Welcome to our final (for now) Oscars decade study! Today's post will be centered around years 61-70 of the Best Original Song category at the Academy Awards, which is years 77-86 for the ceremony itself. As a reminder, the Best Original Song Award is presented to the songwriters who have written an original song specifically for a feature film. We won't have another "full" decade to go through for the Oscars again until next year's ceremony, so let's enjoy this post to the fullest!
2005
The 77th Annual Academy Awards were held February 27th, 2005 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by comedian Chris Rock, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2004.
Best Original Song - Al otro lando del río by Jorge Drexler (written by J. Prada)
Al otro lando del río (Across the River in English), with music and lyrics by Jorge Drexler, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 2005, beating out Accidentally in Love from Shrek 2; Believe from The Polar Express; Learn to Be Lonely from The Phantom of the Opera; and Look to Your Path from The Chorus. The song was featured in Walter Salles's 2004 film The Motorcycle Diaries, which is inspired by the 1995 Che Guevara memoir of the same name. Starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Rodrigo de la Serna, Best Original Song was the only win out of two total nominations for the film that night. I actually vividly remember watching this ceremony as a thirteen-year-old and forming my opinion that all awards shows are BS due to this song beating out Accidentally in Love, Believe, and Learn to Be Lonely, and while the win still seems strange to me I'm proud to say I've matured significantly (one would hope) and can appreciate this song as a beautiful piece of art in its own right. It's very chill and lovely to listen to, and a rough English translation of the original Spanish lyrics is below.
I stick my oar in the water/I carry your oar in mine/I think I’ve seen a light/Across the river/The day will be able/Little by little to the cold/I think I’ve seen a light/Across the river/Above all I think/Not everything is lost/So many tears, so many tears/And I am an empty glass/I hear a voice calling me/Almost a breath/Row, row, row/Row, row, row
2006
The 78th Annual Academy Awards were held March 5th, 2006 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2005.
Best Original Song - Hard out Here for a Pimp by Three 6 Mafia (written by J. Houston, C. Coleman, P. Beauregard)
Hard out Here for a Pimp, with music and lyrics by DJ Paul, Juicy J, and Frayser Boy, was one of three nominees for Best Original Song 2006, beating out In the Deep from Crash and Travelin' Through from Transamerica. The song was featured in Craig Brewer's 2005 film Hustle & Flow. Starring Terrence Howard and Anthony Anderson, Best Original Song was the only win out of two total nominations for the film that night. This was the second hip hop song ever to win this award (after Lose Yourself), and is performed by Howard and his co-star Taraji P. Henson in the film, which they acted out nine years later on Lip Sync Battle. This song is your classic mid-00's hip hop song, which isn't always my cup of tea but for those who it is, this is the song for you.
You know it's hard out here for a pimp/When he tryin' to get this money for the rent/For the Cadillacs and gas money spent/Because a whole lot of bitches talkin' shit/You know it’s hard out here for a pimp/When he tryin' to get this money for the rent/For the Cadillacs and gas money spent/Will have a whole lot of bitches jumpin' ship/In my eyes I done seen some crazy thangs in the streets/Gotta couple hoes workin’ on the changes for me/But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night/Like takin' from a hoe don't know no better, I know that ain't right/The same people kill, the same people deal/The same people lived in poverty with no meals/It's fucked up where I live, but that's just how it is/It might be new to you, but it's been like this for years/It's blood sweat and tears when it come down to this shit/I’m tryin' to get rich 'fore I leave up out it/I’m tryin' to have thangs but it's hard for a pimp/So I’m praying’ and I’m hoping’ to God I don’t slip, yeah/You know it's hard out here for a pimp
2007
The 79th Annual Academy Awards were held February 25th, 2007 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by comedian Ellen DeGeneres, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2006.
Best Original Song - I Need to Wake Up by Melissa Etheridge (written by M. Etheridge)
I Need to Wake Up, with music and lyrics by Melissa Etheridge, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 2007, beating out Listen from Dreamgirls; Love You I Do from Dreamgirls; Our Town from Cars; and Patience from Dreamgirls. The song was featured in Davis Guggenheim's 2006 documentary An Inconvenient Truth. Starring Al Gore, Best Original Song was one of two nominations and subsequent wins for the film that night (the other win being for Best Documentary Feature). This is another year where I (now fifteen-years-old) was baffled and disappointed in the winning choice. Melissa Etheridge absolutely talented and deserving of accolades, but this song just does not even compare to three (count them, THREE) songs from Dreamgirls and a song from a Pixar movie. Take that out of the equation and just look at this song for what it is, and it's alright, but definitely not the star of thte evening or even the year 2006.
Have I been sleeping, I’ve been so still/Afraid of crumbling, have I been careless/Dismissing all the distant rumblings/Take me where I am supposed to be/To comprehend the things that I can't see/‘Cause I need to move, I need to wake up/I need to change, I need to shake up/I need to speak out, something's got to break up/I’ve been asleep and I need to wake up now
2008
The 80th Annual Academy Awards were held February 24th, 2008 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by comedian Jon Stewart, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2007.
