Bloom-Bonus Track
(By The Paper Kites)
The tempo of this song is mellow and serves as good transitional and background music. The words “can I be close to you” are repeated quite frequently and bring a sense of irony to the play. Since Hippolyta’s nuptial with Thesus is forced her feelings aren’t exactly full fledged yet Thesus wants her to be close to him. The song introduces the theme of love and desire which is seen throughout the play.
Wait
(By M83)
Hermia is deeply in love with Lysander yet her father will not allow their union. Despite Hermia trying to get both her father and the Duke Thesus to understand they simply won’t see to it. Hermia and Lysander talk about all the aspects that make their love so hard and both acknowledge that “The course of true love never did run smooth” (1.1). Hermia tells Lysander that it is their destiny to be together and they just have to be patient. The song “Wait” By M83 perfectly encapsulates this idea. When the love is there but the time isn’t right. The acoustic tempo gives a sad undertone to make the audience feel the pain of their love. The lyrics essentially say there is no time, however, ask the person to wait for them. This is what both characters are asking of each other, to wait no matter what.
Cruel
(By The Head and the Heart)
The tempo of this song is very slow but the lyrics have a lot of value. “Everywhere I turn there seems to be another war...Nothing’s gone right, I'm at my wit’s end.” The melody fits the play but the lyrics foreshadow the events and feelings of despair which are seen throughout the play.
Needs
(By Verzache)
In my adaption of A Midsummer Night's Dream I want to make the lyrics and music relatable as that is the best way to connect with a modern audience. When Demetrius is looking for Hermia he blows Helena off and tells her that if he doesn’t leave her alone he will leave her to the mercy of wild beasts. Helena is obviously deeply hurt. The song Needs by Verzache is a perfect display of this. In the lyrics it says “enjoy yourself” with a passive voice and “just leave me for somebody else.” In my adaptation I want to draw on relatable feelings of pain attached to love. The pain of being in love with a person who doesn’t reciprocate those feelings is what I want to emphasize and the lyrics perfectly attest to the pain Helena feels.
Strange and Beautiful (I’ll Put A Spell On You)
(By Aqualung)
In Act II scene II the love potion is put on the characters and they are cast under a love spell. The song Strange and Beautiful seems as though it was made for this play. “You’d be so perfect with me but you just can’t see” and “I’ll put a spell on you, you fall asleep when I put a spell on you and when I wake you i’ll be the first thing you see and you’ll realize that you love me”. This is essentially the play and allows the audience to understand that in a more simplified way while still keeping the Shakespearean language alive.
Falling for the Wrong One
(By Dreamer Boy)
When the lovers are under the love potion they fall for the wrong people. Lysander is suddenly in love with Helena and begins to praise her beauty, she tries to tell him that he loves Hermia and he says she is nothing to him. Hermia is left in the dust. The song “falling for the wrong one” simply reiterated the idea that the characters are all falling for the wrong people. In my adaptation I want to attempt to simplify the language through music and this song aids in understanding what is happening.
Someone New
(By Hozier)
This song is a faster tempo than all the songs before and it serves as a transition from chaos to order. There is irony in the lyrics “I fall in love just a little bit with someone new” but mainly the song serves as a sense of relief after the events before.
Kiss me
(By Sixpence None The Richer)
By Act 5 all is restored and they watch the play that is prepared by Quince. This song is uplifting and simple as it repeats the words-Kiss me-. After the chaos of the lovers being under the influence of the potion they are finally with the person they truly love. This song contributes to the theme of love as the play ends.