Every Song In The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes

Summary The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes introduces more music into the franchise, with singer Lucy Gray Baird playing a prominent role.

The songs in the movie serve a story-driven purpose, enhancing the emotions and experiences of Lucy Gray.

The soundtrack is available on major music platforms, featuring original songs by various artists, providing audiences with a chance to re-experience the sound of the movie.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes heavily incorporates songs into the story with some new and familiar tunes featured in the soundtrack. The Hunger Games movies have never had much music in them before thanks to their futuristic setting and a lack of reason to include recognizable music and needle-drops. However, the presence of singer and performer Lucy Gray Baird, played by Rachel Zegler, in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes opened up the franchise to become more musical. Jennifer Lawrence sang a few songs in the previous movies, but Zegler's singing is more prominently featured.

Just as some of Katniss' songs played pivotal roles in the plots of past Hunger Games movies, the decision to put more music in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is also story-driven. Each of the songs included in the movie serve a purpose in exploring the feelings of Lucy Gray. In this way, they are much more than simply a chance to let Rachel Zegler's incredible vocals be heard again after West Side Story​​​​​​. This means that each song enhances the movie and the experience for audiences leading up to The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' ending.

Songs In The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Artist "Nothing You Can Take From Me" Rachel Zegler "The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird" Rachel Zegler "The Old Therebefore / Singing at Snakes" Rachel Zegler "District 12 Stomp" The Covey Band "Nothing You Can Take From Me (Boot-Stompin' Version)" Rachel Zegler & The Covey Band "The Hanging Tree" Rachel Zegler "Lucy Gray (part 1)" Rachel Zegler "Pure As The Driven Snow" Rachel Zegler & The Covey Band "Lucy Gray (part 2)" Rachel Zegler "Can't Catch Me Now" Olivia Rodrigo

When Every Song On The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Soundtrack Plays During The Movie

"Nothing You Can Take From Me" by Rachel Zegler – The first song in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is heard during the Reaping ceremony for the 10th Hunger Games. After Lucy Gray is selected as the District 12 female tribute, she is hit on stage by the mayor for putting a snake in his daughter's dress. This leads to Lucy Gray breaking into song on the stage. She sings "Nothing You Can Take From Me" with encouragement from the Covey, eventually taking the microphone and belting her song as loud as possible.

"The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird" by Rachel Zegler – The next opportunity to hear music in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes comes the night before the Games during Lucy Gray's interview on TV. She sings "The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird" after Snow convinces her that singing another song could help her get sponsors. He proves to be correct, as the personal ballad reflecting on her life to this point is an instant hit with viewers, resulting in her receiving record-high donations.

"The Old Therebefore / Singing at Snakes" by Rachel Zegler – Lucy Gray sings again during the actual Hunger Games, as she does so in an attempt to keep Dr. Gaul's mutated snakes from attacking her and killing her as they did with the other remaining tributes. The singing becomes a cover for why the snakes do not attack, hiding the fact that he cheated to make the snakes used to her scent. Lucy Gray does not know this at the time, though, and sings to the snakes to try and calm them down as they completely surround her before she is named the winner of the 10th Hunger Games.

"District 12 Stomp" by The Covey Band – A short song heard in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes comes when Snow, Sejanus, and other soldiers head to the Hob in District 12 for a night out. They are greeted by the dancing song performed by The Covey Band. Snow and his fellow soldiers stand back and enjoy the music but do not dance along with the citizens of District 12. The Covey help demonstrate how much District 12 changes between Lucy Gray's time and Katniss' as there are no musicians performing when Katniss lives in District 12.

"Nothing You Can Take From Me (Boot-Stompin' Version)" by Rachel Zegler & The Covey Band – A new rendition of "Nothing You Can Take From Me" is heard next as Lucy Gray comes to the stage. This is the song she is singing when she and Snow see each other for the first time since the conclusion of the Games. The performance is interrupted by Lucy's ex-boyfriend stumbling into the bar drunk and making a scene, leading to a fight between the citizens and soldiers.

"The Hanging Tree" by Rachel Zegler – Hunger Games' "The Hanging Tree" song is heard again in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, and it plays a few times throughout the movie. The first time comes when Snow finds Lucy in a field, where she is playing by herself. The famous tune can be heard later on in the movie, including during The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' ending.

"Lucy Gray (part 1)" by Rachel Zegler – This song by Lucy Gray is heard during the day when Lucy, Snow, and the Covey spend time together by the lake. Lucy sings a portion of the song as she lays her head on Snow. Since she does not finish the entire tune, Snow asks her what happens to Lucy Gray by the end of the song and if she survives.

