--- description: Behind Inception's intense score is genius composer Hans Zimmer, who may have had a little inspiration. What you're hearing is actually just a slowed version... title: The Clever Trickery Behind The Music Of Inception image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [Business](/section/business/) * [Tech](/tag/time-section-tech/) # The Clever Trickery Behind The Music Of Inception by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jul 27, 2010 7:30 PM CUT by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Jul 27, 2010 7:30 PM CUT Behind _Inception_‘s intense score is genius composer Hans Zimmer, who may have had a little inspiration. What you’re hearing is actually just a slowed version of French chanteuse Édith Piaf’s _Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien_, which also doubled as the music played on the timer to signify the kick to end the dream. Zimmer, who also composed for Nolan’s _Batman Begins_ and _The Dark Knight_, mentioned the song’s inspiration to the [LA Times](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/07/inception-christopher-nolan-the-smiths-johnny-marr-hans-zimmer-and-johnny-marr-on-the-sound-of-inception-its-about-sadness.html "undefined") in an interview, but this video is proof in the digital pudding. \[via [A.V. Club](http://www.avclub.com/articles/great-job-internet-the-secret-of-the-inception-sou,43518/ "undefined")\] **More on Techland:** [The Great _Inception_ Debate: Alive? Dead? Both? ](http://techland.com/2010/07/19/the-great-inception-debate-alive-dead-both/ "undefined") [First Take: _Inception_, Lots Of Reasons To Be Excited ](http://techland.com/2010/07/06/inception-first-take-no-spoilers-lots-of-reasons-to-be-excited/ "undefined") [Can _LOST_‘s Damon Lindelof Solve The _Inception_ Puzzle? ](http://techland.com/2010/07/20/can-losts-damon-lindelof-solve-the-inception-puzzle/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7247359/the-clever-trickery-behind-the-music-of-inception/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7247359/the-clever-trickery-behind-the-music-of-inception/"},"headline":"The Clever Trickery Behind The Music Of Inception","datePublished":"2010-07-27T19:30:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T10:55:24.668Z","description":"Behind Inception's intense score is genius composer Hans Zimmer, who may have had a little inspiration. What you're hearing is actually just a slowed version...","url":"https://time.com/archive/7247359/the-clever-trickery-behind-the-music-of-inception/","keywords":["Tech","Music"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-tech/","name":"Tech"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/archive/7247359/the-clever-trickery-behind-the-music-of-inception/","name":"The Clever Trickery Behind The Music Of Inception"}}]}] ```