“Tunnel of Love” is a deeper cut in Bruce Springsteen’s catalogue, especially for Challengers’ youthful demographic.

Which is why they might not realize the resonance of how the song is used within the movie’s story.

Challengers’ Reznor-and-Ross original score is abrasively noticeable, but “Tunnel of Love” is subtler, underscoring — as opposed to their overscoring, and then some — a sit-down chat between Mike Faist and Zendaya, during which they consummate their (questionable) feelings for each other, as Springsteen’s track plays out of the restaurant’s speaker.

The scene is timed perfectly with the lyrics of “Tunnel of Love”, so that natural pauses in their conversation allow the audience to hear the verses relevant to their courtship. Unless you know the song beforehand, you might not even decipher the words.

And that’s what I’m here for; the audible passages:

Then the lights go out and it’s just the THREE of us

You, me and all that stuff we’re so scared of

Gotta ride down, baby, into this tunnel of love

And:

Well, it ought to be easy, ought to be simple enough

Man meets a woman and they fall in love

But this house is haunted and the ride gets rough

You’ve got to learn to live with what you can’t rise above

If you want to ride on down, down in through this tunnel of love

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Artistically intentional product placement? First on Broadway, now in Challengers.