Hardships & Unpredictability of <3
Helena's Playlist
THEME: LOVE IS HARD AND PAINFUL TO EARN, AND SOMETIMES YOU WON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE IT WHEN YOU SEE IT.
In the play A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM...
"HIDE AND SEEK"- Imogen Heap
The lyrics that I think best represent Helena's opinion of Demetrius -- at the beginning of the play -- are:
"Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth. ... Speak, no feeling, no I don't believe you. You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit."
The first half of the lyrics (before the ellipses) refer to when Demetrius was warning Helena that she should stay away from him "or else". The second half of the lyrics say: "Speak, no feeling, no I don't believe you. You don't care a bit. You don't care a bit." This refers to when Oberon and Puck made Demetrius and Lysander fall in love with Helena, but she didn't believe them when they proclaimed their love to her.
"NEVER BEEN HURT"- Demi Lovato
"I will love you, like I've never been hurt. Run through fire for you, like I've never been burnt. I'm gonna risk it all, like I've never lost, gonna give it all I've got. I will love you, like I've never been hurt, never been hurt."
The lyrics: "Run through fire for you, like I've never been burnt." talk about how much Helena would sacrifice for Demetrius. Helena also talks about this in the play, saying that she would be happy if she were killed by him, because at least she wouldn't be killed by someone she did not love.
Finally, the lyrics: "I will love you, like I've never been hurt." show that Helena recognizes that Demetrius doesn't like her, and hears all of his insults, but still loves him.
"BACK TO THE RIVER"- Lily & Madeleine
"If only my feet could fall as fast as a heart does. I would be so long gone. But I'm stuck, stuck under your thumb. I can't get up. I can't get up."
These lyrics refer to how Helena can't leave Demetrius alone, or stop loving him, because her heart stays with him. When listening to these lyrics, Helena is probably wishing that she could stop loving someone who doesn't love her back.
"Why Try"- ARIANA GRANDE
The song "Why Try" by Ariana Grande is basically part of this question -- for Helena -- "Why try to love Demetrius when your love for him is destroying you?"
Here are the lyrics I think best represent Helena's problem:
"I'm loving the pain. I never wanna live without it. ... Even when you're yelling at me, I still think you're beautiful. Through it all you could still make my heart skip, heart skip."
First of all, the lyric: "Even when you're yelling at me, I still think you're beautiful" comes directly from one of Helena's lines in the play! So, this lyric perfectly illustrates her feelings. The other lyrics refer to how Helena loves and hates her infatuation of Demetrius.
"I Knew You Were Trouble"- TAYLOR SWIFT
"And even for that do I love you the more. I am your spaniel. And, Demetrius, the more you beat me, I will fawn on you. Use me but as your spaniel -- spurn me, strike me, neglect me, lose me. Only give me leave, unworthy as I am, to follow you. What worser place can I beg in your love -- and yet a place of high respect with me -- than to be used as you use your dog?"
The song "I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift addresses the same issue. Here are the lyrics I think best represent this:
"I knew you were trouble when you walked in. So shame on me now. ... And he's long gone when he's next to me. And I realize the blame is on me."
The first part refers to how Helena knows that Demetrius will never love her, and knew this as soon as he first told her. The second half of the lyrics refers to how Demetrius' heart belongs to Hermia, even when Helena is right next to him when she is following him into the wood.
"The Money Tree"- A.C.T. the Musical (Carly Rose Sonenclar)
Although this is slightly depressing, I thought that occasionally Helena would, like all humans, get frustrated that her crush didn't like her. Here are the lyrics from the song that Helena would probably sing along to if she were feeling dejected or lonely:
"The day will come. He'll come running to me, the day the sun turns black and there's a money tree. They day will come. He'll be changing his tune, when there's a granite lake and a cotton moon."
I think that not only would Helena be singing this at the beginning of the play, but she would also be singing it when Demetrius confessed his love to her and she didn't believe him. She would probably sing this to voice her anger about "Demetrius making fun of her".
"Permanent Marker"- Taylor Swift
"You were never good enough for him, or anything like me. So you might as well sit back, 'cause I'm not trying to show maturity. Who do you think you are, to write on his heart in permanent marker?"
The first sentence refers to when Helena says that Hermia looks so beautiful and she wishes that she looked like her, but also that Hermia doesn't deserve Demetrius because Helena loves him more. The following part refers to how Helena thinks that Hermia convinced her "lovers" -- Demetrius and Lysander -- to harass her.
"Really Don't Care"- Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd
I thought that the song "Really Don't Care" by Demi Lovato ft. Cher Lloyd would show how angry Helena was about Demetrius "pretending to be in love with her":
"You wanna play, you wanna stay, you wanna have it all. You started messing with my head until I hit a wall. Maybe I should've know, maybe I should've known, that you would walk, you would walk about the door, hey! Said we were done, then met someone and rubbed it in my face. Cut to the part, she broke your heart, and then she ran away. ... You can take your words and all your lies."
I thought that this song would be perfect for Helena, for many reasons. The first part refers to when Demetrius used to date Helena, but then he abandoned her for Hermia. After this comes the part when Demetrius started loving Hermia, and Hermia ran away with Lysander -- "Said we were done, then met someone and rubbed it in my face. Cut to the part, she broke your heart and then she ran away."
Finally, the last part: "You can take your words and all your lies." relates to when Helena thought that Demetrius was secretly laughing at her and lying to her face.
"Clarity"- Zedd ft. Foxes
I thought that Helena would have the song "Clarity" by Zedd ft. Foxes on her playlist. The song would be directed toward Demetrius. Here are the lyrics that I think best represent Helena's view of Demetrius:
"Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need. Chasing relentlessly, I still fight and I don't know why. ... If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?"
The first two sentences refer to how Helena still loves Demetrius even though he hates her. The final sentence: "If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?" is challenging Demetrius' insults. Even though Demetrius says that their love is insanity, Helena asks why he is the only person who keeps her sane.