If you’re a tribute from a non-Career district in the Hunger Games and don’t have a lot of charisma or fighting ability, it’s best that you spend as little time as possible in the Cornucopia when the Games begin with a loud gong. And if you’re a tribute in general, don’t step off your platform during the 60 second countdown or you’ll be blown up by landmines. Nevertheless, once the Games begin, most tributes make for the Cornucopia to find food, water, weapons, tools, and other useful items. The most valuable and useful stuff often placed closest to the Cornucopia itself. Not surprisingly, the initial competition for supplies usually results in intense fighting with a significant number of tributes killed in the first few minutes or hours of the Games. Tributes from the lower districts tend to be the most vulnerable because Careers usually band together in alliances that were agreed upon beforehand and are considered brutally aggressive. After the bloodbath, they pursue other tributes one by one until they’re the only ones left to fight each other. The death toll of the Cornucopia bloodbath is usually 8-12 on average.
A good song for the Cornucopia bloodbath scene would be Queen’s “Another One Bites the Dust.” Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, this song was the band’s best selling single with over 7 million copies sold. The phrase “bite the dust,” usually means killed or taken out of the competition as well as failure. And in the context of the Hunger Games, any meaning fits quite nicely when it pertains to the Cornucopia bloodbath. Because the Hunger Games is a fight to the death and tributes who die are automatically taken out of the competition. But in the Hunger Games version, I changed some of the lyrics to fit how a bunch of tributes are being taken out in quick succession. I also have it in Katniss’s point of view in which she knows she has to grab something and get out of Cornucopia quickly before the Careers go after her.
“Another One Bites the Dust” (Hunger Games Edition)
Sung by Katniss Everdeen
Oh! Let’s go!
Tributes rushing for their supplies
For the cornucopia way down low
Careers are very vicious and allied
So get a backpack and go
Am I ready, hey, am I ready for this?
Am I fleeing from the carnage you see?
Out in the arena a cannon blasts
To the sound of the beat
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, they’re gonna get me, too
Another one bites the dust
How do you think I’m going to get along
Where everyone wants me gone?
I’ve got to use everything that I have
And live it out on my own
Are they happy, are they satisfied?
How long can I stand the heat?
Out in the arena a cannon blasts
To the sound of the beat
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, they’re gonna get me, too
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
There are plenty of ways that you can kill a man
And bring him to the ground
You can beat him, you can spear him
You can shoot him bad and leave him when he’s down
But I’m ready, yes, I’m ready for them
I’m running with my own two feet
Out in the arena a cannon blasts
Repeating to the sound of the beat
Another one bites the dust
Another one bites the dust
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Hey, they’re gonna get me, too
Another one bites the dust