Gracyn Alexander

English Composition ll

Crystal Echols

2/20/2022

Alexander 1

The videos of “Your Song” by Elton John and “Your Song” by Ewan McGregor

show how to love one another, using the same lyrics with very different illustrations.

Although they are trying to convey the same message, both videos are quite different .

Elton John’s original version takes a very simplistic approach to telling a significant

other that he wrote a song for him/her and what he would do for love. The story is

simply told through his words. McGregor’s version, probably since it’s in a movie, is very

theatrical with a lot of props and actually shows the couple in love. The original version

is by Elton John, created in 1970, and the second version was sung by Ewan McGregor

in the 2001 movie, Moulin Rouge.

“Your Song” by Elton John was made in 1970. This song is considered an

alternative/Indie, Folk, Pop, and Rock song. The other version of his song by Ewan

McGregor was filmed in 2001 and is sung in a poetic, opera tone. Although many

people enjoy both versions of the song, there is an intended audience for each of them.

The intended audience for the original video is for those that enjoy listening to pop/rock

music, that don’t really care about the video telling a story. They are simply watching the

video to listen to the song. The intended audience for the McGregor version of the song

“Your Song” is those who like the movie, Moulin Rouge. With McGregor singing John’s

song, it may entice younger generations to start listening to Elton John's newer songs.

With the popularity of McGregor’s version of this song, it is making younger generations
Gracyn Alexander

English Composition ll

Crystal Echols

2/20/2022

Alexander 2
look more into Elton John and his music, both new and older. Therefore, younger

generations are starting to make a comeback for Elton John. Simply adding color and

combining it with a popular romantic movie, draws people in to listening to the original

sound. Elton John is a very well known singer, so his songs are already known to be

more liked by the older generations. Ewan McGregor’s version of “Your Song” might

draw someone into listening to it because of the popularity of the movie, but Elton’s

original version is favored by the people because of its special “old school” touch to it.

Both videos of the song appeal to those who are interested in love songs. In the

original version, John stands in the woods, next to an open field, holding a microphone

and sings to the camera. Two other characters appear in the background at different

times, but appear to have no significance in the story. The 1970 original version is in all

black and white, which appeals to older generations. In the recreated version, McGregor

is an actor in the movie, Moulin Rouge. He plays a poet and sings “Your Song” to fellow

actor Nicole Kidman. This appeals to those who like musical, romantic dramas. Different

from John’s video, McGregor’s has two characters, himself and his partner (Kidman).

Toward the end of the video, it shows a group of people joining in on the celebration of

their love.

One of the main differences between the two versions is how the song is sung by

both Elton John and Ewan McGregor. McGregor’s version is in color and sung in more

of an opera type voice and there are so many emotions shown in both his face and his
Gracyn Alexander

English Composition ll

Crystal Echols

2/20/2022

Alexander 3
significant other’s face. John’s version is more calming and very simple. There is not

much emotion shown in his face. He does not even smile.

Another difference in the videos is the audience knows exactly who the song is

being sung to. In McGregor’s version, he is very clearly singing to a particular girl and

she is watching his every move. It appears he is very serious, and then elated with joy.

The woman he is singing to is portrayed the same way. In John’s version, the setting is

black and white. The beginning of the song starts with Elton describing the different

things he would do with a lover. “I don't have much money but boy if I did I'd buy a big

house where we both could live." This is him saying his future dreams with a person he

falls in love for. However, there are no props or scenery to tell the story. John goes on

describing himself as a young innocent kid that does not know much about love. This

may be attributed to the lack of storytelling in the video. John was a young man (17)

when he wrote this song and didn’t have much idea about love.

Both John and McGregor’s videos use pathos to appeal to the audience. John’s

version uses his face, with little props, while McGregor’s version uses a lot of props,

color and facial expressions to show the love. The couple holds hands, embraces, and

dances together to show their love. John’s version forces the viewer to focus on the

words of the song and make their own story, rather than tell a story in the video. In

contrast, in McGregor’s version, the love story is clearly shown with a couple who

appears to be in love and really into each other.

Gracyn Alexander

English Composition ll

Crystal Echols

2/20/2022

Alexander 4
Elton John’s original version of “Our Song” was intended to be a love song that a

young teen was writing to a potential mate. The song lyrics are simple, with not a lot of

detail about what love would look like, therefore his video is the same - simple. Ewan

McGregor’s video was much more dramatic and told a story - a story about love and a

couple running off together in bliss. The video even ends with the quote “I love you, not

for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.” (Roy Craft). Viewers of

McGregor’s video are definitely more entertained by the storytelling of the acting, rather

than simply listening to the lyrics.

Gracyn Alexander

English Composition ll

Crystal Echols

2/20/2022

Alexander 5
Works Cited

John, Elton. “Your Song.” Elton John 1970 muisic video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1gYc1F-BeA

McGregor, Ewan. “Your Song.” Ewan McGregor 2001 music video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9soYPNDlq4