“That voice was a deathless song.” That’s how Nick Carraway, narrator of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, describes the voice of Daisy Buchanan, the woman that main character Jay Gatsby pines over for years. Fitting then that impeccably piped singer Florence Welch seems to assume the role of Daisy on “Over the Love,” her contribution to the upcoming Gatsby film adaptation, directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Flo’s delirious “Bedroom Hymns” previously scored one of the movie’s trailers, but, as the soundtrack’s official track list revealed, executive producer Jay-Z tapped Florence + the Machine for a new composition. Marked by imagery lifted from Fitzgerald’s classic novel — champagne flutes, yellow dresses, glaring green lights — the brooding, piano-led “Over the Love” reflects the melancholy at the core of Gatsby, not the alcohol-soaked opulence often associated with the Jazz Age; this string-enriched ballad evokes longing hearts, not the Roaring Twenties.
Stream “Over the Love” down below and head here for a preview of other songs featured on The Great Gatsby soundtrack, including tracks by Jack White, the xx, Gotye, and more. Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, and Tobey Maguire, and opens in theaters on May 10. The movie’s soundtrack will be available digitally on May 7 in the U.S., and May 6 internationally.
