Blog Post #17: Hamlet Act 5

For the song to play at Ophelia's funeral I chose If I Die Young by the Band Perry. I found this song to be very appropriate for Ophelia's death seeing as she does in fact die young not long after her father. In Ophelia's conversation with her brother, Laertes, she says to him, "Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven" (1.3.48). I saw the word "thorny" as being like a rose, beautiful and thorny. One of the very first lyrics of the song is "lay me down on a bed of roses". When Ophelia dies, she is wearing the white nightgown from days before, and is again buried in white much like when the song also says "and I'll be wearing white". Ophelia's death comes to her by water, and as the singer of the band Perry talks about how to bury her she sings "sink me in the river at dawn" where Ophelia will have "drowned, drowned" (4.4.182).

 As we as the readers know, Ophelia is madly in love with Hamlet, and as he goes mad she goes mad as well. The song talks about a "boy here in town says he'll love me forever" much like how Hamlet has "of late made many tenders/Of his affection" (1.1.99-100). But it may as well be when the soul "lends the tongue vows" (1.1.117). In the midst of Ophelia's madness she sings her thoughts in the form of songs; "sweet lady, what imports this song?" (4.5.27). And as the song begins to end the singer sings, "maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singing" as if trying to get her point across much the way that Ophelia has.

 If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song,
Uh oh, Uh oh Lord make me a rainbow,
 I'll shine down on my mother
She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors
Oh, and, life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no
Ain't even grey, but sheburies her baby
 The sharp knife of a short life
Oh well, I've had just enough time
 If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song
 The sharp knife of a short life
Oh well, I've had just enough time
 And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom
As green as the ring on my little cold finger
I've never known the loving of a man
But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand
 There's a boy here in town, says he'll love me forever
Who would have thought forever could be severed by
The sharp knife of a short life
Oh well, I've had just enough time
 So put on your best, boys and I'll wear my pearls
What I never did is done
A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singing
Funny, when you're dead how people start listen'n
 If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river at dawn'
Send me away with the words of a love song
 The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket
Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them,
The sharp knife of a short life oh
Well, I've had just enough time
So put on your best boys
And I'll wear my pearls