What songs play in Black Doves Season 2? The six-episode Netflix thriller builds its sound around sharp contrasts: Billy Joel and Paul Anka sit alongside Can, Einstürzende Neubauten, Nick Cave, Nina Simone, Run the Jewels and RAYE. Below is an episode-by-episode guide to the songs reported in the season, followed by a separate look at the original score by Ian Arber and Martin Phipps.
Accuracy note: Public soundtrack guides do not agree on every short cue. This article uses Time Out’s episode list as its main tracklist, compares it with Radio Times, and identifies extra tracks reported by SeekerTune separately. That distinction matters: a track reported by one database should not automatically be presented as confirmed by every source.
Black Doves Season 2 soundtrack: quick answer
The season’s most recognizable needle drops include “She’s Always a Woman” by Billy Joel, “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” by Paul Anka, “Vitamin C” by Can, “Perpetuum Mobile” by Einstürzende Neubauten, “Nobody Speak” by DJ Shadow and Run the Jewels, “Sinnerman” by Nina Simone, “500 Miles” by Peter, Paul & Mary, and RAYE’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” The original instrumental score is a separate release credited to Ian Arber and Martin Phipps.
Season 2 has six episodes. The episode titles and release information are listed on Netflix’s official series page; the song selections below come from published soundtrack reporting rather than an official Netflix cue sheet.
Episode 1: “Black Door”
- “Count Your Blessings” — Mattiel
- “Je Me Suis Fait Tout Petit” — San Lyon
- “Everybody’s Gotta Live” — Love
- “She’s Always a Woman” — Billy Joel
The opening episode establishes the season’s musical contrast. “She’s Always a Woman” brings a familiar, intimate sound into a story about Helen’s increasingly exposed position as Wallace approaches the premiership. The softer arrangement does not make the danger disappear; it makes the gap between public domestic life and covert work feel sharper.
Episode 2: “Put Your Head on My Shoulder”
- “I Ought To Stay Away From You” — Margo Guryan
- “Show Me How (Album V)” — Men I Trust
- “Bitches and Nike Shoes” — Capdown
- “(I Don’t Know Why) But I Do” — Clarence “Frogman” Henry
- “Never Let Me Go” — Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette
- “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” — Paul Anka
Paul Anka’s romantic standard shares its title with the episode. Its gentle, old-fashioned mood is an ironic fit for a story in which trust is fragile and relationships carry hidden complications.
Episode 3: “P Is for Poison”
- “Stumblin’ In” — CYRIL
- “We Almost Had a Baby” — Emmy the Great
- “When They Fight, They Fight” — Generationals
- “Brick or Bat” — Ocean Wisdom
The third episode moves between personal history and a tense dinner involving the Chernovs. The reported selections move from a modern electronic reworking of a familiar song to indie pop and British hip-hop, shifting the atmosphere between uneasy intimacy and sudden threat.
Episode 4: “The Opportunity to Become Savage”
- “Opal (Four Tet Remix)” — BICEP and Four Tet
- “Vitamin C” — Can
- “Perpetuum Mobile” — Einstürzende Neubauten
- “Mi Sei Scoppiato Dentro il Cuore” — Mina
- “Crawled Out of the Sea (Interlude)” — Laura Marling
The Berlin flashback episode has one of the season’s most distinctive musical palettes. Can and Einstürzende Neubauten bring an experimental edge that suits the Cold War setting and the memories surrounding Reed’s earlier mission. Mina’s Italian recording and Laura Marling’s interlude add a more intimate texture.
Episode 5: “Murder Mix”
- “KFC Santería” — Cain Culto
- “People Ain’t No Good” — Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- “Nobody Speak” — DJ Shadow and Run the Jewels
- “Dance with Me Tonight” — Olly Murs
- “Sinnerman” — Nina Simone
Episode 5 makes music part of the action itself. Helen, Sam, Williams and Eleanor argue about what should play in the car before a dangerous operation. The disagreement is funny because the characters are debating ordinary music preferences while preparing for extraordinary violence. Helen’s affection for Olly Murs, whose music her children enjoy, briefly brings her domestic life into the mission.
For a closer look at the car argument and what the “Murder Mix” reveals about the characters, see our analysis of the Season 2 soundtrack and playlist battle.
Episode 6: “Peace Summit”
- “500 Miles” — Peter, Paul & Mary
- “Stay Another Day” — East 17
- “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” — RAYE
RAYE’s version of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” connects the finale to the musical identity established by the series. The track carries an emotional charge into the closing stretch, where Helen’s choices and the future of the Black Doves remain unsettled.
