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Faith Tang

Prof. Johnson-Taylor

English 1201

28 June 2020

A Classic Turned Classier

Love is one of the–if not–the most popular themes in songs these days. One song that

truly showcases this subject has been “Your Song” by Elton John, who is one of the most

well-known artists of the 20th century. Ever since its release in 1970, the song has been covered

by popular artists all over the globe including Lady Gaga and Ellie Goulding; however, one of

the most memorable and unique interpretations had been Ewan McGregor in the movie, ​Moulin

Rouge​. While the original “Your Song” by Elton John and Ewan McGregor’s rendition from

Moulin Rouge u​ tilize the same set of lyrics, the versions differ in musical styles and purpose

while also appealing to different sets of audiences.

Starting from the beginning, Elton John’s original version of “Your Song” was released

in 1970 in his second album titled ​Elton John​. The lyrics of this song was written one morning in

London by his colleague and friend, Bernie Taupin who was 17 years of age at the time with no

experience with relationships. For how popular the song and its lyrics is, it surprisingly only took

Taupin a solid twenty minutes to write. While some speculate whether the song was written for a

particular person in mind, Taupin has said in the past , “The early [songs] were not drawn from

experience but imagination”, making it clear that the intended purpose of his song wasn’t

directed towards a person in his life, but rather towards the overall message that true love is full

of innocence (Scott).
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From the lyrics, this message can easily be seen. The chorus repetitively emphasizes the

theme of love and its importance in people’s lives and relationships throughout the song.

However, unlike in most modern songs about love where love is associated with lust or

heartbreak, “Your Song” focuses on love and the feeling of innocence that comes with it. For

example, in the line, “​I sat on the roof and kicked off the moss”, the listener is pulled to a place

of nostalgia from one’s childhood and home, which are very innocent time periods and locations

of people’s lives.  

In addition to the lyrics, the setting of the music video also aids in telling the message of

the song. Prior to the release of “Your Song”, Elton John was not a well-known artist of his time.

Because of this, he had a low budget for the production of his music video, which is why his

video took place at a public park. There are no props or cast members, and the video was filmed

in black and white. These aspects add an effective simplicity to his music video that serves a

purpose by allowing the viewer to focus primarily on the tone of emotion in John’s voice and the

lyrical aspect of the song rather than being distracted by other objects in the background of the

video.

On the other hand, ​Moulin Rouge​ is a romantic musical directed by Baz Luhrmann that

came out in 2001. Luhrmann is a famous filmmaker known for his more unconventional film

style with postmodern theatrical cinema and bright colors in his movies. This movie, in

particular, takes place in Paris, France in the early 20th century. The plot revolves primarily

around the star-crossed romance between a writer named Christian, played by Ewan McGregor,

and the star courtesan at the Moulin Rouge Cabaret, Satine. The movie takes viewers on an
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emotional rollercoaster with its lighthearted, quick paced songs and the struggles of the

concealed heartbreak between Satine and Christian.

Since the movie is a musical, there are many songs including the adaption of “Your

Song”. In the movie, the song is used by Christian who is played by Ewan McGregor to show his

affection towards Satine, his love interest. In this rendition, the purpose of the song is to share

Christian’s feelings to Satine and is directed specifically towards a person rather than a general

message like in Elton John’s original version. Throughout the song, the audience is entranced by

all the vibrant scenes from the colorful bedroom to the majestic Eiffel Tower in the video as well

as the emotion in both the actors’ eyes and McGregor’s voice.

Comparing the two versions, one of the many noticeable differences between the two

renditions is the musical styles used. The style of the original version by Elton John is consistent

with folk-pop, utilizing acoustic and piano instrumentals along with an upbeat rhythm. Ewan

McGregor uses the musical style of ballad with a mix of vocal and piano accompaniments in the

background.

Additionally, both music videos utilize pathos to appeal to their group of audience.

However, the way in which the artists incorporate the rhetorical appeal of pathos certainly

differs. In general, love is one of the biggest factors in people’s emotions whether it be between

family, friends, or a significant other. In both versions, this subject is focused heavily on the

lyrics. On top of that, in ​Moulin Rouge,​ the audience is able to emotionally connect and become

captivated by the young romance growing between Christian and Satine throughout the movie.

Another contrasting point is the group in which each music video appeals to. Ewan

McGregor’s rendition addresses viewers of ​Moulin Rouge​, a romantic musical, that consists
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primarily of a mature female audience, while Elton John appeals to a more diverse range of

people of all ages and backgrounds. Since the majority of people from teenagers to the elderly

can relate to the topic of love in some sort of form, this song can have an emotional pull on all

people.

Although the two versions are essentially the exact same lyrically, there is a stark contrast

between Elton John and Ewan McGregor’s take on the song including the audience, purpose, and

styles of each. Even fifty years later after its initial release in 1970, “Your Song” still is relevant

in its message, showing that the song truly is timeless with its many different meanings in its

many renditions since Elton John’s first big hit.

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Works Cited

Scott, Jason. “Behind The Song: Elton John, ‘Your Song’ " American Songwriter.” American

Songwriter, December 11, 2019. americansongwriter.com/elton-john-your-song-behind-the-s

ong/.

Works Cited

John, Elton. “Your Song.” ​Elton John​, DJM Records, Bernie Taupin, 1970,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrznwpD-2tk​.

McGregor, Ewan. “Your Song.” ​Moulin Rouge​, Baz Luhrmann, 2001,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkxj-FBEH1w​.
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