'Elephant Love Medley'
'One More Night' -
Written by Phil Collins
'Pride (In The Name of Love)' - Lyrics by Bono and the Edge, Music by U2
'Don't Leave Me This Way' - Written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert
'Silly Love Songs' - Written by McCartney
'Up Where We Belong' - Written by Jack Nitzsche, Buffy Sainte-Maire and Will Jennings
'Heroes' - Written by David Bowie and Brian Eno
'I Will Always Love You' - Written by Dolly Parton
'Your Song' - Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
This medley of well-known modern love songs makes watching the wooing of Satine by Christian a most entertaining experience! Christian sneaks atop Satine's elephant boudoir in the Moulin Rouge garden just after she has sung One Day I'll Fly Away. What then begins as witty dialogue turns into a full-on rendition of popular romantic tunes that can be easily (and purposefully) recognised as the couple flit from one song to another. The most impressive aspect of this sequence is that, while it pokes fun at the various tunes, the lyrics still keep the story moving towards its breathtaking conclusion with sumptuous camera work as Satine finally gives in to Christian's advances.
Unfortunately, while the soundtrack credits detail the origin of each of the eight songs featured in the medley, it does not specify who arranged it, although I'm guessing it was the work of the wonderful composer Craig Armstrong and/or Baz Luhrmann himself. Whoever was responsible for this groundbreaking idea, it definitely works both as a story telling device and as a magical visual feast that keeps the audience enthralled as they watch the characters inevitably fall for each others charms.
The Elephant Love Medley was featured as an instrumental 'karaoke' version on the CD single of Come What May, a format that creates a perfect opportunity to sing along with both characters! You can view the medley karaoke page here. What follows is the full lyrics to the original film version of the Elephant Love Medley.
Lyrics:
Christian - Love is a many spledid thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love!
Satine - Please, don't start that again
Christian - All you need is love
Satine - A girl has got to eat!
Christian - All you need is love
Satine - She'll end up on the street!
Christian - All you need is love
Satine - Love is just a game
Christian - I was made for loving you baby you were made for loving me
Satine - The only way of loving me baby is to pay a lovely fee
Christian - Just one night, give me just one night!
Satine - There's no way, 'cause you can't pay
Christian - In the name of love, one night in the name of love
Satine - You crazy fool, I won't give into you
Christian - Don't leave me this way, I can't survive, without your sweet love, oh baby, don't leave me this way
Satine - You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs
Christian - I look around me and I see it isn't so, oh no
Satine - Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs
Christian - Well, what's
wrong with that, I'd like to know, 'cause here I go, yeah
Love lifts us up where we belong
Where eagles fly on a mountain high
Satine - Love makes us act like we are fools, throw our lives away for one happy day
Christian - We could be heroes, just for one day
Satine - You, you will be mean
Christian - No I won't!
Satine - And I - I'll drink all the time!
Christian - We should be lovers
Satine - We can't do that
Christian - We should be lovers and that's a fact
Satine - No nothing would keep us together
Christian - We could still turn just for one day
Christian and Satine - We
could be heroes forever and ever
We could be heroes forever and ever
We could be heroes
Christian - Just because I will always love
Satine - I can't help loving...
Christian - ...you
Satine - How wonderful life is...
Christian and Satine - ...now you're in the world