Music to Macbeth's Ears

It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)- The 1975

This song is a light, airy tune. It is, at its core, a heartfelt song about love. Perfect for Macbeth the murderer, right? This song is meant to represent the beginning of the play when Macbeth is was courageous and devoted. Because of this, Macbeth would choose this song at that time of his life. It represents the idyllic nature of the time and foreshadows the darkness to come. The title of this song, "It's Not Living (If It's Not With You)", is meant to illustrate the relationship Macbeth and Lady Macbeth embodied at the beginning of the play. A quote from the song that I feel connects to Macbeth is "And all I do is sit and think about you/If I knew what you'd do/Collapse my veins wearing beautiful shoes/It's not living if it's not with you." This is exemplified when Macbeth calls her his "dearest partner in greatness" in Act I. This song perfectly shows the innocence of Macbeth at the start of the play, and thus the transformation of his character from an unassuming thane to a power-hungry king. This song also kind of shows the soft side that Macbeth had at the beginning of the play. He allowed himself to challenge the cultural boundaries of what a marriage should be. This, of course, was a character trait that was short-lived.

Stronger Than That- Bahamas

This song is very chill. Much like the name of the band, the song embodies a beachy, chill vibe. I imagine that Macbeth would use this song to wind-down after a long day. I think the beaches in Scotland aren't very warm, but he can use his imagination. I honestly think this song connects to Macbeth in a funny way. This is the part of the play in which Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, for lack of a better word, to man up and take the opportunity to be King. He would choose this song as a reminder to himself to take charge. Maybe if the song told him his wife would not have to. This plays on the central theme of masculinity or lack thereof. Lady Macbeth is also at the point of the story in which she is dominating their relationship and taking control of their fate. One quote from the song that I think ties in is "And I know, you're afraid of falling flat/And I know, those walls are up against your back/And I know, there are those who'd see ya crack/But I know that you're stronger than that." I feel like this line is reminiscent of something Lady Macbeth would say to Macbeth, but in a more aggressive fashion.

Hey Look Ma, I Made It- Panic! At The Disco


This song is an upbeat, lively tune about achieving success. While it initially sounds celebratory, there are parts of the song that don't seem convincing and have a weird undertone. I think that this would be a song Macbeth would turn to when he became king and was trying to convince himself that he had done the right thing. One specific lyric from the song that I think is reminiscent of Macbeth is "I see it, I want it, I take it, take it". This lyric refers to Macbeth's quick, whirlwind rise to power. This song also has a "blinded by power and success" vibe which makes it Macbeth's speed. In my opinion, there is a very prominent period of the play in which Macbeth is blinded by the power he has acquired. This song reflects those themes of ambition and power in the play.


Everybody Wants To Rule The World- Tears For Fears

This song touches on the idea of short-lived success. I thought the title of this song was ironic because of Macbeth's susceptibility to greed in the play. If Macbeth lived in the age of automobiles, I think he would blast this song while driving on the highway and feeling sorry for himself. If he were to listen to this song at a specific time in the play it would be when he realizes Malcolm's army is coming for the castle. Right as he realizes this, he would hop in his Honda Odyssey (Lady Macbeth's whip, don't judge) play this song, and come back to face his fate. In this part of the play, Macbeth is realizing that he can't come back from all of the things he has done and is paranoid that he will soon die. I think this moment demonstrates the key motif of guilt in the play. This is because his erratic behavior during this time is a manifestation of that guilt.

Don't Dream It's Over- The Head and the Heart

This song is the type of song that you listen to at the end of the night when you don't have the energy to sing along anymore. If this song were personified it would be an exhaling breath. It would also be a good song for credits at the end of a movie. It is super chill and the perfect closing song for this playlist. If Macbeth were listening to this song it would be at the point in the play when he realized Macduff was not born of a woman and he had to battle him. At that moment he is denying his fate and falsely believing he will come out on the other end this predicament. At the same time, his legacy living on is just as important to him as his body living on. A lyric from the song that encapsulates this is "Hey now, hey now/Don't dream it's over/Hey now, hey now/When the world comes in/They come, they come/To build a wall between us/We know they won't win." The song itself is bittersweet which is what Macbeth feels when he battles Macduff. He knows he will die but he has resigned himself to the inevitability of it. He believes his legacy will live on if he dies valiantly.