The 'great' Gatsby soundtrack - Baz Luhrmann has done it again!

Although most of the music of The Great Gatsby didn’t fit with the time period, to me, it brought new approaches to scenes that music from the 20’s just wouldn’t have given that (green) light to.

“While we acknowledge, as Fitzgerald phrased it, ’the Jazz Age,’ and this is the period represented on screen, we — our audience — are living in ’the Hip-Hop Age’ and want our viewers to feel the impact of modern-day music the way Fitzgerald did for the readers of his novel at the time of its publication,” Baz Lurhmann said here. 

"Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey and "Over the Love" by Florence + the Machine are absolutely amazing, especially how the lyrics to "Over the Love" go with Gatsby's "green light" theme. 

I don't care who you are, you can’t go wrong with Beyonce (no description necessary) Jack White (of the White Stripes), will.i.am. (of the Black Eyed Peas) and Gotye (“Somebody That I Used to Know”).

I have never found a Baz Luhrmann soundtrack or movie that I did not like. Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and now Gatsby are three of my top 25 movies of all time.

Although it’s not on the soundtrack, I’d highly recommend downloading the song that was used for the main movie trailer, Filter’s cover of “Happy Together.” It is not at all what you would expect, but it is fascinating how they bring a new perspective to a pretty well-known song.

Here are the songs on the soundtrack:

1. "100$ Bill," performed by Jay-Z
2. "Back to Black," performed by Beyonce and Andre 3000, originally by Amy Winehouse
3. "Band Bang," peformed by will.i.am
4. "A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)," performed by Fergie, Q-Tip and GoonRock
5. "Young and Beautiful," peformed by Lana Del Rey
6. "Love is the Drug," peformed by Bryan Ferry with the Bryan Ferry Orchestra, originally by Roxy Music
7. "Over the Love," peformed by Florence + the Machine
8. "Where the Wind Blows," performed by Coco O. of Quadron
9. "Crazy in Love," performed by Emeli Sande with the Bryan Ferry Orchestra, originally by Beyonce
10. "Together," performed by The xx
11. "Hearts a Mess." peformed by Gotye
12. "Love is Blindness." performed by Jack White, originally by U2
13. "Into the Past," performed by Nero
14. "Kill and Run," performed by Sia

Initially, I planned on leaving you with the lyrics to Del Rey's hauntingly amazing "Young and Beautiful," but after some consideration and repeatedly listening to "Over the Love," I will leave you with it instead.

Here are the lyrics to my favorite song off the album:

Ever since I was a child,
I've turned it over in my mind,
I sang by the piano,
Tore my yellow dress and,
Cried and cried and cried.

Not once seen what I've seen,
To undo what has been done,
Turn off all the lights,
Let the morning come.

Now there's a green light in my eyes,
And my lover on my mind,
And I sing by the piano,
Tear my yellow dress and,
Cry and cry and cry,
Over the love of you.

On this champagne-drunken home,
Against the current of gold,
'Cause it's the feeling that you get,
When the afternoon is set,
On the bridge to the city.

Not once seen what I've seen,
To undo what has been done,
Turn off all the lights,
Let the morning come.

Now there's a green light in my eyes,

And my lover on my mind,

And I sing by the piano,

Tear my yellow dress and,

Cry and cry and cry.

'Cause you're a hard soul to save

With an ocean in the way,

But I'll get around it.

'Cause you're a hard soul to save

With an ocean in the way,

But I'll get around it.

I'll get around it.

Now there's a green light in my eyes,

And my lover on my mind,

And I sing by the piano,

Tear my yellow dress and,

Cry and cry and cry,

Over the love of you.

(I can see the green light,

I can see it in your eyes.)

Cry and cry and cry,

Over the love of you.

I can see the green light,

I can see it in your eyes.

I can see the green light, 

I can see it in your eyes.

Love and Theft... Great band name... Especially if you're planning on stealing someone's heart...

Last summer, Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" - the original version - was basically the country party anthem. And I loved it.

Now, there's a new band in town that's gotten a song stuck in my head... And has stolen my heart. 

Love and Theft have "Angel Eyes" and it is such a fun song that I forget that they are talking about how this girl is so bipolar... Okay that's not exactly what they're saying. 

The chorus says: 

"There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes, She's a little bit of heaven with a wild side, Got a rebel heart a country mile wide, There's a little bit of devil in her angel eyes, A little bit of devil in her angel eyes."

Now alone, the lyrics make her seem a bit crazy. but that's the great thing about music. The flair that the notes, instruments and the major or minor key give the song let you know whether she's crazy or he's crazy in lover with her. In this case, it's the latter.

Apparently, I'm not the only person who thinks that the band is pretty great. on July 9, they played at the Grand Ole Opry. Talk about makin' it in the big time. 

this song, like many, many songs, is a love song.

Sidebar: The thing about country, or the stereotype about the country music genre, is that people say that country musicians whine all the time.

Let's just set this right; in every genre, singers whine. The difference here is that country musicians whine with an accent. Period. 

I probably don't write about country as often as I should considering the fact that I actually do listen to and sing a lot of the genre. 

I especially appreciate the female presence in country: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, Kacey Musgraves - even Reba! I'm a regular karaoke singer and those women are always my go-to artists for good strong songs. (End of sidebar.)

Being a love song, you might think that it would be a ballad. This song is not. It may not be a rock anthem, but it is definitely rock'n'roll and fun and something you'd sing along to in the car... At least I know I do.

As usual, here are the lyrics to Love and Theft's "Angel Eyes," so you can get the full understanding of the song, but I sugget you listen to it. The music changes everything:

She likes whiskey with her water,

She starts dancing when the stars come out,

She ain’t your typical preacher’s daughter, 

She’ll leave you dreamin’ yeah there ain’t no doubt.

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes,

She’s a little bit of heaven with a wild side,

Got a rebel heart a country mile wide,

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes,

A little bit of devil in her angel eyes.

Saturday night she’s rockin’ out by the bonfire,

Flirting from that tail gate and crankin’ up the dial,

Come Sunday mornin’ she’ll be singing with the choir,

Drivin’ me crazy with that 'kiss me' smile.

There’s a little bit of devil in those angel eyes,

She’s a little bit of heaven with a wild side,

Got a rebel heart a country mile wide,

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes,

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes.

And I can’t stop wonderin’ what it would feel like, to hold her all night,

She’s got that something, that sexy innocence, she must be heaven sent.

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes,

She’s a little bit of heaven with a wild side,

Got a rebel heart a country mile wide,

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes.

There’s a little bit of devil in those angel eyes,

She’s a little bit of heaven with a wild side,

Got a rebel heart a country mile wide,

There’s a little bit of devil in her angel eyes,

There’s a little bit of devil in her,

In those angel, in those angel eyes.