For a musical on the Hunger Games, I’m rather astonished that I don’t have many songs featuring Effie Trinket. And for a lot reasons, it’s kind of a shame since Effie is the kind of character who’s well suited for a musical since she has a rather cheerful disposition. Sure she hates her job being stuck as escort for District 12, which is the lamest district by the way. But she nevertheless tackles her vocation with enthusiasm and gusto, which you know is bringing kids to die for entertainment of the masses. Because if she does her job right, she might get a promotion. Yet, because her job is escorting kids to the Capitol where they’d almost always die for entertainment, she can be rather cheerful at a time when it’s most inappropriate to the point of obliviousness that she’s more upset about Katniss stabbing a table than almost stabbing Haymitch’s hand. And she can be kind of a ditz or at least has no idea of how Still, she’s one of the series’ best known and well beloved characters. I mean people don’t dress up as her for nothing. Sure she might seem like a frivolous, apathetic bitch, but later on you get the impression that she genuinely cares about Katniss and Peeta. Yet, sometimes it might not seem to be the case. And eventually, Katniss comes to realize that Effie’s shallowness is a defense mechanism to cope with the Games. Still, in a series that’s filled with violence and dark themes, Effie can always offer a few lines that would make people chuckle, even when she’s completely missing the point.

When choosing a good song for Effie Trinket, I went with “Put on a Happy Face” from Bye Bye Birdie, a musical that was loosely based on Elvis Presley getting drafted. The original song was sung by Dick Van Dyke and Janet Leigh in the movie, in which the former is telling her to cheer up. Still, it’s a rather familiar tune even though people have no idea where it came from. In the Hunger Games version, I have Effie Trinket trying to cheer up Katniss and Peeta who are legitimately not happy with facing almost inevitable death at such a young age. It also shows how rather insensitive that she can sometimes seem to be.

 

“Put on a Happy Face” (Hunger Games Version)

Sung by Effie Trinket

 

Gray skies are gonna clear up,

Put on a happy face;

Brush off the clouds and cheer up,

Put on a happy face.

 

Don’t try to think of your own tragedy,

It’s not our style;

You’ll look so good that you’ll be glad

Ya’ decide to smile!

 

Pick out a pleasant outlook,

Stick out that noble chin;

Wipe off that “impending death” look,

Slap on a happy grin!

 

And spread sunshine all over the place,

Just put on a happy face!

Put on a happy face

Put on a happy face

 

And if you’re feeling that your odds aren’t great

Don’t sit and whine

Think of some tasty chocolate cake

And you’ll feel fine

 

Don’t you two look so gloomy

At least you get some dessert

If you put enough pressure

Then coal turns into pearls

 

So spread sunshine all over the place

And put on a happy, happy face

Put on a happy, happy, happy face

Oh, come on you two, smile it’s the Hunger Games