The Great Gatsby soundtrack for the movie The Great Gatsby was chosen perfectly to represent the main themes of the 20s in America, specifically the chase for the American Dream, unprecedented prosperity, decadence, idealism, and the empty pursuit of pleasure. Modern songs were put to a jazz-like tone to create an atmosphere similar to the 20s. These songs can directly be heard as coming from a specific character’s point of view, in particular Daisy’s and Gatsby’s. The song “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Ray encompasses the main themes of decadence and idealism represented through the characters Daisy and Gatsby in the novel The Great Gatsby. In the song “Young and Beautiful” Lana Del Ray is able to convey Daisy’s thoughts on the themes …show more content…
The first scene that “Young and Beautiful” is played in the movie is when Gatsby shows Daisy his house and decides to give her a tour. To Gatsby this house is his materialistic definition of being young and beautiful. The song starts with, “hot summer nights, mid-July. When you and I were forever wild.” Gatsby and Daisy begin to frolic in the house and on the beach and soon it becomes only them and Nick embracing their youth and beauty. After five years their love is rekindled. As the time at his home and their time goes by and Gatsby is throwing his clothes at Daisy the same verse keeps replaying, “will you still love me when I’m no longer young and beautiful.” Gatsby is throwing his youth and beauty at her and she appears to start crying. She says, “it makes me sad”, she realizes she lost five years of her youth and freedom giving up Gatsby and not being with him. She becomes aware that Gatsby is her true love and knows he is the man that will love her when she is no longer young and beautiful. Through this scene it becomes obvious this song evokes idealism because of both Daisy and Gatsby’s unrealistic dreams and awareness of how simple life could have been if they stopped pursuing empty pleasure. Lana Del Ray wrote the song “Young and Beautiful” to make the themes of the novel The Great Gatsby into modern words. Lyrics that are able to turn one movie scene into profound in depth thoughts and ideas about decayed social and moral values, thwarted love between a man and a woman, and social trends. In a way not only do her lyrics adhere to the mood of the novel, but the overall song creates the atmosphere of an aching soul. This song truly shows Gatsby and Daisy’s love, insecurity, and beauty that they