I had a conversation today that reminded me of To Sir, With Love, which put the song in my head all afternoon. I love that song. I used to listen to it as a kid and I always thought it was about a young woman talking to her first love.
In college, my first truly inspired story for creative nonfiction class was a story about my stepdad called "To Sir, With Love" and was about how I always had to call him "Sir" when he was mad.
Then as an adult I saw the film for the first time. I've said this before - want to know what teaching is like? Don't watch Dangerous Minds. Watch To Sir, With Love.
For about three weeks after I watched that movie I had that song in my head, only I couldn't get through it because I kept stopping to cry. Every time I thought about that line "A friend who taught me right from wrong and weak from strong, that's a lot to learn." it just gets me. Sometimes I feel like we've all gotten together and made an agreement that we're going to get through high school together. They drive me nuts, but I love those little bastards.
So given that I loved that song before I knew the movie, and now it has even more emotional appeal, I think if I had to choose a favorite movie soundtrack song of all time, that's probably the one.
You got one? Best song in a movie ever? With words? It doesn't count if it doesn't have words.
ABSOLUTE FUCKING BEST =
ReplyDelete'Almost Famous' when they get to L.A., and Rod Stewart's 'Every Picture Tells A Story'
Spent some time feelin' inferior
standing in front of my mirror
Combed my hair in a thousand ways
but I came out looking just the same
also rans:
'L.A. Story'
the scene with the Enya song where Steve Martin's character realizes that he's in love.
no lyrics, but in 'The Aviator', when Howard Hughes is flying over Beverly Hills with Kate Hepburn, a really nice version of 'Moonglow' plays and it just gives me shivers.
The whistling in 'Bridge Over The River Kwai'.
The antithesis of what you're asking: any Michael Mann movie where he plugs a recent emo/grunge song into the soundtrack so we'll know he's 'down'.
"Jesus Christ Superstar" sticks out, along with "Hair" from the Treat Williams movie.
ReplyDeleteI have to vote for Tony Manero strutting down the street to "Stayin' Alive" in "Saturday Night Fever". That entire soundtrack is great.
I just saw "To Sir with Love" for the first time last month when it was on TMC. Fucking good movie!!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any favourite songs from movies....
Two that immediately come to mind: Falling Slowly - from Once and Philadelphia - from Philadelphia (Neil Young was robbed of the Oscar for that one).
ReplyDeleteThere are so many more.
Oh yeah Falling Slowly for sure. That song is gut wrenching and beautiful.
ReplyDelete