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Songs from Porco Rosso. Theme song and inserted songs.

Songs from Porco Rosso. Theme song and inserted songs.

Last updated:2025/8/12

Deputy Editor of RAG MUSICSasashina
Deputy Editor of the web media RAG MUSIC. I’m Sasashina, a mom currently raising an elementary schooler and a preschooler. In my student days, I studied broadly at Kyoto College of Science and Technology, covering sound, lighting, and video technology, and acquired skills from comprehensive stage production to the fundamentals of creative expression. After graduation, I joined a music production company, where I still work, and have consistently built my career on the production side, taking on diverse tasks centered around music. Currently, I mainly handle articles for children, drawing on what I’ve learned about parenting in my own way, as well as insights and discoveries from interacting with my kids every day. I hope I can be of help to you, even just a little!

That famous phrase, “A pig that doesn’t fly is just a pig”—haven’t a lot of people tried imitating it?

This article gathers the theme song and insert songs from the 1992 Studio Ghibli film Porco Rosso.

Listening to them, you can’t help but picture a bright red airplane soaring through the sky.

Porco, the protagonist, has this irresistible cool, rugged vibe that contrasts with his fanciful appearance.

If you’ve seen the film before, just hearing the music will make you want to watch it again!

It’s a collection packed with unforgettable classics.

Songs of Porco Rosso. Theme song and insert songs (1–10)

FriendJoe Hisaishi

Friends / Joe Hisaishi / 久石譲 / Piano

Friend Joe Hisaishi

This is another piece that’s irresistible for fans of Porco Rosso.

It’s the music from the scene where Porco, back when he was still in the Air Force, watches a silent animated film with his former comrade Ferrarin.

It’s a track that lets you feel the friendship between two men: Ferrarin, who has risen in the world and might even know the mystery the film never reveals—why Porco became a pig—and Porco, who is now a pig, freely flying through the skies.

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Serbia MarchJoe Hisaishi

“Serbia March” from “Porco Rosso” played by ocha

Serbian March Joe Hisaishi

It’s a cheerful march that almost lets you hear the lively buzz of an Italian streetscape and the spirited voices of its people.

This bright, bustling piece has a breezy lightness that makes the romantic scenes in the film feel even more romantic.

It’s the track used when Porco heads to the armorer, a fun, quintessentially Ghibli number that brings a slight smile when you listen.

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In search of a distant eraJoe Hisaishi

"In Search of Distant Times" from "Porco Rosso" played by ocha

Joe Hisaishi: In Search of a Distant Era

Many people may find it one of the most memorable pieces in Porco Rosso.

True to its title, “Bygone Days,” this dramatically dynamic piece is used in the flashback scene where Gina, thinking of Porco, recalls the time when he was still human.

It enriches the scene by highlighting the depth of a woman’s heart and Porco’s clumsy inability to understand it.

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Madness ~Flight~Joe Hisaishi

Joe Hisaishi – Madness

Madness ~Flight~ Joe Hisaishi

This is the theme for the scene where the newly outfitted airship takes off while evading its pursuers.

It matches the tense moment perfectly and is a particularly memorable piece.

The title, “Madness,” gives off an ominous air at first glance, but doesn’t it encapsulate, in a single word, Porco Rosso’s obsession and fixation with flying?

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MAMMAIUTOJoe Hisaishi

MAMMAIUTO ~ Flying Boatmen (Piano) ~ from the film Porco Rosso ~

MAMMAIUTO Joe Hisaishi

This is the piece used as the theme song for the air pirates, the Mamma Aiuto Gang, who appear in Porco Rosso.

Since they’re air pirates, they’re supposed to be the bad guys.

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but the combination of the characters’ comical vibe and the cheerful melody somehow makes you smile.

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To the Adriatic SeaJoe Hisaishi

“Adriatic Sea” from “Porco Rosso,” played by ocha

Joe Hisaishi to the Adriatic Sea

It’s a beautifully lyrical piece in lilting triple meter that makes you nostalgic for the Adriatic Sea.

Thinking of the land and people of Italy where Porco spent his days lends it a dramatic air, making it a perfect fit for the world of Porco Rosso.

In the film, this elegant piece is used in a scene that conveys the friendship between old comrades, as Porco is guided in flight by his friend Ferrarin.

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Winds of an Era — When People Could Remain Truly HumanJoe Hisaishi

Winds of the Times ~When People Could Be Themselves~ from Porco Rosso / Joe Hisaishi, Ghibli [BGM audio] (no vocals, off-vocal, anime song, 1992, with guide melody, off-vocal, soundtrack)

The Winds of an Era — When People Could Still Be Themselves — Joe Hisaishi

This delightful, grand, and slightly tense piece is the first track on the soundtrack of Porco Rosso, a memorable song that defines the film.

Even with themes that might seem dark and violent at first glance—war, aerial battles, and sky pirates—Studio Ghibli works its magic to wrap them in brightness and charm.

It’s a joyful piece that brings back memories of being completely absorbed in the film’s visuals.

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