Braeden Carolan

September 27, 2020

English 1102

Analyzation of “Your Song” by Ewan McGregor and Elton John

The words “this is your song”, uttered by both Ewan McGregor and Elton John in their

own versions of “Your Song”, equally summarize both songs. Each song is a love song dedicated

to their lover. The intended audience of the version by McGregor is his lover with whom he

sings to in the movie Moulin Rouge. The scene takes place in a castle-like building overlooking a

flourishing city. Elton John is the artist who originally sang the song in 1970 which jump-started

his very successful career in music. The video that goes along with the song has Elton John on a

stage singing while also playing the piano. The song by John is much less directed to a single

person but rather anyone who can relate. This is one of the major differences between the two

versions. Both songs are about vocalizing their love to their significant other in a romantic and

musical way. The two different versions of the song are romantic, meaningful, and heartfelt love

songs. The main difference between the two is the scenario in which the songs are delivered

which includes different audiences.

Elton John wrote “Your Song” alongside his longtime partner Bernie Taupin as a part of

his second album Elton John. Taupin began writing the lyrics to the song at the breakfast table of

Elton’s mother’s house. He then gave the paper with lyrics on it to Elton and after Mr. Taupin

went upstairs to clean up, Mr. John had already created a melody and finished the song. The

visual text that goes with the song is a live show where John sings passionately by himself on the

stage while playing piano. The lights are dim and the video is focused on Elton John which
contributes to a warm and sentimental mood. The song certainly appeals to pathos because of the

slow, dragged out tone in which John sings in. The song pulls on the proverbial ‘heart strings’ of

the listener. Flipping over to the remade version, Ewan McGregor is an actor who played a

young Englishman in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge. In that musical/movie, McGregor sang “Your

Song” to a woman he had become infatuated with, Satine, a singer at the Moulin Rouge. The

scene takes place in a fancy palace with luxurious decorations and a view over the buzzing city.

The song was performed in a dedicated manner, dedicating his love and affection towards Satine.

The fancified room and heart-felt tone of McGregor gives the song a mood of love and affection.

The endearment on display also appeals to pathos triggering into the emotion of the listener. In

all, the two stories are quite similar, but the key difference is the specificity towards a single

woman in the remake sung by Ewan McGregor.

The glaring differences between the two songs is the targeted audience as well as the

manner in which the song is presented. For example, as previously mentioned, Elton John did not

write the song for a particular lover. His collaborator thought of the lyrics, but again, it was not

meant or sung for a particular person. The version by Ewan McGregor was different in that

aspect. The song was meant for and only for Satine who Ewan was in love with at the time.

Therefore, the audiences vary between the two versions since the original was meant for anyone

who could enjoy or relate to the song while the remake was sung specifically for one person. The

manner and conditions that the songs are sung in also differ. Elton John is singing on a stage in

front of a crowd all by himself with the camera hovering around mainly him. This is very

different from the remake in which there is only the singer and his lover in a room. The camera is

also mainly on McGregor, but also turns its attention to his lover and the scene. The setting of
the remake is also different because it is in an elegant building full of golds and reds in

comparison to the original which simply takes place on a stage in the dark with a light shown on

Elton John. The differences in setting contribute to the overall mood and feeling the listener gets

from viewing and listening.

In conclusion, both versions of “Your Song” are enlightening songs about love and

compassion though they have their differences in their purpose and the way they are conveyed.

The lyric “this is your song” is prevalent in both versions and it portrays the overall purpose of

both songs very well. The differences between the two consist of the situation in which the song

is sung since the version by Ewan McGregor is a scene in a movie while Elton John sings on

stage. Also, McGregor is singing towards a single person, voicing his love and John is not

singing about or to a single person so the audience is anyone who enjoys the song or can relate to

it. Both songs have very similar lyrics and meanings, but there are also some critical differences

that make them both unique.

Works Cited

John, Elton, director. Elton John - Your Song (Top Of The Pops 1971). Youtube, 11 Nov. 2018,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlPlfCy1urI.

Chan, Joseph, director. Ewan McGregor Your Song with Lyrics from Moulin Rouge.

Youtube, 27 June 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkxj-FBEH1w.