Hello and welcome back to our Golden Globe decade study! As a reminder, this series focuses on the Best Original Song award given by the Hollywood Foreign Press, which is presented to the songwriters who have written an original song specifically for a feature film. Today, we travel back to the award show's tird decade, starting at the show's 39th iteration in 1982.
1982
The 39th Golden Globe Awards were held January 30th, 1982 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1981.
Best Original Song - Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do) by Christopher Cross (written by B. Bacharach, C. Cross, C. Sager, P. Allen)
Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do), with music & lyrics by Burt Bacharach, Christopher Cross, Carole Sager, and Peter Allen, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1982, beating out Endless Love from Endless Love; For Your Eyes Only from For Your Eyes Only; It's Wrong for Me to Love You from Butterfly; and One More Hour from Ragtime. The song was featured in Steve Gordon's 1981 film Arthur. Starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli, Best Original Song was one of four wins out of five total nominations for the film at this ceremony, the others being for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy; Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Dudley Moore); and Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture (John Gielgud). I know I've mentioned before that I love Arthur, and I love that this song got the glory and recognition it deserved. Burt Bacharach was a master at his craft, and that fact really shines in this collaboration between he, Cross, Sager, and Allen.
Once in your life, you'll find her/Someone who turns your heart around/And next thing you know/You're closin' down the town/Wake up and it's still with you/Even though you left her way across town/You're wonderin' to yourself/Hey, what've I found/When you get caught between the moon and New York City/I know it's crazy, but it's true/If you get caught between the moon and New York City/The best that you can do/The best that you can do is fall in love
1983
The 40th Golden Globe Awards were held January 29th, 1983 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1982.
Best Original Song - Up Where We Belong by Joe Crocker & Jennifer Warnes (written by B. Saint-Marie, J. Nitzsche, W. Jennings)
Up Where We Belong, with music by Jack Nitzsche & Buffy Saint-Marie and lyrics by Will Jennings, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1983, beating out Cat People (Putting Out Fire) from Cat People; Eye of the Tiger from Rocky III; If We Were in Love from Yes, Giorgio; and Making Love from Making Love. The song was featured in Taylor Hackfield's 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. Starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of eight total nominations for the film at this ceremony, the other being for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture (Louis Gossett, Jr.). Notable cover versions of this song include that by BeBe & CeCe Winans. This is an iconic eighties movie song and moment, as Richard Gere picks Debra Winger up to carry her away and she puts his hat on. Crocker and Warnes sound great together, with their voices blending beautifully into this really beautiful melody with equally beautiful instrumentation behind.
Who knows what tomorrow brings/In a world few hearts survive/All I know is the way I feel/When it's real, I keep it alive/The road is long, there are mountains in our way/But we climb a step every day/Love lift us up where we belong/Where the eagles cry on a mountain high/Love lift us up where we belong/Far from the world below, up where the clear winds blow
1984
The 41st Golden Globe Awards were held January 28th, 1984 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1983.
Best Original Song - Flashdance... What a Feeling by Irene Cara (written by G. Moroder, I. Cara, K. Forsey)
Flashdance... What a Feeling, with music by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics by Keith Forsey & Irene Cara, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1984, beating out Far from Over from Staying Alive; Maniac from Flashdance; Over You from Tender Mercies; and The Way He Makes Me Feel from Yentl. The song was featured in Adrian Lyne's 1983 film Flashdance. Starring Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of five total nominations for the film at this ceremony, the other being for Best Original Score - Motion Picture. Notable cover versions of this song include those by Marcia Hines and Global Deejay. This is, of course, another iconic eighties film moment, taking place during the unforgettable dance scene that's still parodied and referenced to this very day. This song is definitely fun and great for a dance number, even if it's not a personal favorite of mine.
First, when there's nothing but a slow glowing dream/That your fear seems to hide deep inside your mind/All alone, I have cried silent tears full of pride/In a world made of steel, made of stone/Well, I hear the music, close my eyes, feel the rhythm/Wrap around, take a hold of my heart/What a feeling, being's believin’/I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life/Take your passion and make it happen/Pictures come alive, you can dance right through your life
1985
The 42nd Golden Globe Awards were held January 27th, 1985 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1984.