"Pure As The Driven Snow" by Rachel Zegler & The Covey Band – Lucy Gray finally writes a song about Coriolanus Snow near the conclusion of the movie. She performs "Pure As The Driven Snow" during a performance at the Hob. Despite the song being written about Snow, trusting him, and his goodness, he becomes distracted from the song due to Sejanus sneaking off. This makes Lucy noticeably confused as to why Snow is not focused on her and the song.

Rachel Zegler told Variety that "Pure As The Driven Snow" was her favorite Lucy Gray song to sing while making the movie.

"Lucy Gray (part 2)" by Rachel Zegler – The second part of the "Lucy Gray" song is heard as Lucy and Snow begin their trip to leave the Districts behind, thinking that it is only a matter of time before either or both of them are convicted for the death of the mayor's daughter. Although the movie does not show Lucy Gray Baird singing the song, Zegler once again provides the vocals for it. The lyrics directly foreshadow the mysterious nature of what happens to her in the final moments.

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"Can't Catch Me Now" by Olivia Rodrigo – A new original song by Olivia Rodrigo plays during The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes' credits. The young pop star created the song "Can't Catch Me Now" specifically for the movie. She joins the likes of Taylor Swift, Lorde, Sia, and other musicians who have made original works for various Hunger Games movies. The song is inspired by Lucy, a young woman who can't be held down.

Related Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes Sequel: Is It Happening? Everything We Know The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes explores the world of Panem before Katniss Everdeen but will there be a sequel to the prequel?

Rachel Zegler Singing Her Own Songs Added A Lot To The Movie

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Having musical numbers in movies that are decidedly not musicals can be hit or miss, especially if the actors cast in the movie are not musically inclined. Luckily, Rachel Zegler’s background involves a whole lot of vocal work and an amazing performance as Maria in the remake of West Side Story. Zegler performing as Lucy Gray adds a layer of authenticity to the character’s role in the movie.

Zegler prepared by listening to a lot of classic country music and sang live on set as often as she could. The vocals recorded for the soundtrack used equipment from the 1930s and 1940s to give the effects that would work for a post-apocalyptic Appalachia. All of those aspects aided in her performance of Lucy Gray. Zegler explained to Variety that singing in the movie helped to make it feel more alive:

[Singing in a movie] adds something audiences miss when it’s gone. Singing in a film and singing live onstage are two different types of performances, sure, but you should be able to demonstrate both in your art when you’re working in the world of both musicals and film. Singing live for every take five days a week is not easy. But it brings something alive to the world of a film… And there’s a rawness to the music that truly fits in District 12— solace in the midst of the pain and suffering in a post-war society. Singing live added layers to a performance that canned vocals cannot.

Singing live as Lucy Gray also provided more emotion for Zegler’s performances. She was especially moved when having to sing to charm CGI snakes in the Hunger Games arena. Even though the movie utilized visual effects for the scene, Zegler truly felt the words and lived that performance, telling Variety:

I was so moved singing ‘The Old Therebefore’, which is Lucy Gray’s last-ditch effort to survive snakes in the arena. I had to pretend that where these venomous, neon-colored snakes were climbing up my dress while singing Suzanne’s beautiful words, and staring straight down the barrel of the lens. I had never felt so powerful or sure of myself on a set before. And that’s partly due to Francis being one of the best directors in the game, but also because I was able to bring a craft I have been training for half my life. That’s what it truly means to show up to work.

Having someone like Zegler, who can use her musical talents to aid in her acting performances, truly benefited the movie.

Where To Listen To The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes Soundtrack

The full The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes soundtrack can be heard on most major music platforms. This includes Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. In addition to the songs heard in the movie itself, the soundtrack also includes original songs by Flatland Cavalry, Sierra Ferrell, Molly Tuttle, Bella White, Billy Strings, and Charles Wesley Godwin. Additionally, James Newton Howard's score is available on the album, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes (Original Motion Picture Score). This gives audiences plenty of ways to re-experience the sound of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.

Source: Variety.

The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel movie set 64 years before the events of the original movie with Katniss Everdeen. The film centers on a young Coriolanus Snow (Tom Blyth) and shows his rise to power as the leader of Panem. Taking place during the 10th Hunger Games, Snow is tasked with mentoring Lucy Gray Baird (Rachel Zegler), the tribute from District 12. Director Francis Lawrence Release Date November 17, 2023 Writers Michael Lesslie , Michael Arndt , Suzanne Collins Cast Tom Blyth , Rachel Zegler , Hunter Schafer , Jason Schwartzman , Peter Dinklage , Josh Andrés , Josh Andrés Rivera , Viola Davis Runtime 157 Minutes