Why soundtrack lists sometimes disagree
Time Out’s episode-by-episode list and Radio Times’ guide overlap on many of the season’s best-known tracks, but they do not identify every cue in the same way. Radio Times, for example, lists “Solitude” by Billie Holiday in Episode 5, while Time Out’s published list does not. Time Out also includes several Episode 2 and Episode 3 cues that are absent from the shorter Radio Times listing.
Other databases report additional short cues, including “Scenario” by Hiromi Ishizuka, “Tango Italiano” by Cocki Mazzetti, “Primo Amore” by Julien Vega, “Baa Baa Black Sheep” by The Wiggles, “Cross Your Fingers” by Laura Marling, “Solitude” by Billie Holiday and “Deck the Halls” performed by the Craig Gildner Sextet. These are best treated as additional database-reported identifications unless corroborated by a more authoritative episode cue sheet.
If you are trying to identify a brief background song, the safest approach is to check the episode, scene and timestamp against more than one guide. Track listings can be updated as listeners identify short cues, and not every publication includes incidental music or instrumental fragments.
Who composed the Black Doves Season 2 original score?
Ian Arber and Martin Phipps composed the original instrumental score. It is separate from the licensed songs heard in individual scenes. The score supports the show’s quieter suspense, political maneuvering and action sequences, while the needle drops give particular moments a recognizable musical identity.
Film Music Reporter announced a Season 2 score album from Netflix Music with 19 selections:
- “Another Lifetime Ago” — Ian Arber
- “Spy Wife” — Ian Arber
- “Don’t Worry, It’s All Part of It” — Martin Phipps
- “We’re All Just Animals, Aren’t We” — Ian Arber
- “I Am the Setting Sun” — Martin Phipps
- “Stowaways” — Ian Arber
- “You Never Don’t Turn Up” — Ian Arber
- “New Arrangements” — Martin Phipps
- “Downing Street” — Ian Arber
- “A Black Dove” — Ian Arber
- “Conteh” — Martin Phipps and Benji Merrison
- “Codename. WILDFLOWER” — Ian Arber
- “A Hostile Attitude” — Ian Arber
- “Kill List” — Martin Phipps
- “I Am Not Running” — Ian Arber
- “A Survivor” — Martin Phipps and Benji Merrison
- “The Safehouse” — Ian Arber
- “A Message” — Ian Arber
- “The Backup Plan” — Ian Arber
A score cue and a licensed song are different kinds of soundtrack release. Keeping them separate makes the episode guide more useful to listeners looking for a specific track.
How the music shapes the series
Black Doves uses music to sharpen the contrast between dangerous work and ordinary life. A tender old song can play against betrayal; a forceful hip-hop track can drive an action sequence; a familiar pop song can turn a tense car ride into an unexpectedly funny character moment.
The soundtrack also helps distinguish the season’s settings and emotional registers. The Berlin material draws on a more experimental sound, while the London missions move between pop, soul, indie music and hip-hop. Rather than relying on one genre, the series uses musical contrast as part of its dark comedy and suspense.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most recognizable song in Black Doves Season 2?
Several tracks stand out, including Billy Joel’s “She’s Always a Woman,” Paul Anka’s “Put Your Head on My Shoulder,” Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” and RAYE’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” The most recognizable choice depends on the viewer and the scene.
What song plays in the Black Doves Season 2 finale?
Time Out lists “500 Miles” by Peter, Paul & Mary, “Stay Another Day” by East 17 and RAYE’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” for Episode 6, “Peace Summit.”
What songs are in the Murder Mix episode?
Time Out lists “KFC Santería,” “People Ain’t No Good,” “Nobody Speak,” “Dance with Me Tonight” and “Sinnerman” for Episode 5. Radio Times also reports “Solitude” by Billie Holiday.
Who composed the original Black Doves Season 2 music?
Ian Arber and Martin Phipps composed the original Season 2 score. Their instrumental album is separate from the licensed songs featured in the episodes.
Is this a confirmed list of every musical cue?
It is an episode-by-episode guide based on published soundtrack reporting, with additional database-reported cues identified separately. Public lists differ, particularly for short background music, so a single complete official cue sheet may not be available publicly.
Sources and further reading
- Time Out: Black Doves Season 2 soundtrack by episode
- Radio Times: Black Doves soundtrack guide for Seasons 1 and 2
- SeekerTune: Black Doves Season 2 soundtrack database
- Film Music Reporter: Season 2 original score album details
- Netflix: Black Doves official series page
By Shivam Das
