Songs in Songbirds and Serpents by Vivian Vallarsa
The newly released The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, contains many songs sung mainly by actress Rachel Zegler, who plays Lucy Gray Baird. Lucy Gray is a singer and performer who got stuck in district 12 during the war. These songs include “Nothing You Can Take From Me,” “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird,” “Pure As The Driven Snow,” “The Hanging Tree,” and “Lucy Gray.” Along with these songs, there were many other talented artists who played their part in the movie.
“Nothing You Can Take From Me,” which was sung the first time Lucy Gray makes an appearance, is about her refusal to conform to her standing in District 12. The song suggests that she is standing up for herself from the forces that want to control civilians sence of identity. It is about how the things that really matter like her past and history can’t be taken from her, only things that aren’t worth keeping.
“The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird” was sung in Lucy Gray’s interview before the start of the 10th annual Hunger Games. It is what the name suggests, a ballad of her life. In the film, she states that she doesn’t sing when she is told, she sings when she has something to say. This relates to the song because she is telling the world about her life, that she too is a person just like everyone else before going into the arena.
Coriolanus Snow believes that “Pure As The Driven Snow” was written about him before Lucy Gray knew –spoilers– that he came to District 12. This was never confirmed, but the lyrics strongly suggest it. If the song is in fact sung about Coryo, then it is about her trust in him and how much she had fallen for him during their time together at the Capitol.
–spoilers–
Lucy Gray singing “The Hanging Tree” leaves a lot of mystery on whether or not she came back to District 12 after running away from Coryo. It is played when Lucy Gray and Coryo are first trying to escape the district to be able to spend their lives together. The mystery that it leaves is because of the fact that Katniss Everdeen sings “The Hanging Tree” in Mockingjay. This leaves a mystery on whether or not Lucy Gray ever made it back to District 12.
Along with these songs sung by Rachel Zegler, an honorable mention is “Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo. This song was sung during the end credits of the movie, and it is about Coriolanus’ inability to catch Lucy Gray after she ran away from him, as the name suggests.
“Nothing You Can Take From Me,” which was sung the first time Lucy Gray makes an appearance, is about her refusal to conform to her standing in District 12. The song suggests that she is standing up for herself from the forces that want to control civilians sence of identity. It is about how the things that really matter like her past and history can’t be taken from her, only things that aren’t worth keeping.
“The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird” was sung in Lucy Gray’s interview before the start of the 10th annual Hunger Games. It is what the name suggests, a ballad of her life. In the film, she states that she doesn’t sing when she is told, she sings when she has something to say. This relates to the song because she is telling the world about her life, that she too is a person just like everyone else before going into the arena.
Coriolanus Snow believes that “Pure As The Driven Snow” was written about him before Lucy Gray knew –spoilers– that he came to District 12. This was never confirmed, but the lyrics strongly suggest it. If the song is in fact sung about Coryo, then it is about her trust in him and how much she had fallen for him during their time together at the Capitol.
–spoilers–
Lucy Gray singing “The Hanging Tree” leaves a lot of mystery on whether or not she came back to District 12 after running away from Coryo. It is played when Lucy Gray and Coryo are first trying to escape the district to be able to spend their lives together. The mystery that it leaves is because of the fact that Katniss Everdeen sings “The Hanging Tree” in Mockingjay. This leaves a mystery on whether or not Lucy Gray ever made it back to District 12.
Along with these songs sung by Rachel Zegler, an honorable mention is “Can’t Catch Me Now” by Olivia Rodrigo. This song was sung during the end credits of the movie, and it is about Coriolanus’ inability to catch Lucy Gray after she ran away from him, as the name suggests.