ABSTRACT

In 2017, Angelo Badalamenti recalled sitting at the keyboard with David Lynch as the latter described the television show he was planning, Twin Peaks. After the two had worked out what is now known as the Laura Palmer Theme, Lynch said: “Angelo, this is what I’m gonna shoot.” Indeed, the music in question pervades the original series (1990–1991) and makes several important appearances in Fire Walk With Me (1992) and The Return (2017). The theme, which first accompanies the discovery of Laura’s body, has two parts: first a brooding section, then a labored climb to a soaring climax that quickly sinks back down. These two contrasting sections reflect the duality of the enigmatic main character and her contradictions. This chapter explores the multifarious uses of Laura’s theme throughout the Twin Peaks franchise, beginning with a close analysis of its music, including comparisons to classical works that feature similar gestures. The theme’s cyclical nature reflects Lynch’s tendency to eschew closure. Badalamenti’s music is part of Lynch’s aesthetic of emotional effusiveness, which at times appears to be parodying soap opera, yet at others is entirely sincere. The theme’s presence in the series extends beyond that of a simple leitmotif for Laura Palmer: it is related to the Twin Peaks Theme, “Audrey’s Dance,” and even Invitation to Love. Its omnipresence represents that of the murdered girl and her numerous personae—both those she assumed and those projected onto her. Ultimately, the theme’s haunting opening, soaring ascent, and ultimate failure to achieve transcendence encapsulate the heart of Twin Peaks.