Georgia LaRue
The Life of the Party- The song taken from Wild Party the Andrew Lippa Musical is reflective of the 1920s era. The lyrics brag about being the center of attention at a party, emoting the same feeling as the guests attending Gatsby’s lavish affairs. The musical itself takes place during the Jazz Age and accurately interprets the alcohol use and promiscuity of the lost generation as Fitzgerald did.
No Such Thing- Discovering that truths we have lived up to our whole lives turn out to be fake brings up some interesting events in Gatsby. John Mayer’s revelation that there is “no such thing as the real world, only a lie you’ve got to rise above” connects to Fitzgerald’s idea that those who are determined can create truth. Jay Gatsby embodied this principle, rising above and beyond societal standards in sight of a true American dream. There is not a “real” world. There are only choices to be made.
Green Light- “Give me the green light. Give me the green light. I’m ready to go right now.” No other song could represent Fitzgerald’s green light metaphor so bluntly. The song illustrates Gatsby’s compulsion to go after Daisy and reach out for his dream.
Feeling Good- Nina Simone is a well-respected jazz artist (bringing in stylistic influences of the roaring twenties). Feeling Good helps paint a dazed euphoric picture, similar to that of an alcohol soaked partygoer in Fitzgerald’s work. This song is one of my personal favorites because of the dynamic contrast between the beginning and end. The soft and inspirational entrance to the song could arguably be connected to the innocence of Fitzgerald’s characters. As the song takes on a more boisterous and “dirty” quality, it is easy to picture characters slow corruption caused by indulgence (Ex: Wolfshiem).
Why Can’t I? - When Daisy and Gatsby are reintroduced through Nick after years of distance, it is very clear that both are dumbstruck. Gatsby fumbles words and takes on clumsy tendencies while Daisy is frozen with awe, barely being able to breathe. Cue the edgy pop ballade!
Shop Around- The opportunistic male in constant need of variety (Tom Buchanan) lives by the advice in this song. Shop around. Tom allegedly did plenty of “shopping” when he was married to Daisy. He took several lovers, particularly a fleshy siren with sugar daddy affinity (Ms. Wilson).
Lady is a Tramp- In direct connection to the previous song; the female party of Tom’s affair (Ms. Wilson) is a tramp in the sense that she is middle class and is of a significantly lower social status than Tom. The song’s jazz background places it among the Gatsby era as well, as Ella Fitzgerald was a large contributor to the roaring twenties culture.
Moving Uptown- The wonderful Eartha Kitt captures the gaudy personality of Ms. Wilson. Dolores (Eartha’s character) is a tacky Latin performer who manipulates herself into a false sense of elite class. The middle class party thrown by Ms. Wilson illustrates a similar characteristic of false aristocracy.
Somebody’s Eyes- This catchy tune from Footloose the musical relates to Dr. T.J. Eckleberg’s all seeing eyes. His eyes, meant to provoke feelings of guilt by careless characters, don’t directly punish the wrong doers as they do in the song, but they still observe all questionable acts, and serve as a foreboding look to the future.
Tonight- The story of Romeo and Juliet comes to mind when West Side Story comes into the picture. It is a tale of two star-crossed lovers who can never be happy together and are forced by society to go on without each other, by means of death. They fought hard to preserve their dreams, but failed in the process, surrendering to the realities of the time. Sound familiar? Fitzgerald was not the first to coin a tangled love story.
Rhapsody in Blue- Gershwin, a 20th century composer, interpreted the bustling life of the city through his brilliant orchestral work. It helps to depict the vigor of the 1920s, full or youth and urban influence. This is one of those rare pieces that let the imagination run wild, creating its own city full of life and action, much like the inner city used in the Great Gatsby.
Come On-A My House- This song should play at EVERY Gatsby party. It’s indulgent. It describes decadent foods (similar to those used in the Gatsby household) and emotes a strong party feel… perfect for the Grand Puba of get-togethers. IN addition to its tantalizing lyrics, the history behind the original song is
People Will Say We’re In Love- This song is originally from Oklahoma! But was remade into a jazz version by Lena Horne. IN the context of the musical, the song is between a couple trying to hide their romance from the public. Daisy and Gatsby also keep their affair a secret (almost), and would probably enjoy the song’s sentiments.
W-O-M-A-N- Jazz crooner Etta James delivers a powerhouse performance in this song, busting out in feminine power. I feel that Jordan Baker, with her athletic talents and strong opinion, is a woman of the same caliber. She can take control and stand with her head held high, and needs very little help charming men.
I’m His Only Woman- If Ms. Wilson and Daisy were ever to meet…catfight? This hair-raising R&B ballade speaks to Daisy and Ms. Wilson’s inner emotion, both needing to be needed and both fully aware of their lover’s other partner. I feel that if their true feelings went unsuppressed by constant celebration and a flow of alcohol, they would be unable to contain themselves and would lash out, just like the song.
When It Ends- Yet another fabulous performance by the late Eartha Kitt brings the bitter end of Gatsby (and the Jazz Age) into the picture. The song connects to Gatsby’s bootlegging profession, Daisy’s gilded cage lifestyle, and the cowardly actions that take place in order to cover up a car accident.
“ You can make a fortune doing next to nothing.
You can sit there on your ass and screw your friends.
But you better know how to kick your way out of the burning room, when it ends.”
I feel that the song fits into the end of the book perfectly, taking into account all of the questionable and guilt worthy actions (infidelity, murder, cowardice, ect.) and wraps them into a ugly truth about human nature.