Best Original Song - Falling Slowly by Markéta Irglová & Glen Hansard (written by G. Hansard)
Falling Slowly, with music and lyrics by Glen Hansard, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 2008, beating out Happy Working Song from Enchanted; Raise It Up from August Rush; So Close from Enchanted; and That's How You Know from Enchanted. The song was featured in John Carney's 2007 film Once. Starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, Best Original Song was the only nomination and subsequent win for the film that night. Notable covers of this song include those by Steve Kazee & Cristin Milioti, Kris Allen, Il Divo, Josh Groban, and Westleigh. While I'm still baffled that Enchanted didn't take this one with three (once again, count them, THREE) nominations on the board, this is a really beautiful song. The movie was even adapted into a stage musical in 2011 that ended up winning a whopping eight Tony Awards. I've never seen Once, but being reintroduced to this song definitely has me interested in checking it out.
I don't know you, but I want you/All the more for that/Words fall through me and always fool me/And I can't react/And games that never amount to more than they're meant/Will play themselves out/Take this sinking boat and point it home/We've still got time, raise your hopeful voice/You had the choice, you've made it now/Falling slowly, eyes that know me/And I can't go back/And moods that take me and erase me/And I'm painted black
2009
The 81st Annual Academy Awards were held February 22nd, 2009 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by actor Hugh Jackman, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2008.
Best Original Song - Jai Ho by A.R. Rahman ft. Sukhwinder Singh, Tanvi Shah, & Mahalakshmi Iyer (written by A. Rahman, S. Kalra, T. Shah)
Jai Ho, with music by A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Sampooran Kalra & Tanvi Shah, was one of three nominees for Best Original Song 2009, beating out Down to Earth from WALL-E and O Saya from Slumdog Millionaire. The song was featured in Danny Boyle's 2008 film Slumdog Millionaire, which was loosely based on the 2005 Vikas Swarup novel Q & A. Starring Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, Best Original Song was one of eight wins out of ten total nominations the film that night (the other wins being for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Sound Mixing). Notable covers of this song include that by The Pussycat Dolls. There wasn't a lot to choose from in this decade of Best Original Songs for some reason, with multiple years having less than the "expected" five nominees, but I will say Jai Ho was a bop my junior year of high school and, to be frank, it still is. I myself am partial to the Pussycat Dolls version because it's the one I'm most familiar with, but it's always cool to see a song that's "different" to western ears take the win on this category. The English lyrics from the Pussycat Dolls version of the song are listed below.
I got shivers when you touch my face/I’ll make you hot, get all you got, I’ll make you wanna say/Jai ho, jai ho/I got fever running like a fire/For you I will go all the way, I’m gonna take you higher/Jai Ho/I’ll keep it steady, cause steady is how I do it/Jai Ho/This beat it heavy, so heavy you're gonna feel it/Jai Ho/You are the reason that I breathe/Jai Ho/You are the reason that I still believe/Jai Ho/You are my destiny, jai ho, oh, oh, oh, oh/Jai Ho/No, there is nothing that can stop us/Jai Ho/Nothing can ever come between us/Jai Ho/So come and dance with me, jai ho, oh/You and me, it's destiny/Catch me, catch me, catch me, c’mon, catch me, I want you now/I know you can save me, you can save me, I need you now/I am yours forever, yes, forever, I will follow/Anyway and anywhere, never gonna let go
2010
The 82nd Annual Academy Awards were held March 7th, 2010 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by actors Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2009.
Best Original Song - The Weary Kind by Ryan Bingham (written by R. Bingham, J. Burnett)
The Weary Kind, with music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T-Bone Burnett, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 2010, beating out Almost There from The Princess and the Frog; Down in New Orleans from The Princess and the Frog; Loin de Paname from Paris 36; and Take it All from Nine. The song was featured in Scott Cooper's 2009 film Crazy Heart, which was based on the 1987 Thomas Cobb novel of the same name. Starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of three total nominations the film that night (the other win being for Best Actor (Jeff Bridges)). Notable covers of this song include those by Collin Farrell and Jeff Bridges that were used in the film itself. Ya'll know how much I love The Princess and the Frog, and I still think its soundtrack is criminally underrated, but I ended up really liking this song. I will always be a sucker for a stripped down, emotionally charged country song, and that's what Bingham delivers in his recording. This is a movie I somehow missed when it came out (it looks along the lines of Country Strong which I enjoyed), and like with Once this song helped peak my interested in the film itself.
Your heart's on the loose/You rolled them sevens with nothing to lose/And this ain't no place for the weary kind/You called all your shots/Shooting eight ball at the corner truck stop/Somehow this don't feel like home anymore/And this ain't no place for the weary kind/And this ain't no place to lose your mind/This ain't no place to fall behind/Pick up your crazy heart and give it one more try
2011
The 83rd Annual Academy Awards were held February 27th, 2011 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by actors James Franco and Anne Hathaway, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2010.
