"No other program has ever done anything remotely like what this one does, namely to portray the social, political, and economic life of an American city with the scope, observational precision, and moral vision of great literature.” —Slate

Nonesuch released the first soundtrack from the critically acclaimed, Peabody Award–winning HBO series The Wire on January 8, 2008—two days after the series kicks off its fifth season on the pay television network. Although music plays a significant role in the David–Simon created drama, it has never before been collected and released as an album.

The album, “…and all the pieces matter.”— Five Years of Music from The Wire, includes several versions of the show’s opening theme song—Tom Waits’s “Way Down in the Hole”—as performed by The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Neville Brothers, and DoMaJe, a group of Baltimore teenagers.

It also features numerous tracks from the Baltimore club and hip-hop scene that have never before appeared on a major label release, including Rod Lee’s “Dance My Pain Away,” Tyree Colion’s “Projects,” Diablo’s “Jail Flick,” Mullyman’s “The Life, The Hood, The Streetz,” and “What You Know About Baltimore?” by Ogun featuring Phathead.

Other songs include “Oh My God” by Michael Franti, “I Walk on Gilded Splinters” by Paul Weller, “The Body of an American” by The Pogues, “I Feel Alright” by Steve Earle (who also has an acting role on the series), Solomon Burke’s “Fast Train,” and the show’s closing theme, “The Fall,” composed by The Wire music supervisor Blake Leyh.

Some of the most memorable dialog from the program’s five years is included on the record. The CD booklet features essays by author and series writer George Pelecanos and noted hip-hop journalist Jeff Chang, as well as an interview between Simon and journalist/novelist Nick Hornby that was originally published in The Believer.

A separate album, Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire, comprising only the “…and all the pieces matter.” tracks by Baltimore musicians, plus two extra songs, will be released simultaneously. Complete track lists for both albums follow.

Over the course of five seasons, The Wire developed a portrait of Baltimore through the themes of education, the war on drugs, the decline of the working class, the role of political leadership in addressing urban problems, and the mass media’s impact on the city.