The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes: Lucy Gray's Songs as a Catalyst for Change
How Music Fuels Rebellion and Shapes Destiny in the Dystopian World of Panem
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes transports us to the early years of Suzanne Collins' dystopian novel Panem, where Tom Blyth's character, Coriolanus Snow, is a young, moral man who grows up to become the corrupt and merciless President of the country. The vibrant District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), whose songs act as a form of rebellion against the harsh and repressive society of The Hunger Games, is the main character of the movie.
untamed Lucy, who sings folk music in District 12 with the Covey band, feels that her thoughts and voice matter. Lucy finds solace in singing, and her ballads reflect her hopes, disappointments, and harsh facts of life. "I don't sing songs that are assigned to me. When Coriolanus Snow, her mentor, advises Lucy to attempt singing in order to gain more sponsors for the Games, Lucy responds, "I sing when I have something to say."
Lucy's ballads serve as a poignant reminder that, despite all odds, one may maintain one's will to live and not give up. They brought to mind anti-fascist protest songs like Bella Ciao, which is a ballad of the Italian resistance to fascism during World War II. Rachel Zegler's forceful vocal delivery emphasizes the meaning of the song.
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Zegler, who won the 2022 Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for West Side Story, recently disclosed on Instagram that every song she sang in the upcoming Hunger Games movie was recorded live. She even shared a behind-the-scenes video of her singing the song "Pure As The Driven Snow."
These are four of Zegler's songs from The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes that advance the plot and are enjoyable to hear repeatedly.
"You Cannot Take Anything From Me."
"Nothing You Can Take From Me," the first song in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, is a reflection of Lucy's early opposition to the Capitol. She sings, "You can't take my past/ You can't take my history," following her onstage beating for shoving a snake into the Mayor's daughter's garment during her Reaping ceremony. With this, Lucy is expressing her strength and the things she values that the establishment will never be able to take from her.
After winning the 10th Hunger Games, Lucy returns to the stage to perform the boot-stomping hit "Nothing You Can Take From Me" with the Covey band. After the game, Coriolanus first encounters Lucy at this point. This rendition of the song, which represents Lucy's first effective rebellion against the Capitol, sounds more assured and serene.
The story "Lucy Gray Baird"
Lucy lights up the entire auditorium with this ballad, which she performs during her TV interview prior to the start of the graphic games, after Coriolanus persuades her that entertaining people with her singing would help her garner more fans. In the song, she reflects on her time in District 12 when she fell in love, as well as her feelings of loss and yearning for him.
The Tree That Is Hungry
Lucy releases her pent-up feelings in a cathartic way when she performs a new version of "The Hanging Tree," which is sung by the folk pop duo The Lumineers and performed by Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1.
It is revealed in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes that Lucy was the author of "The Hanging Tree," which was then handed down to subsequent generations. This ballad from Appalachia encourages common people to rebel against an oppressive and unjust government. Through it, Lucy communicates her loss, defiance, and need for freedom; as a result, everyone who hears it is motivated to band together and revolt.
"Sweetheart Like Driven Snow"
The songs in the movie also act as a catalyst, pressing Coriolanus to confront the moral difficulties of the Capitol's government and upending his preconceived views about humanity.
Coriolanus becomes sidetracked and exits the room when Lucy and her Covey band play "Pure As The Driven Snow" at the Hob. She dedicates the song to Coriolanus in appreciation of his kindness and goodness toward Lucy while he served as her mentor during the games. That same night, things start to go Coriolanus' way, and the events that transpire later shape him into the heartless President of Panem that he eventually becomes.
