Congrats to John Legend and Common for Winning Best Song at the 2015 Oscars

The 87th Annual 2015 Oscars, was an evening of emotional milestones. I was initially disappointed when it occurred to me that this year would be the first Oscar red carpet without Joan Rivers, and considered changing the channel. Fortunately my sloth worked to my advantage and I was too lazy to look for the remote, otherwise I would have completely missed the incredible live performance of Common and John Legend’s Grammy nominated song, Glory, from the film, Oscar Nominated film, Selma. Set against a replica of Alabama’s historic Edmund Pettus Bridge, Common and John Legend belted this ballad while accompanied by a choir. Together they simulated the 1965 march, led by Martin Luther King. Though I’m sure John Legend and Common anticipated that this song would hit an emotional trigger, I don’t think they expected to instigate this level of an (emotional?) eruption. There was not a dry eye in the house, and everyone in the audience was brought to their knees by the power of this production. Selma stars David Oyelowo and Oprah Winfrey were literally left speechless during the performance.

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John Legend and Common Sing Glory, at the 2015 Oscars

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*source: billboard.com

You can sing along, if you like. Even if you aren’t the best song bird, the poetic lyrics are definitely worth a read.

Chorus: John Legend
One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
One day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory

Verse 1: Common
Hands to the Heavens, no man, no weapon
Formed against, yes glory is destined
Every day women and men become legends
Sins that go against our skin become blessings
The movement is a rhythm to us
Freedom is like religion to us
Justice is juxtapositionin’ us
Justice for all just ain’t specific enough
One son died, his spirit is revisitin’ us
True and livin’ livin’ in us, resistance is us
That’s why Rosa sat on the bus
That’s why we walk through Ferguson with our hands up
When it go down we woman and man up
They say, “Stay down”, and we stand up
Shots, we on the ground, the camera panned up
King pointed to the mountain top and we ran up

Chorus

Bridge: John Legend
Now the war is not over, victory isn’t won
But we’ll fight on to the finish, and when it’s all done
We’ll cry glory, oh glory, ohhh
We’ll cry glory, oh glory, ohhh

Verse 2: Common
Selma is now for every man, woman and child
Even Jesus got his crown in front of a crowd
They marched with the torch, we gon’ run with it now
Never look back, we done gone hundreds of miles
From dark roads he rose, to become a hero
Facin’ the league of justice, his power was the people
Enemy is lethal, a king became regal
Saw the face of Jim Crow under a bald eagle
The biggest weapon is to stay peaceful
We sing, our music is the cuts that we bleed through
Somewhere in the dream we had an epiphany
Now we right the wrongs in history
No one can win the war individually
It takes the wisdom of the elders and young people’s energy
Welcome to the story we call victory
Comin’ of the Lord, my eyes have seen the glory

Chorus

Outro: John Legend
When the war is done, when it’s all said and done
We’ll cry glory, oh glory

Produced by John Legend
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Just when I thought the evening could not get any better, John and Common were later honored for their creative achievement, winning the Oscar for Best Song. I wasn’t that surprised by the win itself, however I was completely blown away by each artist’s profound acceptance speech. This was not your average, “Thank you! You Like Me!” Oscar-winning moment. With compassion and humility, both artists continued to enlighten audiences through profound expressions of current societal truths. I highly suggest you give it a listen.

See Common and John Legend Accept the Oscar Award for Best Song

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