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The Hanging Tree (The Hunger Games song)

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"The Hanging Tree"
Song
B-side"The Mockingjay"

"The Hanging Tree" is a song performed by composer James Newton Howard featuring vocals from American actress Jennifer Lawrence for the 2014 film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, the third installment of The Hunger Games film series. The song did not appear on the original official soundtrack album for the film (although it does appear on the score album), but was added during the digital re-release of the official soundtrack for the film.[2][3] The lyrics were written by The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins and originally appeared in her novel Mockingjay. The music was composed by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of American indie folk band The Lumineers.[4][5][6]

Following its release, "The Hanging Tree" debuted in the top 40 of the singles charts of Australia,[7] the United Kingdom,[8][9] and the United States.[10] The song was released to American hot adult contemporary radio stations on December 15, 2014.[11] A remixed version of the song was released to contemporary hit radio stations on December 9, 2014[12] and is used as an official song for the 2015 CONCACAF U-20 Championship in Jamaica.[citation needed]

Background

The songs lyrics were written by The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins and originally appeared in her novel Mockingjay. The melody to the lyrics was composed by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of American indie folk band The Lumineers.[4][5][6] The song did not appear on the original release of the film's song album (it does appear on the score album), but after the success of the song it was added during the digital re-release of the official soundtrack for the film,[2][3] with "The Hanging Tree" as the fifteenth track. Six days later, "The Hanging Tree" was released as the second single from the album.[13]

Protagonist Katniss Everdeen performs the song in the film, which is also heard over the closing credits. In the story's context, it is a song that Katniss learned from her father, and is used as a battlecry.[14][15][16] Jennifer Lawrence stated in an interview that she was nervous about singing the song for the film as she finds it uncomfortable to sing in front of people.[17][18][19][20] Lawrence reportedly suggested to producers of the film that the singer Lorde, already having been tasked with the film's theme song "Yellow Flicker Beat", should instead provide the vocals for the track in place of Lawrence, who would then have lip synced to it on film.[21]

Lyrics and meaning

From the novel: "... We didn't sing it anymore, my father and I, or even speak of it. After he died, it used to come back to me a lot. Being older, I began to understand the lyrics. At the beginning, it sounds like a guy is trying to get his girlfriend to secretly meet up with him at midnight. But it's an odd place for a tryst, a hanging tree, where a man was hung for murder. The murderer's lover must have had something to do with the killing, or maybe they were just going to punish her anyway, because his corpse called out for her to flee. That's weird obviously, the talking-corpse bit, but it's not until the third verse that 'The Hanging Tree' begins to get unnerving. You realize the singer of the song is the dead murderer. He's still in the hanging tree. And even though he told his lover to flee, he keeps asking if she's coming to meet him. The phrase 'Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free' is the most troubling because at first you think he's talking about when he told her to flee, presumably to safety. But then you wonder if he meant for her to run to him. To death. In the final stanza, it's clear that that's what he's waiting for. His lover, with her rope necklace, hanging dead next to him in the tree.

"...I used to think the murderer was the creepiest guy imaginable. Now, with a couple of trips to the Hunger Games under my belt, I decide not to judge him without knowing more details. Maybe his lover was already sentenced to death and he was trying to make it easier. To let her know he'd be waiting. Or maybe he thought the place he was leaving her was really worse than death..."

In the film, Plutarch Heavensbee uses the film of Katniss singing as anti-Capitol propaganda and changes the lyrics from "necklace of rope" to "necklace of hope" to take away some of the morbid undertones. Plutarch then uses the song as a rebel anthem.[22]

Commercial performance

The song debuted at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Digital Songs chart with first week sales of 200,000 copies, currently becoming the highest charting song from any of the soundtracks from The Hunger Games films.[10] It also marks Howard's and Lawrence's first chart at the Hot 100. As of January 2015, the song has sold over a million digital copies.[23]

Track listing

  • CD single (Germany)[24]
  1. "The Hanging Tree"
  2. "The Mockingjay"
  • Digital download – remix[25]
  1. "The Hanging Tree" (Rebel Remix) – 2:27

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[52] Gold 35,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[53] Gold 15,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[54] Platinum 80,000*
United States (RIAA)[56] Platinum 1,021,596[55]

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States December 9, 2014 Contemporary hit radio Republic [57]
December 15, 2014 Hot adult contemporary radio [11]
Germany December 19, 2014 Compact disc [24]

