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Kinsey Kirkpatrick

Profesor Hunter

English Composition II

23 January 2020

What is “Your Song”?

“Your Song” by Elton John has been a classic love song for hearts of all ages. Recently,

however, Ewan McGregor took on the song in the movie, Moulin Rouge! The difference between

the two songs is based mostly on the two videos. John’s video is of him just telling his love

story, short and simple. McGregor puts on a whole performance while telling the woman of his

dreams that he loves her. The theme of love presented in both “Your Song” by Elton John and,

“Your Song” by Ewan McGregor are fairly similar, showing their devotion to someone they

truly love. However, Ewan McGregor’s more recent take on the song engages the audience

through an actual storyline and production.

Elton John’s, “Your Song” was recorded in January of 1970. The original black and

white music video that John filmed is a typical video of him just singing the lyrics. The video

takes place in the middle of an open park with dead, winter trees surrounding the area. John is

holding a microphone while he wears a blazer over a funky shirt, letting the audience know they

are in the 70s’. His outfit emulates a news reporter, as he broadcasts his feelings to the world

about this wonderful person he loves.

In Ewan McGregor’s take on “Your Song”, he adds more of a contemporary spin onto the

original melody. The tempo of the song fluctuates more frequently in his version, compared to

Elton John’s. Because McGregor begins his song off with a soft rendition of the chorus, it

produces a more modern vibe to the song, compared to John’s original version. For the music
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portion in McGregor’s, background vocals appeared when the song reached its climax.

McGregor also incorporates more instruments, such as a stronger drum line, and overall creates a

fairytale out of the song and video.

The original, “Your Song” appeals strictly to Pathos. The song opens with a close up shot

of John, then pans out to show the upper portion of him. The video then zooms back in on his

profile when he states, “I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I can do.” The connection between

the filming and the lyrics allows the listener to see that all John has is himself; he does not have

much else, but he is willing to give up everything to be with the one he loves. Later, the chorus

picks ups and the frame pans back out when he announces, “You can tell everybody, this is your

song.” The pan out makes the world around John seem bigger, he wants the whole world to

know ‘This is your song.” Though there is not much to the music video, other than him dawdling

around in a park, the camera is the major star of this video. With each frame, the camera captures

a conversation John imagines having with his love. The appeal to Pathos fills the hearts and souls

of the listeners as John breaks down his passion for his special someone.

Ewan McGregor’s take on, “Your Song” appeals to Pathos, as well. The video starts off

with McGregor looking out over the dimly lit city. He turns to the woman and gives her a serious

look while he continues to sing. As he reaches the line “How wonderful life is, now you’re in the

world”, a large grin sprawls across his face, sending chills through the audience. This moment

creates the major start to the video. He wants to show her how much she means to him. Later,

they hop out the window together as the dusk, misty city illuminates with lights. They dance

through the night sky on top of a roof, as he continues to serenade her with a song from his heart.

The appeal to rhetoric is more visible in this video. The director clearly wanted the audience to

feel a love connection between the two characters.

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Fans of all ages continue to listen to Elton John’s, “Your Song” on repeat. Every person

around the world has experienced the feeling of not being able to get someone off their mind. For

Ewan McGregor, his version is not as well known. However, McGregor’s, “Your Song” will

captivate the eyes and ears of younger generations, compared to John’s original. The variety in

the music and tempo in McGregor’s is no match for John’s. Elton John’s video and song is going

to be more appealing to those who experienced the 60s and 70s, those who appreciate the time

that went into real music back then. Though both songs have the same message, the overall

audience for John’s will be those who lived during his rise to fame, while McGregor’s fans will

be of younger generations, those who are in their teens.

Stylistically, Elton John’s music video is focused on the framing and angles of the

camera shots to tell the story, rather than having different characters. McGregor on the other

hand incorporates all the important factors that go into a music video. A song, a story, lighting,

framing, background, and props; it is all covered. Though Elton John’s song is the original,

McGregor manages to dazzle the audience with his fascinating story while updating the sound

and tone of the song. McGregor’s take livens up the song and builds suspense through the song

and video. Because John’s video was made in the early 70s, he did not have as many resources,

but he could have chosen to do more with his video. As more and more current artists want to to

update classic songs, there will be a major variety in how different generations interpret and

communicate those messages.

Works Cited

John, Elton. Elton John- Your Song (1970 Original Video) (HD 720p). YouTube, 30 Mar. 2016,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrznwpD-2tk. Accessed 23 Jan. 2020.

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McGregor, Ewan. Ewan McGregor Your Song with Lyrics from Moulin Rouge. YouTube, 27 Jun.

2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkxj-FBEH1w. Accessed 23 Jan. 2020.