L.O.V.E. D.A.R.C.Y.

Last year I decided to review the movie Austenland twice, one as an individual review and the second time with my niece. While I discussed a lot about it from acting, to costumes, to the script, etc.

The one thing I didn’t really write about was the soundtrack, and that’s because I wanted to do individual song posts. Everyone knows that music is extremely important when scoring a movie, I’m sure you all have seen videos where they change out the song the film has and put something different in, it changing the mood and tone of the scene.

The soundtrack for Austenland was extremely well curated as it included original songs written for the film; along with classics everyone knows and would enjoy. I plan to only review the songs that were written specifically for the film.

And I am starting off with the first song we hear when we are introduced to the film and our main character: L.O.V.E. D.A.R.C.Y. by Emmy the Great

Emmy the Great AKA Emma Lee-Moss is a musician who first began recording in 2006. She has released multiple albums and collaborated with many artists.

How did she become involved with Austenland? Is she a Janiete? I couldn’t find anything saying she was, but I also couldn’t find anything saying she wasn’t.

According to an interview I found by Vice at the time, she decided to write the songs after seeing that Jerusha Hess, was directing (who directed one of Emmy’s favorite films), and that it was being produced by Stephanie Meyer (yes Twilight Meyer). After seeing the rest of the cast and looking over the script Emmy readily agreed.

I think what makes a lot of the songs she wrote so powerful and wonderful is that Emmy really understood the character of Jane Hayes and it clearly shows in L.O.V.E. D.A.R.C.Y.

“My songs had to be the voice of Keri Russell’s character Jane. They were supposed to underline the moments when she is thinking about the choices she’s made and how they might not work out. I was sure I was the right girl for the job because I’ve made a lot of bad decisions.”

Emmy the Great

Jane Hayes is supposed be an average woman who is also a Janeite/Austenite that loves Pride and Prejudice with a passion from a young age. She is sweet, quirky, longs to be like Elizabeth, and doesn’t always seem to fit in our modern world.

This is the story of a girl
And it begins like any other
Since she was very young
She knew that he would come
And now she’s waiting for her dream dream lover

Ooh

You try to catch her eye
But she doesn’t want to see
She’s got a picture of a man by her bed
She’s got an oversize t­shirt down to her knees

She’s singing
My boy loves me
My boy loves me
My boy loves me

I know

She looks into the mirror
She’s making a face
She’s trying to picture the day that they meet
She knows exactly what she’s gonna say

How tall will he be?
He’s like six foot two
Will he be good to me
Yeah he’ll be good to you

Will he treat me right
He’s gonna treat you right
I hope I meet him soon
I hope he comes tonight

This is the story of a girl
This is the story of a girl
She’s writes his name she writes her name
L. O. V. E. D. A. R. C. Y.

She’s singing
My boy loves me
My boy loves me
My boy loves me
My boy loves

I know
I know
I know

First of all I love the pop tune and love the beat with the thrum of the guitar. It is immediately catchy and sucks you in. The song starts off describing our heroine who “Since she was very young she knew that he would come. And now she’s waiting for her dream dream lover”.

This fits perfect with Jane Hayes who started reading Jane Austen in her teens and connects with all Jane Austen fans who also started reading Austen young and wish for their own Austen-type romance.

I feel like the best and most telling lyric is the following one: “Will he be good to me? Yeah he’ll be good to you. Will he treat me right? He’s gonna treat you right.” Because that is what Jane Hayes is looking for in her love of Jane Austen; a man who will love her unconditionally, who will do all he can to protect her, who will respect her, takes criticism well and tries to better herself; etc. She doesn’t want a man from the 1800s, she wants a man with all the good traits of the Austen men, especially Mr. Darcy. And isn’t that what we, all who are single, want?

This went perfectly with the opening scene of the film when we see Jane from teen with a teacup when she goes out, to her college days of studying Jane Austen, to her terrible dating life, etc.

I love this song and can listen to it over and over. I recommend it and if you haven’t, you should give it a listen.

For more music, go to Darcy’s ’80’s Power Song

For more on Austenland, go to I Watched Austenland (2013) With My 14 Year Old Niece

For more Mr. Darcy, go to Mr. Darcy’s Valentine