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ a b "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt. 1 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  3. ^ a b Garcia, Patricia (December 1, 2014). "Does Jennifer Lawrence Have the Midas Touch?". Vogue (magazine). {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  4. ^ a b Brandle, Lars (November 30, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence's 'The Hanging Tree' Nabs Top 20 Debuts in U.K., Australia". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  5. ^ a b "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Pt.1 (Original Motion Picture Score) by James Newton Howard". iTunes Store. Australia: Apple. Retrieved November 30, 2014. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  6. ^ a b Merry, Stephanie (December 1, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence: A reluctant pop star hits the charts with 'The Hanging Tree'". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  7. ^ "Taylor Swift Is Number 1 ARIA Single". Noise11. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  8. ^ "Jennifer Lawrence has entered the UK singles chart with The Hanging Tree". Metro. Retrieved November 30, 2014.
  9. ^ Nudd, Tim (November 28, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence, Pop Star? Her Hunger Games Song Is a Top 40 Hit". People (magazine). Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  10. ^ a b Keith Claufiled and Gary Trust (November 4, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence Debuts on Hot 100: 'The Hanging Tree' Bows at No. 12". Billboard. Retrieved November 4, 2014. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ a b ""The Hanging Tree" is Most-Added at Hot AC; Meghan Trainor, Selena Gomez Follow". headlineplanet.com. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  12. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (December 5, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence's "The Hanging Tree" Got a Pop Radio Remix". Fuse.tv. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  13. ^ "Jennifer Lawrence's "The Hanging Tree" Got a Pop Radio Remix". December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  14. ^ Kristobak, Ryan (November 30, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence's 'The Hanging Tree' Heading For Top 40 Debut On Billboard Hot 100". Huffington Post. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  15. ^ Smith, C. Molly (November 21, 2014). "Hear Jennifer Lawrence sing 'The Hanging Tree' in 'Mockingjay'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  16. ^ "Jennifer Lawrence's "The Hanging Tree" hits the Billboard chart". CBS News. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  17. ^ Hasty, Katie. "Jennifer Lawrence cried the day she shot her singing scene for 'Mockingjay'". HitFix. HitFix. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  18. ^ Bui, Hoai-Tran (November 24, 2014). "Listen to Jennifer Lawrence's haunting song 'The Hanging Tree' in 'Mockingjay Part 1'". USA Today. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  19. ^ O'Neil, Lorena (November 24, 2014). "Listen to Jennifer Lawrence Sing "The Hanging Tree" for 'Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  20. ^ Boardman, Madeline (December 1, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence Becomes a Pop Star With Success of "Hanging Tree," Hunger Games Soundtrack Song". Us (magazine). {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  21. ^ Finn, Natalie (November 21, 2014). "Jennifer Lawrence Is Actually a Lovely Singer and "Hanging Tree" From Mockingjay Will Haunt Your Dreams: Listen!". E!. Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  22. ^ Mason, Amelia (December 10, 2014). "The Hidden Roots Of 'Hunger Games' Hit Song? Murder Ballads, Civil Rights Hymns". WBUR. Retrieved July 20, 2015. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  23. ^ Paul Grein (January 22, 2015). "Maroon 5's 'Sugar' Rushes to the Top 10". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved January 22, 2015. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  24. ^ a b "The Hanging Tree (2-Track)" (in German). Amazon.de. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  25. ^ "The Hanging Tree (Rebel Remix) [From "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Pt. 1"] [feat. Jennifer Lawrence] - Single by James Newton Howard". iTunes Store. Apple. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 13, 2015. {{cite web}}: templatestyles stripmarker in |work= at position 1 (help)
  26. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  27. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  28. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select 50. týden 2014 in the date selector.
  29. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  30. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  31. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  32. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Canada CHR/Top 40)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  33. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Canada Hot AC)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  34. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  35. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  36. ^ "Chart Track: Week 49, 2014". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
  37. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  38. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  39. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree". VG-lista. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  40. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201450 into search. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  41. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree" Canciones Top 50. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  42. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  43. ^ "James Newton Howard feat. Jennifer Lawrence – The Hanging Tree". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 December 2014.
  44. ^ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart: CLUK Update 6.12.2014 (wk48)". Zobbel.de. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  45. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  46. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
  47. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  48. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Dance Mix/Show Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
  49. ^ "James Newton Howard Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  50. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  51. ^ "Hot 100: Year End 2015". Billboard. billboard.com. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  52. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2015 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  53. ^ "Austrian single certifications – James Newton Howard – The Hanging Tree" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  54. ^ "Canadian single certifications – James Newton Howard – The Hanging Tree". Music Canada. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  55. ^ "Hot AC | James Newton Howard ft Jennifer Lawrence "Hanging Tree" | Republic Playbook". Republic Records. Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  56. ^ "American single certifications – James Newton Howard – The Hanging Tree feat. Jennifer Lawrence". Recording Industry Association of America.
  57. ^ "CHR – Available For Airplay". FMQB. Archived from the original on January 5, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
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