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Spoiler alert: If you haven't read the "Hunger Games" trilogy and don't want to find out how it ends, you may (definitely) not want to go on.SALT LAKE CITY — Like many who have read the "Hunger Games" trilogy, Joel Aldrich found himself feeling depressed as he finished the final chapter of the third book, "Mockingjay."
The story ended seemingly without hope, building to a victory for the story's protagonist but showcasing the lasting mental scars Katniss Everdeen received throughout her fight against the tyrannical Capital. It really could not have ended another way, many say, but the final stretch was a difficult one.
"For some reason, the ending made me really depressed," Aldrich said. "It's not a happy, fairy-tale ending. She's very broken at the end."
He said he had become attached to Katniss' character and was already going through a difficult time, so the ending of the series was jarring.
"I was thinking about it a lot and it was really getting me down, so I decided to write a song about what I liked about the books."
Aldrich, a 21-year-old student at Utah Valley University, said he has been writing songs since he was 10 years old. "Catch Fire" took "a few days" to put together, with Aldrich writing the lyrics, strings and drum beats. He said the song focuses on how Katniss unwillingly found herself in the center of the fight, but stepped up when she was needed.
"When things got really bad — and that could turn into reality with everything that has been going on — one person made all the difference," he said. "One person made things catch fire — she made people rise up and make their lives better."
He said the feedback he has received for "Catch Fire" has all been positive and inspired him to produce the song professionally. He started an online campaign to catch the attention of producers of "Catching Fire," the second installment in the trilogy, hoping to see the song make its way into the movie.
"I've had people say it's the best song ever written about the movies," he said. "People will come up to my parents and say they like it."
He is relying on word of mouth to spread the word about the song, which currently has a few thousand views on YouTube. He is encouraging people to share the link on social networks, as well.
"If I were to get one song on a soundtrack, this would be it," he said. "I just loved the books so much and really loved the movie. I want it to be this one."
