The love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen’s beloved novel Pride and Prejudice and the 2005 film of the same name has been capturing the hearts of audiences for decades as one of pop culture’s most famed romances. As an *ardent* fan of the story, I’ve taken it upon myself to put together a small (and, full disclosure, really random) playlist of some songs that I believe capture the essence of these iconic characters and their relationships.
“Bad Reputation” by Joan Jett—if Elizabeth Bennet were a real person, “Bad Reputation” would definitely be a staple of her Spotify playlist. Choosing to walk the way and muddy her hem rather than take a carriage to Netherfield, refusing to marry a man just because it is economically advantageous, and never being afraid to call Mr. Darcy out for his pride or backwards standards for “accomplished women,” Jett’s line “I don’t give a damn about my reputation” really speaks to how Lizzie is very much the original ‘not like other girl.’ Always speaking her mind whether others want to hear it or not, she even puts Lady Catherine in her place!
“I’m Not in Love” by 10cc—as Mr. Darcy puts it so romantically himself, his love for Lizzie stands at odds with his “better judgment,” his “family’s expectations,” the “inferiority” of Lizzie’s birth, and basically everything he stands for as a rich, pompous, high-brow estatesman. Mr. Darcy very much does not want to be in love with Lizzie, so I imagine this song to be his internal dialogue that he keeps repeating to himself whenever Lizzie is around, even though viewers can tell from the first glance (and hand flex) that he isn’t fooling anyone. It’s a song that really captures their enemies to lovers arc—neither of them want to admit they’ve fallen for the person they originally thought they despised, but oh does it make for a juicy love story.
“Enchanted” by Taylor Swift—I feel like this song perfectly captures the love-at-first-sight, lovey-dovey relationship of Jane and Mr. Bingley, whose love story is really quite an unsung element of the story. Truly a fairytale romance if ever there was one and both absolutely smitten from the start, I can definitely imagine this song playing when they dance together for the first time at the Meryton ball.
“Futile Devices” by Sufjan Stevens—It is a truth universally acknowledged that Mr. Darcy is the mascot of socially clueless people everywhere, so it is easy to see how “words are futile devices” for him. This is none the more evident in his repeated attempts and failures at verbally expressing his feelings to Lizzie. “And I would say I love you but saying it out loud is hard, so I won’t say it at all” just really feels like a cousin to “I do not have the talent of conversing easily with people I have never met before.”
“Head Over Heels” by Tears for Fears—One of my favorite things about Pride and Prejudice is how well it embodies the “he fell hard but she fell harder” trope. We love seeing a man become so bewitched (body and soul, one might say) that he can barely function in the presence of the woman he admires. And although he initially refuses to dance unless he can “help it,” Mr. Darcy voluntarily invites Lizzie to the floor with him because he is just that whipped. But the beauty of their love story is that viewers then get that same sense later in the film when Lizzie finds herself falling head over feels for Mr. Darcy in return.
“Take a Bow” by Rihanna—This goes out to Mr. Wickham aka one of the most horrid men to grace the face of literature. “But you put on quite a show, really had me going” and “thank you for the show, very entertaining” really speak to the way Wickham weasels his way into people’s lives as this incredibly charismatic, too-good-to-be-true man, only to ultimately reveal himself as the shameless sleazeball he truly is. He has everyone fooled with his charm and good looks when they watch or read Pride and Prejudice for the first time.
“Material Girl” by Madonna—When trying to find a song that best captures Lydia Bennet’s vapid and conceited personality, “Material Girl” instantly comes to mind for her obsession with balls, gowns, flirting with the officers, being the center of attention, and, of course, attracting a husband to further fan her vanity. This is a Lydia Bennet hate club, first and foremost.
The Last Great American Dynasty—I can totally see Lady Catherine weeping to this song as she laments over the fact that her beloved nephew had the audacity to marry some random *commoner* instead of his own first cousin he was betrothed to by birth. And you of course know Lizzie did have a marvelous time ruining everything.
“Someone Like You” by Adele—If Pride and Prejudice took place in modern day, I like the imagine Mr. Collins moodily listening to this song in headphones as he stares out a rainy car window, angst turned up to a hundred degrees after Lizzie spurns his marriage proposal.
“I Only Have Eyes for You” by Tashaki Miyaki—Lines like “maybe millions of people go by but they all disappear from view” perfectly captures the passion and romantic tension in the iconic ballroom scene in the 2005 film where Lizzie and Mr. Darcy dance and everyone else around them disappears. Just like the song, they only have eyes for each other, and when they’re together, the rest of the world melts away.
“Reflecting Light” by Sam Phillips—Am I including this song partly because it was written for Gilmore Girls and I stand by the fact that Lorelai and Luke are basically Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy? Yes. But I feel like this song really does encapsulate the moment where Lizzie realizes she is falling in love with Mr. Darcy, something that feels so impossible and unexpected given her previous loathing of the very ground he walked on. “Now that I’ve worn out the world, I’m on my knees in fascination” captures that a-ha moment of suddenly realizing the person you love was right in front of you all along. It’s a song about the blinders coming off and finding yourself inevitably pitted towards this person you never imagined you could be with, which summarizes the arc of this classic love story.
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