‘Rocketman’ Wins Oscar For Best Original Song: Elton John & Bernie Taupin Share Award Stage For First Time
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UPDATED with video Did anyone really think Hollywood wouldn’t choose a song called “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” as the year’s best?
The song by Elton John and Bernie Taupin from the film Rocketman won the Oscar for Best Original Song, beating out four songs from Toy Story 4, Breakthrough, Frozen 2 and Harriet.
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“Being here with this guy, I don’t have words for it,” said Sir Elton’s longtime songwriting partner, lyricist Taupin. “It’s justification for 53 years of just hammering it out and doing what we do.”
Said John, “Thank you Bernie, who has been the constant thing in my life, when I was screwed up, and when I was normal…”
The win marked the first Oscar for Taupin, and the second for John (who won for The Lion King‘s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” with lyricist Tim Rice in 1994).
On a night when Oscar producers felt compelled to include a montage of great movie songs past and recruit Eminem to perform the 18-year-old trophy winner “Lose Yourself,” the John-Taupin song was a shoo-in among a mostly forgettable roster of nominees. Aside from parents forced to listen to Frozen 2 or Toy Story 4 ad nauseam, few music or movie lovers are likely to be putting Randy Newman’s “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” or Diane Warren’s “I’m Standing With You” on iPhone repeat anytime soon.
In fact, the win for a fairly middling effort from the legendary pop duo seemed as much Lifetime Achievement Award as Best Song, with the John-Taupin 1971 classic “Tiny Dancer” getting two plays tonight (once in that montage, and again in an American Idol commercial re-creating the Almost Famous scene that featured the great song). “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” probably won’t be remembered 49 years from now, but this year it was the stand-out.
The other nominees were “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4, Music and Lyric by Randy Newman; “I’m Standing With You” from Breakthrough, Music and Lyric by Diane Warren; “Into The Unknown” from Frozen 2, Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez; and “Stand Up” from Harriet, Music and Lyric by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo.
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