Why a 26-Year-Old Song Is Suddenly Everywhere
Jennifer Lawrence’s Die My Love, Celine Song’s Materialists, and Lena Dunham’s new show all feature the same classic duet despite its unique style. When commissioning a new pop song for her bittersweet romance Materialists, Celine Song gave songwriters a clear direction: create something like John Prine’s “In Spite of Ourselves,” which she called “the most romantic song in the world.”
The duet, performed by Prine and Iris DeMent, has appeared in various unconventional love stories in 2025, marking a surprising revival for Prine, a respected songwriter who passed away in 2020. It plays in the headphones of the disheveled British character played by Will Sharpe, the morning after a hookup with Meg Stalter’s frantic American, on Lena Dunham’s Netflix series Too Much.
It also serves as the anthem for the troubled marriage between Jennifer Lawrence’s blocked novelist and Robert Pattinson’s distant father in Lynne Ramsay’s film Die My Love. The couple even performs the song together later, a highlight used prominently in the film’s trailers.
New Interpretations and Meanings
Japanese Breakfast’s Michelle Zauner created a “more upbeat” version of the song for Materialists, titled “My Baby (Got Nothing at All),” which complements the movie’s theme of love overcoming financial hardship. As the credits roll over scenes of couples marrying simply at New York’s City Hall, Zauner’s lyrics emphasize emotional wealth over money:
“Cold cash comforts are overrated.”
Summary
The enduring charm of John Prine’s duet continues to inspire new artistic works in 2025, resonating deeply with stories about love’s complexities and triumphs over adversity.
Would you like the tone to be more formal or casual?