Everyone knows Burial at Sea: Episode 2 is the farewell chapter of Bioshock: Infinite. This is also the final project of Irrational Games as they are closing their doors soon. On a happier note we know that the game has some atmospheric music, so here is the story, which is told by Jim Bonney, Music Director at Irrational Games, about how some of the tracks used in Burial at Sea came to be written.

The whole thing is very interesting, so below I will take quotes from Jim Bonney article on Irrational Games Website.

Little Sisters’ Song

“I was thinking about ways to create depth in daily life in Rapture, and thought that the Little Sisters’ Home could use a little propaganda music… A song that would ease the minds of the citizens that little girls being taken from their families was really just another example of living the Objectivist’s Dream!  So I took on the role of being the music producer who put together this totally phony recording session with a professional singer and a group of child singers, to create an idealistic musical conversation between “Mama Tenenbaum” and a group of fresh-faced, joyful little sisters.”

“Then I wrote verses that took a common childhood notions like “don’t take candy from strangers…” and turn it on its Objectivist head – so instead of “…because they could be bad people”, in this song it is “…because you don’t need charity.”

I played a rough version of the tune for Ken and he thought it was great.  He created the spoken opening, and suggested I write an extended musical intro, in the traditional structure of a song from a musical of the 40’s or 50’s.”

“In the game, you only hear the end of this track… Though if you stay in that area long enough, it will start to play again…”

The Pie Song

Joe Fielder and I were tasked with writing an anti-establishment tune, in the style of a 50’s folk revivalist.  If it was going to be a pseudo-folk song, we knew it needed to be simple, and maybe even… Dare I say it… a little trite. We tried a bunch of different approaches, then decided that we needed a metaphor for the singer’s angst.”

“We tried several different approaches to the performance, but none of them were quite right.  Enter Marc Lacuesta, who called a great singer/songwriter based in Nashville named Korby Lenker, and together we created our Rapture-version of a 50’s folk revivalist.”

Old Man Winter Jingle

“It was great fun making jingles for Burial at Sea – Episode One, and Ken asked if I could do one more for Episode Two.  Jorge Lacera had come up with a slogan for his print ad: “Keep your cool with Old Man Winter” and Ken’s only request was that the tune include that in the lyric.”

“The concept was that the tune would start by establishing the “need” for the product, all uptempo and uptight.”

So there we go Bioshock fans, this is some of the stuff that Jim Bonney had to say about the music of Burial at Sea. There is more on Irrational Games page about the songs and the lyrics for those wanting to learn more.