Best Original Song - I Just Called to Say I Love You by Stevie Wonder (written by S. Wonder)
I Just Called to Say I Love You, with music and lyrics by Stevie Wonder, was one of six total nominees for Best Original Song 1985, beating out Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) from Against All Odds; Footloose from Footloose; Ghostbusters from Ghostbusters; No More Lonely Nights from Give My Regards to Broad Street; and When Doves Cry from Purple Rain. The song was featured in Gene Wilder's 1984 film The Woman in Red, which was based on the 1976 Yves Robert screenplay Pardon Mon Affaire (or An Elephant Can Be Extremely Deceptive). Starring Wilder and Charles Grodin, Best Original Song was the only nomination and subsequent win for the film at this ceremony. Notable cover versions of this song include that by Pentatonix. This song is definitely a bop, as most Stevie Wonder songs tend to be, but golly gee does it start to feel like The Song That Never Ends by the end. It's cute and catchy to be sure, but my pick woul'dve gone to Footloose, Ghostbusters, or When Doves Cry.
No New Year's Day to celebrate/No chocolate covered candy hearts to give away/No first of spring, no song to sing/In fact, here's just another ordinary day/No April rain, no flowers bloom/No wedding Saturday within the month of June/But what it is, is something true/Made up of these three words that I must say to you/I just called to say I love you/I just called to say how much I care/I just called to say I love you/And I mean it from the bottom of my heart
1986
The 43rd Golden Globe Awards were held January 24th, 1986 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1985.
Best Original Song - Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie (written by L. Richie)
Say You, Say Me, with music and lyrics by Lionel Richie, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1986, beating out The Power of Love from Back to the Future; Rhythm of the Night from The Last Dragon; A View to a Kill from A View to a Kill; and We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The song was featured in Taylor Hackford's 1985 film White Nights. Starring Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines, Best Original Song was the only win out of two total nominations for the film at this ceremony. This song is alright - not exactly Lionel Richie's strongest but not his worst either. It works well for the film, and Richie's vocals are good as always.
Say you, say me/Say it for always, that's the way it should be/Say you, say me/Say it together, naturally/I had a dream, I had an awesome dream/People in the park playing games in the dark/And what they played was a masquerade/And from behind the walls of doubt, a voice was crying out
1987
The 44th Golden Globe Awards were held January 31st, 1987 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1986.
Best Original Song - Take My Breath Away by Berlin (written by G. Moroder, T. Whitlock)
Take My Breath Away, with music by Giorgio Moroder and lyrics by Tom Whitlock, was one of six total nominees for Best Original Song 1987, beating out Glory of Love from The Karate Kid Part III; Life in a Looking Glass from That's Life!; Somewhere Out There from An American Tail; Sweet Freedom from Running Scared; and They Don't Make Them Like They Used To from Tough Guys. The song was featured in Tony Scott's 1986 film Top Gun, based on the 1983 Ehud Yonay article Top Guns. Starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis, Best Original Song was the only win out of two total nominations for the film at this ceremony. I will always love Somewhere Out There, but I love this song as well. It's a beautiful love song, and it fits in perfectly with one of the best (in my opinion) overall soundtracks of the 1980s.
Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game/On this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame/Turning and returning to some secret place inside/Watching in slow motion as you turn around and say/Take my breath away/Take my breath away
1988
The 45th Golden Globe Awards were held January 23rd, 1988 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1987.
Best Original Song - (I've Had) The Time of My Life by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes (written by D. Markowitz, F. Previte, J. Denicola)
(I've Had) The Time of My Life, with music and lyrics by Donald Markowitz, Franke Previte, & John Denicola, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1988, beating out Shakedown from Beverly Hills Cop II; Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now from Mannequin; The Secret of My Success from The Secret of My Success; and Who's That Girl from Who's That Girl. The song was featured in Emile Ardolini's 1987 film Dirty Dancing. Starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey, Best Original Song was the only win out of four total nominations for the film at this ceremony. This may be one of the most referenced and parodied dance scenes in film history, but that doesn't make it any less impactful when you watch the movie. This song is an absolute banger even after thirty-six years, Medley and Warnes blend so well together, and I have no notes.
Now I've had the time of my life/No, I never felt like this before/Yes I swear, it's the truth/And I owe it all to you/‘Cause I've had the time of my life/And I owe it all to you/I’ve been waiting for so long, now I've finally found someone to stand by me/We saw the writing on the wall as we felt this magical fantasy/Now with passion in our eyes, there's no way we could disguise it secretly/So we take each other's hand 'cause we seem to understand the urgency/Just remember/You're the one thing I can't get enough of/So I'll tell you something, this could be love, because
1989
The 46th Golden Globe Awards were held January 28th, 1989 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1988. This year's ceremony saw a tie for Best Original Song.
