"Can't Catch Me Now" is a song by Olivia Rodrigo for the dystopian film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. It was released as a stand-alone single on November 3, 2023.
Audio[]
Background[]
In 2022, Rodrigo was approached to preview the American dystopian action film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and potentially write music inspired by it. A fan of the books and the soundtracks from the franchise, she considered it "such an honor".
Rodrigo was stimulated by one of the final scenes in the movie, an aerial view of birds weaving in and out among trees, which she kept thinking about repeatedly and believed was the "climax". She felt a connection to the character Lucy Gray Baird, portrayed by Rachel Zegler.
Rodrigo and Nigro wrote the song "Can't Catch Me Now" from her perspective, with the intention of capturing the scene. Rodrigo enjoyed the challenge of writing from a movie character's point of view, describing it as "sort of acting" and "character work", but she also believed parts of the song were about herself.
| “ | I think I injected parts of myself into it too. I saw bits of myself in her, I admired her resilience, so I tried to embody all that and put it into the song." | ” |
Nigro nudged her to experiment with new musical styles on it as well.
On November 1, 2023, Rodrigo's hotline began playing a short clip of "Can't Catch Me Now" on repeat. The same day, Lionsgate announced that the track would serve as the official song for the film, at a promotional event in Times Square which was attended by its actors Zegler, Tom Blyth, and Josh Andrés Rivera.
Alongside a 60-second trailer of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, which featured the song, Rodrigo revealed it would be released two days later and expressed her excitement about the opportunity to write for the film.
Geffen Records made "Can't Catch Me Now" available for pre-order and included it as the opening track on the film's accompanying 2023 soundtrack album. The song was also released as a 7-inch vinyl single on November 3.
Track listing[]
Streaming & 7” vinyl[]
- Can’t Catch Me Now
Commercial performance[]
The song debuted at number 56 on the US Billboard Hot 100 issued for November 18, 2023. In Canada, the song peaked at number 42 on the Canadian Hot 100 issued for December 2, 2023, and was certified platinum by Music Canada. It reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. "Can't Catch Me Now" received a gold certification in the United Kingdom from the British Phonographic Industry, and the Official Charts Company declared it her 16th-biggest song in the country in February 2024.
Music video[]
Leonn Ward directed the music video for "Can't Catch Me Now", which was released on November 13, 2023. The cinematic video intersperses clips of Rodrigo with scenes from The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. It begins with a camera tracking shot being guided inside an isolated cabin, where she performs the song on a guitar while perched on a bed. After strolling through the cabin, Rodrigo leaves it and runs through a field of grass in a white dress during the bridge. She also sings the chorus during this sequence: "You'll see my face in every place / But you can't catch me now." Scenes depicting Blyth and Zegler portraying their characters play out simultaneously. In the final scene, sunlight falls upon Rodrigo.
Theme[]
N/A
Official Versions[]
| Version | Released on | Release date | Producer(s) | Creation date | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final | Single | November 3, 2023 | Dan Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo | 2023 | 3:26 | |
| Demos | ||||||
| ▶ | Voice Memo | Unreleased | Unleaked | Olivia Rodrigo | May 18, 2023 | 1:22 |
Lyrics[]
[Verse 1]
There's blood on the side of the mountain
There's writing all over the wall
Shadows of us are still dancin'
In every room and every hall
There's snow fallin' over the city
You thought that it would wash away
The bitter taste of my fury
And all of the messes you made
Yeah, you think that you got away
[Chorus]
But I'm in the trees, I'm in the breeze
My footsteps on the ground
You'll see my face in every place
But you can't catch me now
Through wading grass, the months will pass
You'll feel it all around
I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere
But you can't catch me now
No, you can't catch me now
[Verse 2]
Bet you thought I'd never do it
Thought it'd go over my head
I bet you figured I'd pass with the winter
Be somethin' easy to forget
Oh, you think I'm gone 'cause I left
[Chorus]
But I'm in the trees, I'm in the breeze
My footsteps on the ground
You'll see my face in every place
But you can't catch me now
Through wading grass, the months will pass
You'll feel it all around
I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere
But you can't catch me now
No, you can't catch me now
[Post-Chorus]
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
[Bridge]
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm comin' like a storm into your town
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm higher than the hopes that you brought down
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm comin' like a storm into your town
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm higher than the hopes that you brought down
You can't, you can't catch me now
I'm comin' like a storm into your town
You can't, you can't catch me now
You can't, you can't, you can't
[Outro]
There's blood on the side of the mountain
It's turning a new shade of red
Yeah, sometimes the fire you founded
Don't burn the way you'd expect
Yeah, you thought that this was the end
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Charts[]
Certifications[]
Trivia[]
- Chappell Roan did background vocals on this song.
- She also did backing vocals on "lacy" and "get him back!"
- Her first ever performance of this song was on her TikTok and Instagram accounts on November, 8, 2023
- Her first live performance of the song was at the KIIS 104.7-Jingle Ball on December, 1, 2023
References[]
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v • e  | |
|---|---|
| Featured Tracks | all-american bitch • bad idea right? • vampire • lacy • ballad of a homeschooled girl • making the bed • logical • get him back! • love is embarrassing • the grudge • pretty isn't pretty • teenage dream |
| Bonus Tracks | obsessed • girl i've always been • scared of my guitar • stranger • so american |
| Scrapped Tracks | Fantasy • Hate Ur Guts • Lights • Loveable • She's All That |
| Related Tracks | Santa Monica Mountains |
| Producers | Olivia Rodrigo • Daniel Nigro • Alexander 23 • Ryan Linvill • Ian Kirkpatrick |
| Tour | Guts World Tour • Guts World Tour: Spilled |
| Misc | Can't Catch Me Now |
| Extras | Merchandise • The Secret Tracks • Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour |