Katniss Unknowingly Repeated Lucy Gray’s Surprising Hunger Games Moment 64 Years After Songbirds & Snakes

Lucy Gray Baird started an unusual trend in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbird & Snakes that was continued by Katniss Everdeen over six decades later. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes introduced audiences to Lucy Gray Baird, a District 12 tribute with a special talent. Lucy Gray stunned viewers of the Hunger Games by doing something completely unexpected, only for Katniss to do the same thing later in the Hunger Games timeline.

A prequel to the original Hunger Games films, 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes revolves around the 10th Annual Hunger Games and the rise of Coriolanus Snow. The movie contains many references and Easter eggs to the main series, and there are several Hunger Games moments that have different meaning now that Songbirds & Snakes has been released. One such moment occurs during the 74th annual games, and it relates back to Lucy Gray’s singing.

Lucy Gray’s Singing In Songbirds & Snakes Was Likely A Hunger Games First

The Games Themselves Were Still New At This Point

During the 10th Annual Hunger Games, it’s decided that, for the first time, an emphasis will be put on entertainment over survival. In other words, the winner won’t necessarily be the one who makes it out alive, but the one who attracts the most viewers. Lucy Gray, who displayed her resplendent singing voice at the reaping ceremony, is encouraged by her mentor, Coriolanus Snow, to use her talent to win the Games. In the arena, Lucy Gray manages to survive by charming snakes with her voice. In doing so, she also wins over the Hunger Games viewership.

The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes is set at a point in Panem’s history when the Hunger Games is still a relatively new concept. Lucy Gray was, therefore, most likely the first example of someone singing during the Hunger Games. After all, the Games center on a fight to the death; they are hardly the obvious event to start a singalong at. Nevertheless, Lucy Gray proved that music might be just the thing needed to be successful at the Games.

Katniss Sings In Her First Hunger Games Appearance Too

The Events Of The 74th Hunger Games Mirror Those Of The 10th

Like Lucy Gray before her, Katniss also sings during her first Hunger Games appearance. However, while every song Lucy Gray sings in Songbirds and Snakes is one of defiance and modest triumph, Katniss’s reason for singing is far more heartbreaking. Early on in the Games, Katniss befriends a young District 11 girl named Rue, who Katniss strives to protect. Sadly, Rue is killed by one of the other competitors, which causes Katniss great sadness. As Rue dies in Katniss’s arms, Katniss sings a lullaby which starts with the line “deep in the meadow“. It’s a heartbreaking and surprisingly powerful moment.

Whether anyone else sang during the 63 other Hunger Games between the 10th and 74th is unknown. Nonetheless, the symmetry between the two occasions is interesting. Many comparisons have already been made between the characters of Katniss Everdeen and Lucy Gray, so the fact that they share this detail in common only adds to their similarities. Both are District 12 tributes who refuse to conform to the barbaric nature of the Games. The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes also confirms that, despite there being a difference of 60+ years, the two women are linked by song.