’s World War II setting, Murphy selects this haunting poem set to music, used in the series for burials. He describes it as “so bleak and dark and massive. It’s just beautiful.”
Lisa O’Neill’s Cover of ‘All The Tired Horses’ by Bob Dylan
As the ultimate rebel anthem, Murphy highlights O’Neill’s version, which closed the series at creator Steven Knight’s request. “We couldn’t get the Dylan version, but that was actually a blessing because we got Lisa O’Neill to do a version of it. It’s one of the most remarkable cover versions I think you’ll ever hear,” he says.