Best Original Song - We Belong Together by Randy Newman (written by R. Newman)
We Belong Together, with music and lyrics by Randy Newman, was one of four nominees for Best Original Song 2011, beating out Coming Home from Country Strong; If I Rise from 127 Hours; and I See the Light from Tangled. The song was featured in Lee Unkrich's 2010 Pixar film Toy Story 3, or the film which traumatized every member of the high school graduating class of 2010 and their parents (if you know, trust me, you know). Starring Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of five total nominations the film that night (the other win being for Best Animated Feature). Notable covers of this song include that by Brian Wilson. I love Toy Story as much as the next millennial, and it's nice to see some love for Disney after a drought, but I would've gone with I See the Light here. This song just doesn't compare to the one true Toy Story anthem You've Got a Friend in Me, but it is still fun and hopeful, which is what we all needed by the time this movie was done.
Don't you turn your back on me/Don't you walk away/Don't you tell me that I don't care/‘Cause I do/Don't you tell me I'm not the one/Don't you tell me I ain't no fun/Just tell me you love me like I love you/You know you do/When we're together, clear skies are clearer/And I'd share them, that way I'm less depressed/And sincerely, from the bottom of my heart/I just can't take it when we're apart/We belong together, we belong together/Yes, we do, you'll be mine, forever/We belong together, we belong together/You know, it's true, it's gonna stay this way, forever/Me and you
2012
The 84th Annual Academy Awards were held February 26th, 2012 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by actor Billy Crystal, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2011.
Best Original Song - Man or Muppet by Jason Segel & Peter Linz (written by B. McKenzie)
Man or Muppet, with music and lyrics by Bret McKenzie, was one of two nominees for Best Original Song 2012, beating out Real in Rio from Rio. The song was featured in James Bobin's 2011 film The Muppets. Starring Jason Segel and Amy Adams, Best Original Song was the only nomination and subsequent win for the film that night. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the Muppets, and I enjoyed the heck out of this movie, but if there had been a larger voting pool in 2012 I'm not sure the song would've won. What I did love about this song was the scene that went along with it in the film, featuring a Muppet-fied Segel and Jim Parsons as the human version of Walter.
I reflect on my reflection/And I ask myself the question/What's the right direction to go/I don't know/Am I a man or am I a muppet/If I'm a muppet, then I'm a very manly muppet/Am I a muppet or am I a man/If I'm a man, that makes me a muppet of a man
2013
The 85th Annual Academy Awards were held February 24th, 2013 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by actor Seth MacFarlane, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2012.
Best Original Song - Skyfall by Adele (written by A. Adkins, P. Epworth)
Skyfall, with music and lyrics by Adele and Paul Epworth, was one of five nominees for Best Original Song 2013, beating out Before My Time from Chasing Ice; Everybody Needs a Best Friend from Ted; Pi's Lullaby from Life of Pi; and Suddenly from Les Misérables. The song was featured in Sam Mendes's 2012 Bond film Skyfall, which is based on characters from Ian Fleming's James Bond book series. Starring Daniel Craig and Javier Barden, Best Original Song was one of two wins out of five total nominations for the film that night (the other win being for Best Sound Editing). For maybe the first time since Moon River in this series, I have no notes. I adore Adele, I think this may be one of her best songs in general (and it's the first Bond Theme to win an Oscar), and since my husband and I watched every canon Bond film in order in 2022 I can safely say as it stands right now Skyfall is my favorite Bond movie.
This is the end/Hold your breath and count to ten/Feel the Earth move and then/Hear my heart burst again/For this is the end/I’ve drowned and dreamt this moment/So overdue, I owe them/Swept away, I'm stolen/Let the sky fall, when it crumbles/We will stand tall, face it all together/Let the sky fall, when it crumbles/We will stand tall, face it all together at Skyfall/At Skyfall
2014
The 86th Annual Academy Awards were held March 2nd, 2014 in Hollywood, California. Hosted by comedian Ellen DeGeneres, the televised ceremony celebrated film achievements from 2013.
Best Original Song - Let It Go by Idina Menzel (written by K. Anderson-Lopez, R. Lopez)
Let It Go, with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, was one of four nominees for Best Original Song 2014, beating out Happy from Despicable Me 2; The Moon Song from Her; and Ordinary Love from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom. The song was featured in Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee's 2013 Disney film Frozen, which is based on the 1844 Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Snow Queen. Starring Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, Best Original Song was one of two nominations and wins for the film that night (the other win being for Best Animated Feature). Again, no notes. What can I say here about Frozen that I haven't already written about? I know 99% of the global population is fairly sick of it after a decade, but I hope I never get to that point because I love this song so much.
The snow glows white on the mountain tonight/Not a footprint to be seen/A kingdom of isolation/And it looks like I'm the queen/The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside/Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried/Don't let them in, don't let them see/Be the good girl you always have to be/Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know/Well, now they know/Let it go, let it go, can't hold it back anymore/Let it go, let it go, turn away and slam the door/I don't care what they're going to say/Let the storm rage on, the cold never bothered me anyway
I hope you had fun with me on this cinematic journey we've taken together! This series will be back soon (like I said, we finish another decade for this award early next year), but as usual I have so much more planned in the meantime. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!
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