Pop Song 372 of 500 'City of Stars' Film La La Land 2016

Pop Song 372 of 500 'City of Stars' Film La La Land 2016

"City of Stars" is a song performed by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in the film La La Land (2016). The music of the song was composed by Justin Hurwitz while the lyrics were provided by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The song won numerous awards, including the award for Best Original Song at both the 74th Golden Globe Awards and 89th Academy Awards.

Justin Hurwitz, the composer of the song, discussed the writing of the song:

[The song] started at the piano with me just working on demos for Damien, sending him ideas until something really sparked. It's so funny that that and "Audition" are the two songs that people seem to be responding to the most, at least so far, because they had similar processes in the sense that they had probably the least amount of fussing at the piano demo stage. [...] I was just composing it from an emotional place and thinking about the tone. I would say the tone is hopeful, but melancholy at the same time. And it kind of goes back-and-forth between cadencing in major and cadencing in minor, because I think that’s kind of what the song is about. You have these great moments and then you have these less great moments in life and in Los Angeles and we see it happen in the story. I was thinking about that idea a little bit and just trying to compose a melody that I thought was shapely and beautiful. I guess it has some jazz inflections, because it’s something Sebastian plays on the piano.

City of stars
Are you shining just for me?
City of stars
There's so much that I can't see
Who knows?
I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you
That now our dreams
They've finally come true
City of stars
Just one thing everybody wants
There in the bars
And through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants
It's love
Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else
A rush
A glance
A touch
A dance
To look in somebody's eyes
To light up the skies
To open the world and send them reeling
A voice that says, I'll be here
And you'll be alright
I don't care if I know
Just where I will go
'Cause all that I need's this crazy feeling
A rat-tat-tat on my heart...
Think I want it to stay
City of stars
Are you shining just for me?
City of stars
You never shined so brightly