Mockingjay playlist

****Spoilers ahead! Don't continue unless you have read Mockingjay or don't care if it's spoiled!****

Next up is something a little different: a playlist inspired by Mockingjay, the finale of the HG trilogy. The songs do not directly allude to the book; instead, they are more of a soundtrack, reflecting the events and tone of the book. I made it as an assignment for my Music in Children's Literature class for which I created this blog (Hi Gina!). I decided to include it because I worked pretty hard on it. It's going to have shortened explanations compared to what I included in my paper for the soundtrack (I'll try not to make it too long). The playlist is really about Katniss's trajectory in the book, with how broken she is inside after being strong for so long and how she tries to deal with the many things she has been through. (Side note: since this is more about the tone than the lyrics, I made a YouTube playlist and used the actual music videos when I could, instead of lyric videos).



"Misguided Ghosts" - Paramore
This is like a prologue to the events of Mockingjay. It reflects how Katniss does not feel like herself after all she has been through with the Hunger Games, the Quarter Quell, and the aftermath of her actions ("I'm going away for a while/ but I'll be back, don't try and follow me"). It also mentions "misguided ghosts," which remind me of the ways in which Katniss is haunted by her decisions and by the many people she has lost during the revolution in Panem.

"In My Veins" - Andrew Belle ft. Erin McCarley
This song reflects the relationship between Peeta and Katniss. They are bound together by the experiences they have shared.  The chorus reflects Katniss's emotions when she learns that Peeta has been kidnapped by forces from the Capitol:
Oh, you're in my veins
And I cannot get you out
Oh you're all I taste
At night inside of my mouth
Katniss can't escape the pain she feels over Peeta's capture. There is also a line, "Nothing goes as planned/ Everything will break," that reflects how everything in Mockingjay seems to go bad, making things even harder for our heroine.

"Fences" - Paramore
Katniss has to take on the role of Mockingjay against her wishes, and this song reflects that. The most prominent lines are "Don't you know by now/ You can't turn back/ Because this road is all you'll ever have." This reminds me of how Katniss becomes a symbol after she found a way to beat the system of the Hunger Games her first time around; as much as she wants to go back to her anonymous life in the Seam, she can't due to the way she has shaken Panem's society to its core.

"Uprising" - Muse
To directly quote the write-up for this soundtrack: "This is one song that I think, if it exists in Panem..., the rebels would use it for the propos they make and that Katniss stars in." It sounds like an anthem, and its lyrics reflect the anger that most citizens feel against the Capitol.

"Let the Flames Begin" - Paramore
Quick note, since this is the third of five Paramore songs in this soundtrack. I used this band so much in part because I am a fan and therefore I am familiar with their music. Also, I like having a strong female voice with songs in a range of emotions, because it's a way to represent Katniss as a strong female protagonist. Most importantly, a lot of Paramore's songs deal with themes and concepts that are frequently used in the Hunger Games trilogy. Hopefully this shows in my explanations of the songs and the songs themselves.

Anyway, back to this song. It uses a motif of fire, which is synonymous with Katniss in the series. This song also sounds a little angry or rebellious to me, with lines like "This is how we'll dance when/ when they try to take us down/ this is how we'll sing of it." Katniss herself rages a lot, and who can blame her? She has been through so much and very few people could take it sitting down. The song's lyrics also talk about a tiny spark and how the character in it "give[s] it all [her] oxygen," and this is what Katniss has been able to do with the revolution in Panem - she made it grow from a tiny action to a full-blown war.

"We are Broken" - Paramore
At this point, Katniss starts to lose hope due to Peeta's damage and the effects of her own past catching up to her. The chorus fits the situation perfectly:
'Cause we are broken
What must we do to restore
Our innocence
And oh, the promise we adored
Give us life again
'Cause we just wanna be whole.
Katniss and Peeta are definitely broken in Mockingjay, and they have to find a way to feel complete again.

"This is Why We Fight" - The Decemberists
What I like about this song is that it incorporates a lot of the feelings that can be behind a revolution or war, especially the quest for freedom. The lines "When we die/ We will die/ With our arms unbound" stand out. This is also a line about "why we lie awake," which is reminiscent of the nightmares that plague Katniss and Peeta.

"Untitled" - Simple Plan
Katniss has seen a lot of death, and this song represents the loss of Boggs, Finnick, the propos team (at least most of it), and especially Prim. The song's lyrics and vocals have a lot of pain in them, and similarly, the heroine of the story is at the lowest of the emotional low points she has dealt with. The chorus is most relevant particularly the lines "I'm sick of this life/ I just wanna scream/ How could this happen to me?". Katniss would never have envisioned her life the extremely dark and sad way it has turned out.

"On the Turning Away" - Pink Floyd
The somber tone of this song reflects the end of the book. It especially fits with the decision made by the Victors to have the children of the Capitol (or at least the organizers of the Hunger Games) compete in a final Games as payback for the wrong committed by their elders. The people who voted for this last act of violence (including Katniss and Haymitch) are "turning away" from the real problems left in the wake of Panem's revolution in order to fulfill their selfish wishes, which is the opposite of the message of this song.

"Franklin" - Paramore
This song revolves around the way in which you can never truly go home again after leaving for a long period. Katniss and Peeta experience this when they are sent back to District 12 after everyone they love has been killed or has refused to interact with them (I'm looking at you, Haymitch!). They have to try to make a home out of a place that is now haunted by their pasts.

"By Your Side" - Beechwood Sparks (originally by Sade)
This song, which I first heard in the movie adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, is my conclusion to the soundtrack. It shifts the point of view from Katniss to Peeta, so it might not fit perfectly with the previous songs, but it was too appropriate to leave off. The chorus fits Peeta to a T:
Oh, when you're cold
I'll be there
Hold you tight to me
Oh, when you're low,
I'll be there by your side, baby
After Peeta has started to overcome his hijacking, he can return to being the "dandelion in spring" that Katniss needs. He is the gentleness that balances out her fire. He is also the person that can best comfort Katniss because they have been through almost everything together. The book ends with Peeta and Katniss getting married and having children several years after their ordeal has ended, and so I felt like the love and softness of this song was a good fit.

So that's my Mockingjay soundtrack. I hope you liked it! And I hope I kept the descriptions brief enough! I'm not sure what I'll be posting next, but I'll come up with something soon.