Ashes in the Wind – The Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (IC)

[Verse 1 - spoken quietly, intimate, almost whispered]
Smoke drifts low, the roads are bare
Whispers follow, I feel the stare
Snow drifts soft where I dare to tread
Cold as the words I left unsaid

[Chorus -  the music starts—guitar strumming, light banjo, fiddle, soft hand percussion—upbeat folk rhythm kicks in, sung, upbeat folk style with soft harmonies]
I wander alone where the wild winds spin
No one to hold, no one to win
They thought they could break me, thought I’d bend
But I am the song that won’t end

[Verse 2 - sung, lively folk bounce, playful storytelling]
Rivers know the secrets I keep
The trees have heard laughter and weep
I pluck my strings, a wandering tune
The night is my stage, I sing to the moon

[Bridge - slightly slower, still with instrumental bounce, minor touches for haunting feel]
Snow drifts quiet, soft and slow
Cold traces follow where I go
I’ve learned the steps, the tricks, the sway
A songbird survived the Capitol’s play

[Chorus / Outro - full upbeat folk, banjo/fiddle prominent, small pauses for effect]
I wander alone where the wild winds spin
No one to hold, no one to win
They thought they could break me, thought I’d bend
But I am the song that won’t end
Yes, I am the song that won’t end

Upbeat folk-bluegrass, lute/banjo/fiddle, playful; Rachel Zegler vocal country-tinted, warm, soft, breathy, intimate