Warning: Spoilers for ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ ahead.
All four of “The Hunger Games” movies have excellent soundtracks, so I had high hopes for the music in the prequel, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” which was released Nov. 17 and is still in theaters. One of the biggest differences between those soundtracks and the newest one is that in the latest movie, much of the songs exist in the universe of Panem. Co-star Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird, a performer reaped as District 12’s tribute in the 10th annual Hunger Games, sings many of the songs on the movie’s official soundtrack. Here are my opinions on nine soundtrack songs featured in the movie:
“The Hanging Tree” by Rachel Zegler
Before “The Hanging Tree” was a disturbing children’s lullaby-turned-revolution’s rousing anthem, this song was written by Lucy Gray after she witnessed yet another public execution against a fellow District 12 resident.
Lucy Gray/Zegler, an amazing singer, adds her own flair to a song that originally had little room for showing off one’s vocal prowess. The accompanying guitar seemingly speeds the song’s rhythm, which makes the final chorus much more impactful as she slows the instrumental to almost a halt.
While Lucy Gray performs this song later in the movie than what the soundtrack indicates, it’s interesting to imagine how it got passed down from her to the Covey Band, to their audience, to those audiences’ descendants; reaching the Everdeen family generations later.
“Nothing You Can Take From Me” by Rachel Zegler
During the reaping scene, many Capitol members (and movie theatre audience members who hadn’t read the book) were surprised when this colorfully dressed District 12 tribute began singing. However, I believe this introduces Lucy Gray’s character very well, as Lucy Gray’s Covey Band members encourage her to get up after being pushed down (both metaphorically and literally) and sing this song.
At one-and-a-half minutes with no instrumentals, this song really packs a punch, both within and outside the movie. One may not notice that “Nothing You Can Take From Me” also has one of my all-time favorite song endings with Lucy Gray yelling, “AND YOU CAN KISS MY ASS!”
“The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird” by Rachel Zegler
Lucy Gray uses this guitar-backed ballad to delve deep into her own wounds and vulnerability, not to make peace with her past, but to exploit her ex-boyfriend’s betrayal as content for the Capitol’s cameras. Zegler perfectly captures that sad energy into a compelling performance, which makes one wonder what Lucy Gray simply acted for her advantage and what emotions she truly felt in the moment – a recurring element of her character.
This song has some of my favorite lyrics in the entire soundtrack, with the sixth verse being my second favorite ending on this soundtrack: “I am the one who you let you see weepin’ / I know the soul that you struggle to save / Too bad I’m the bet that you lost in the reaping / Now, what will you do when I go to my grave?”
In fact, “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird” doesn’t just lament her old relationship, but also foreshadows her relationship with her Capitol mentor, Coriolanus Snow, and what happens after they try to find a life together. This is one of those details that make repeat listenings differ from each other, as understanding the whole story adds another layer to experiencing the soundtrack.
“The Old Therebefore / Singing at Snakes” by Rachel Zegler & James Newton Howard
This song is best described as “cinematic,” even more so than anything else on this soundtrack. Zegler’s vibrato is perfect for the scene’s high emotions and tension, especially when backed by James Newton Howard’s orchestra, which builds to an incredible climax.
Not all listeners like how the soundtrack includes characters’ spoken lines, but as someone who enjoys musical theater, I actually appreciate how much “The Old Therebefore / Singing at Snakes” feels like a small piece in something much larger instead of just an accompanying song. I also like how the song’s sound switches from hearing Lucy Gray sing “live” in the arena compared to what Capitol residents hear through the speakers, as it gives each line a new dynamic.
If anything from this soundtrack will convince you to watch this movie, even if just out of curiosity for the context, then it should probably be this song.
“District 12 Stomp” by The Covey Band
This song is all instrumental and is less than a minute long, but it’s still fun and not something you should skip. “District 12 Stomp” makes me feel like I should be dancing along with the District 12 tavern goers, and it also effectively leads into the next song.
“Nothing You Can Take From Me (Boot-Stompin’ Version)” by Rachel Zegler and The Covey Band
I love how both versions of this song begin the same way, with several Covey Band members having their own line before Lucy Gray takes over. However, this reprise slightly alters its meaning: instead of Lucy Gray shouting the Capitol that they can kill her but they can’t break her, this reprise almost gloats in her success at outwitting those who would normally undermine her.
The instrumentals are also very catchy, and I can understand why the Covey Band would play this at the District 12 tavern. Out of all the songs on this soundtrack, “Nothing You Can Take From Me” is the best song for karaoke.
“Lucy Gray (Part 1)” by Rachel Zegler
Both parts of “Lucy Gray” are essentially a ghost story turned campfire song (even without the literal campfire), as the lyrics are from the William Wordsworth poem of the same name. Zegler’s voice is as angelic as always, and her singing and the lack of instrumentals emphasizes its haunting content, especially as she sings about her namesake to Coriolanus Snow.
“Pure as the Driven Snow” by Rachel Zegler & The Covey Band
The lyrics here are interesting because as the listener, we never know for sure if Lucy Gray wrote this song sincerely or with veiled sarcasm. This is made further ambiguous by the chorus’ moody vocals and the instrumentals reminiscent of a Western bar on the verge of a fight breaking out.
Even if Lucy Gray really did trust Coriolanus Snow when she dedicated “Pure as the Driven Snow” to him, the audience certainly picks up on the irony of comparing a future dictator to something good and pure, even if the title aligns with his name.
The scene in the movie drowns out several parts of this song, but if you ever watch the movie a second time, pay attention to how the lyrics align with Snow’s actions.
“Lucy Gray (Part 2)” by Rachel Zegler
While “Lucy Gray” was sung as one full song in the book, the movie was clever to split it in two, leaving the title character’s fate a mystery until our Lucy Gray follows the same path. The lyrics become even more haunting, highlighting the evil Snow committed before he became president of Panem.
If “The Hanging Tree” never became a staple lullaby for District 12, then I could see both parts of “Lucy Gray” taking its place, had Lucy Gray ever sang this song to anyone other than Snow.
Unlike most of the other Hunger Games movies, this soundtrack features simple instrumentals, especially acoustic guitars played in the likes of country-folk music. This suits District 12’s atmosphere, as this place is located in what we know as Appalachia. The official soundtrack is definitely worth a listen, even if you’re not a country fanatic (I’m not and I still loved the soundtrack) or you know nothing about “The Hunger Games.”