Best Original Song - Two Hearts by Phil Collins (written by L. Dozier, P. Collins) & Let the River Run by Carly Simon (written by C. Simon)
Two Hearts (music & lyrics by Lamont Dozier & Phil Collins) and Let the River Run (music & lyrics by Carly Simon) were two of six total nominees for Best Original Song 1989, beating out When a Woman Loves a Man from Bull Durham; Kokomo from Cocktail; Why Should I Worry from Oliver & Company; and Twins from Twins. Two Hearts was featured in David Green's 1988 film Buster. Starring Collins and Julie Walters, Best Original Song was the only nomination and subsequent win for the film at this ceremony. Honestly, I like Phil Collins's music as much as the next guy, but this song really did not do it for me. Especially knowing what he'd do for Tarzan eleven years later, this song pales in comparison to others on the ballot like Kokomo and Why Should I Worry.
Well, there was no reason to believe she'd always be there/But if you don't put faith in what you believe in, it's getting you nowhere/‘Cause it hurts, you never let go/Don't look down, just look up/‘Cause she's always there behind you, just to remind you/Two hearts believing in just one mind/You know we're two hearts believing in just one mind
Let the River Run was featured in Mike Nichols's 1988 film Working Girl. Starring Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver, Best Original Song was one of four wins out of six total nominations for the film at this ceremony, the others being for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy (Melanie Griffith), and Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture (Sigourney Weaver). I do like this song better thaan Two Hearts, but it's still not my favorite Carly Simon song. The guitar on this song is good though, so I do like that.
Let the river run/Let all the dreamers wake the nation/Come, the New Jerusalem/Silver cities rise/The morning lights the streets that lead them/And sirens call them on with a song/It's asking for the taking/Trembling, shaking/Oh, my heart is aching/We're coming to the edge/Running on the water/Coming through the fog/Your sons and daughters/We the great and small/Stand on a star/And blaze a trail of desire/Through the darkening dawn
1990
The 47th Golden Globe Awards were held January 20th, 1990 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1989.
Best Original Song - Under the Sea by Samuel E. Wright (written by A. Menken, H. Ashman)
Under the Sea, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1990, beating out After All from Chances Are; Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid; I Love to See You Smile from Parenthood; and The Girl Who Used to Be Me from Shirley Valentine. The song was featured in John Musker & Ron Clements's 1989 film The Little Mermaid, which is of course Disney's retelling of the 1837 Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale of the same name. Starring Jodi Benson and Christopher Daniel Barnes, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of four total nominations for the film at this ceremony, the other being for Best Original Score. Notable covers of this song include those by Daveed Diggs, Booboo Stewart, and Jacob Collier. With this being one of the ultimate Disney songs ever written, the only other clear winner for this year would've been Kiss the Girl for sure. It will always and forever be an absolute banger as well as one of the most fun to watch scenes in a Disney animated movie.
The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake/You dream about going up there, but that is a big mistake/Just look at the world around you right here on the ocean floor/Such wonderful things surround you, what more is you lookin' for/Under the sea, under the sea/Darling it's better down where it's wetter, take it from me/Up on the shore they work all day, out in the sun they slave away/While we devotin’ full time to floatin’ under the sea
1991
The 48th Golden Globe Awards were held January 19th, 1991 and celebrated film and television achievements from 1990.
Best Original Song - Blaze of Glory by Jon Bon Jovi (written by J. Bongiovi)
Blaze of Glory, with music and lyrics by Jon Bon Jovi, was one of five total nominees for Best Original Song 1991, beating out Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man) from Dick Tracy; What Can You Lose? from Dick Tracy; Promise Me You'll Remember from The Godfather Part III; and I'm Checkin' Out from Postcards from the Edge. The song was featured in Geoff Murphy's 1990 film Young Guns II, the sequel to Christopher Cain's 1988 film Young Guns. Starring Emilio Estevez and Keifer Sutherland, Best Original Song was the only nomination and subsequent win for the film at this ceremony. I genuinely didn't know this song was originally written for a movie, I thought it was just another banger from Bon Jovi. It's definitely a good one, both in terms of movie themes and as a part of Bon Jovi's catalogue of music.
I wake up in the morning and I raise my weary head/I got an old coat for a pillow and the earth was last night's bed/I don't know where I'm going, only God knows where I've been/I’m a devil on the run, a six gun lover, a candle in the wind/When you're brought into this world, they say you're born in sin/Well, at least they gave me something I didn't have to steal or have to win/Well, they tell me that I'm wanted, yeah, I'm a wanted man/I’m colt in your stable, I’m what Cain was to Abel, mister, catch me if you can/I’m going down in a blaze of glory/Take me now but know the truth/I’m going down in a blaze of glory/Lord, I never drew first but I drew first blood/I’m no one's son, call me young gun
I hope you found some good, nostalgic tunes to check out, whether you're a film buff or just a casual listener. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
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