Palmer's Theme

Palmer's Theme is a recurring piece of music composed by Sean Callery included on the first soundtrack released. It is the theme that accompanies the character of David Palmer.

In the booklet for the soundtrack, Callery talks of the track. He says "Dennis Haysbert plays Senator Palmer with such warmth and steadiness and strength that his character actually needed two themes. In Season One, Palmer has a secret, and in the early episodes there is a 2-note motif theme that repeats and is layered on top of ambient low textures. As Palmer goes on to win the primary (and later the presidency), his theme leadership skills emerge, and that theme is presented here in this cue from episode #118. Palmer is leading a difficult press conference, and a resilient solo trumpet plays his theme - he is alone, but he is strong, resolute and firm."

Main appearance

• Palmer implicates Carl Webb and his co-conspirators in their corrupt events of the day ("Day 1: 6:00pm-7:00pm").

Full list of appearances

• Palmer is taken to the Northwest Regional Operations Complex ("Day 2: 8:00am-9:00am").
• Palmer considers what to do with regards to shooting down Jack's chopper ("Day 3: 6:00pm-7:00pm").
  • This version consists solely of a piano piece.
• Jack and Palmer bid each other farewell for the last time as Jack leaves to start his new life as "Frank Flynn" ("Day 4: 6:00am-7:00am").

Background information and notes

• In the booklet information for the piece of music, Callery says that the press conference is in episode #118 (Day 1: 5:00pm-6:00pm) but in actual fact this occurs in episode #119 (Day 1: 6:00pm-7:00pm). Despite making this error, he does refer to the episode as 6:00pm-7:00pm, so the mistake lay in which episode he thought #118 was.