Othello Soundtrack

Track 1- "Make You Feel My Love" by Adele (Original lyrics by Bob Dylan)

“Make You Feel My Love” by Adele represents Desdemona’s love for Othello. Throughout the play Desdemona proclaims her love for Othello several times. The lyrics of “Make You Feel My Love” contain similar proclamations of love, “I could make you happy, make your dreams come true/Nothing that I wouldn't do/Go to the ends of the Earth for you, /To make you feel my love”. These lyrics show the love the singer feels towards their partner and the lengths they would go to in order for their love to succeed. This relates to the feelings Desdemona has towards Othello and how she would do anything for him. When Othello is brought before the Duke to testify his love for Desdemona, Desdemona comes and proclaims her love for Othello “That I did love the Moor to live with him, /My downright violence and storm fortunes/May trumpet the world” (I.iii.16). During her proclamation of love for Othello, Desdemona says she wants to go wherever Othello goes even if that place is a battlefield. This relates to the song because both Desdemona and the singer talk about going anywhere for their partner. “Make You Feel My Love” perfectly describes how Desdemona would do anything or go anywhere in order to have her relationship with Othello last forever.

Track 2 - "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys

"Lonely Boy” by the Black Keys relates to the feelings Roderigo has for Desdemona and his persistence throughout Othello. The song’s lyrics show how the singer is continually waiting for the girl he loves to love him back. “Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting/I’m a lonely boy”. These lyrics coincide with the feelings Roderigo has as he waits for Desdemona to return his love. When we are first introduced to Roderigo we learn that he is in love with Desdemona. We also learn that Desdemona had just married Othello. Even though she is married, Roderigo continues to wait for Desdemona, just like how the singer waits for his love even though he complains, “Any old time you keep me waiting, waiting, waiting”. Throughout the song, the lyrics “I’m a lonely boy” are constantly repeated. This repetition relates to the way Roderigo constantly asks Iago to help him win over Desdemona. In Act IV, Roderigo is about to give up hope on Iago, “Every day thou daffest me with some device, Iago; and rather,/as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conveniency than/suppliest me with the least advantage of hope” (IV.ii.73). Roderigo is tired of waiting on Iago to help him win over Desdemona, but even though Iago has done nothing to help Roderigo, Iago convinces Roderigo to trust that he’s working in his favor and that Desdemona will soon be his. Because of Iago’s ability to garner people’s trust, Roderigo continues to seek his help which parallels the repetition of lyrics throughout the song. “Lonely Boy” is a great representation of Rodrigo’s persistence shown throughout Othello.

Track 3 - "With A Little Help From My Friends" by The Beatles

“With A Little Help From My Friends” by the Beatles reflects the help that Cassio looks for from Iago and Desdemona after he is fired from his job. After Cassio becomes drunk and gets into a fight with Roderigo, he is removed from his position of office. When Cassio is fired, he looks towards Iago for help. Iago tells Cassio that in order to win his position back, he should get on Desdemona’s good side. When Iago tells Cassio the plan to win back his job, Cassio replies “I humbly thank you for’t. I never knew/A Florentine more kind and honest” (III.iii.40). This shows that Cassio believes that Iago is his true friend and that if he follows his advice, he will succeed in winning his job back. The trust that Cassio feels towards Iago relates to the lyrics, “I get by with a little help friends” which show that Cassio believes that his friend Iago will help him “get by” during this time when his reputation is being threatened. The tone of this song matches the way that Cassio handles this situation. The song has an uplifting and carefree tone, which mimics the feeling Cassio has once he believes that he will be able to win his job back if he follows Iago’s plan. Cassio has no suspision of Iago’s true intent, which is portrayed in the songs cheerful tone. “With A Little Help From My Friends” portrays the longing for help Cassio has and the upbeat tone reflects the feeling of security Cassio has once he believes that Iago will help him win his job back.

