Twin Peaks is an American television serial drama created by Mark Frost and David Lynch. It follows an investigation headed by FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper into the murder of homecoming queen Laura Palmer. The show’s title comes from the small, fictional Washington town in which it is set. As with much of Lynch’s other work, notably Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks explores the gulf between the veneer of small-town respectability and the seedier layers of life lurking beneath it. As the series progresses, the inner darkness of characters who initially appeared innocent is revealed, and they are seen to lead double lives. Twin Peaks is consistent with Lynch’s work as a whole in that it is not easily placed within an established genre. Its unsettling tone and supernatural features are consistent with horror films. However, it’s campy, melodramatic portrayal of quirky characters engaged in morally dubious activities reflects a bizarrely comical parody of American soap operas. Like the rest of Lynch’s work, the show represents an earnest moral inquiry distinguished by both offbeat humor and a deep vein of surrealism.
The song “Falling” (sans vocals) became the theme to the show, and the songs “Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart“, “The Nightingale“, “The World Spins” and “Into the Night” (found in their full versions on the album) were all, except the latter, used as Cruise’s roadhouse performances during the show’s run.
The lyrics for all five songs were written by Lynch.