11/20/2022 0 Comments John legend this time live“It had that spirit, but it also felt now. “I think when I heard what John was singing, I felt like this was a song that, in his chorus, was of the now even though it carried the tradition of the people back then who were fighting for freedom and standing up for human rights and civil rights,” Common said. She said, ‘It’s the artists’ duty to reflect the times they live in,’ and so with this song we wanted to pay tribute to the important roles that all the people play in Selma, but we also wanted to reflect the time that we live in.”Ĭommon gives great credit to Legend’s chorus for inspiring his rap verses. I always quote (jazz singer and civil rights activist) Nina Simone. King wasn’t extremely popular before he died, and so for us to talk about things that may not be popular with everybody, it is part of carrying on with his spirit. King was seen as a radical by a lot of people. King was controversial,” Legend told me in a recent phone conversation. “I think it is a little controversial to bring the now into the song because these are things that are being debated right now in this moment, but we have to also realize that Dr. Oscars: Best Original Song Nominees All In One Place - Hot Vids For Voters In writing the song, though, Common and Legend invoke current events, because they see the film as a mirror of what’s happening today. Is it a risk? They certainly could have chosen to play it safe, but went another direction. Selma is about the Martin Luther King Jr.-led march for voting rights between Selma and Montgomery, Ala., in 1965. King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up. Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up. That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up. Truant livin’, livin’ in us, resistance is us. One son died, his spirit is revisitin’ us. Justice for all just ain’t specific enough. Sample lyrics of Common’s rap verse: The movement is a rhythm to us. There can be no argument that “Glory” does that, and more. The most successful tunes in Oscar’s song category are meant to complement the film they are written for and have some meaning for the story at hand. That’s what Common and John Legend, composers of the Oscar-nominated song Glory from Selma, are certainly hoping. Can a song written for a movie about events of 50 years ago, with a rap verse that dares to be relevant and edgy by inserting hot-button topics and incidents of today, possibly become an Oscar winner a week from now?
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