Track 4 - "Sympathy For The Devil" by The Rolling Stones

“Sympathy For The Devil” by The Rolling Stones matches up with Iago’s cunning personality. Throughout Othello, Iago uses his cleverness and reputation in order to succeed in his evil plans. In “Sympathy For The Devil”, Mick Jagger tells the narrative of the devil and how he confuses people by “the nature of my game”. This coincides with the feeling the audience has towards Iago, never knowing his true intent or his reasons behind his actions. In Iago’s soliloquy after he gives Cassio advice to talk to Desdemona in order to win his position back, he asks the audience why he is the villain if he is actually giving Cassio good advice, “How am I then a villain/To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,/Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!/When devils will the blackest sins put on,/They do suggest at first heavenly shows, As I do now” (III.i.38). Iago is stating that even villains perform good deeds on their way to destruction, which perfectly relates the lyrics “But what's confusing you/Is just the nature of my game/Just as every cop is a criminal/And all the sinners saints/As heads is tails” These lyrics describe the fact that even good people perform evil acts and that evil people perform good deeds. This reflects the feelings Iago has about people considering him a villain, even though he could just as easily be seen as a hero. Both the lyrics of “Sympathy For The Devil” and Iago’s dialogue portray a truly evil person trying to persuade their audiences that the lines between a hero and a villain are a lot more blurred than people think.

Track 5 - "I'm Not The Only One" by Sam Smith

“I’m not the Only One” by Sam Smith relates to the feelings of jealousy and self doubt Othello has after Iago convinces him that Desdemona is cheating on him. In “I’m Not the Only One”, the singer is telling a story of how his being cheated on in a relationship, just like how Othello believes he is being cheated on by Desdemona. In “I’m Not The Only One”, Sam Smith cries, “I have loved you for many years/Maybe I am just not enough/You've made me realize my deepest fear/By lying and tearing us up”. These lyrics portray someone who is beginning to question themselves because they are being cheated on which relates to the feelings Othello has when he begins to believe that Desdemona is cheating on him. In a soliloquy, Othello begins to have doubts about Desdemona which are made stronger through his insecurities he has with himself “Haply, for I am black/And have not those soft parts of conversation/That chamberers have, or for I am declined/Into the vale of years” (III.iii.49). When Othello begins to believe Iago, he begins to think about his attributes that would cause Desdemona to cheat on him, which causes him to become insecure. Because Othello loses confidence in his relationship, he begins to believe that Desdemona actually cheated on him. “I’m Not The Only One” perfectly matches the jealousy and sadness that Othello feels when becomes insecure and starts to believe that Desdemona was unfaithful.

Track 6 - "Between Two Lungs" by Florence + The Machine

“Between Two Lungs” by Florence + The Machine portrays the changes that Emilia’s character goes through throughout Othello. In Act III, Emilia is portrayed as a character that is loyal to her husband and will obey his every command. When Iago asks for Desdemona’s handkerchief, Emilia takes it in order to please her husband even though she’s not sure of his reasoning for wanting it, “And giv’t Iago: what he will do with it/Heaven knows, not I; I nothing but to please his fantasy” (III.iii.49). Even when Iago is disrespectful towards Emilia, she doesn’t stand up for herself because she doesn’t have the courage to disrespect her husband. This lack of courage that Emilia has in the beginning of Othello corresponds to the lyrics “It was trapped between two lungs”, which shows that the singer was struggling to find their breath, like Emilia was struggling to find her courage. When Emilia finds out about Iago’s lying and deceitful actions, she finally summons the courage to stand up to her husband, “I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak” (V.ii.86). This shows Emilia’s change from being an obedient wife to a courages women who won’t succumb to her husband's villainous ways. This change in character is also portrayed in the song when the the lyrics “It was trapped between two lungs” changes to “Between two lungs it was released” signifying that the singer was able to find their breath, like Emilia was able to find her courage. Emilia’s change of character also coincides with the lyrics, “Gonna the days of begging/ The days of theft”. This shows that after Emilia finds out what Iago has done, she won’t be his obedient servant anymore and she won’t do his dirty work for him, like stealing Desdemona’s handkerchief. “Between Two Lungs” matches up perfectly with the transformation that Emilia goes through as she finds her courage and breaks free from Iago’s manipulation.

Hidden Track - "Innocent Heart"

Her heart was always pure,

But now it beats no more.

She will never see the light of day

Because that evil man has taken her away.

The innocent aren’t free of suffering,

The evil feel no shame.

People cannot be trusted,

People cannot be saved.

No one can ever be saved.

Why did she have to go?

I guess we’ll never know.

But in the light of day,

All we can ever say

Is,

The innocent aren’t free of suffering,

The evil feel no shame.

People cannot be trusted,

People cannot be saved.

No one can ever be saved.