Imagine you’ve been assigned to write a song for a movie. Only you can’t quite get into the flick’s characters or themes. John Parr found himself in that very same situation when he was called upon to write a song for the 1985 film St. Elmo’s Fire.
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Parr remedied the issue by clandestinely writing about a subject that had nothing to do with the film. Audiences at the time were none the wiser. And “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” became one of the most iconic movie songs of the decade.
Foster Comes Calling
British rocker John Parr worked steadily as a sideman and writer for over a decade before the chance finally came calling for him to record his own music. He didn’t waste the opportunity. His first single, “Naughty Naughty”, hit the US Top 25 in 1984. Perhaps more importantly, it drew the attention of David Foster.
Foster, one of the top writers/producers of that era, had been assigned the task of assembling the music for St. Elmo’s Fire. He contacted Parr and asked if he’d like to record a song for the soundtrack. The producer originally wanted Parr to sing a song that had already been written, but Parr wanted to do an original.
He badgered Foster until he agreed to write something with Parr. The two hashed out a propulsive instrumental track that sounded like it had the potential to be the movie’s theme song. But it needed lyrics. And Parr couldn’t quite find any inspiration from the film’s rich college kids and their romantic problems.
The Song’s True Inspiration
Foster played Parr a video of a news clip just to help the singer clear his head. It was the story of a man named Rick Hansen. Hansen had his spine severed in a car accident. To raise funds so that research could be done on how to help treat these injuries, he was travelling across the country in his wheelchair, some 20,000 miles.
Meanwhile, his friend was following Hansen around in a camper to film his exploits. In the video, Parr noticed the phrase “Man In Motion” printed on the side of the camper. Suddenly, Parr’s creative floodgates opened, and he quickly churned out the lyrics to the music he and Foster had written.
Parr was savvy enough to eliminate any specific references to Hansen’s journey, meaning that the lyrics could have applied to the plot of the film. It worked like a charm. “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” hit No. 1 on the pop charts.
Exploring the Lyrics of “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)” by John Parr
John Parr’s references to coming of age help tie the song tangentially to the movie. But his lyrics make more sense as a snapshot of Hansen’s fortitude. He references the difficulties of Hansen’s condition: “You know in some ways you’re a lot like me/You’re just a prisoner and you’re tryin’ to break free.”
“You broke the boy in me, but you won’t break the man,” Parr sneers, signaling Hansen’s defiance of what fate has wrought. Instead of feeling constrained, he soars. “I can see a new horizon underneath a blazin’ sky/I’ll be where the eagle’s flying higher and higher.”
In the video for “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)”, Parr interacts with the actors from the film. One wonders if he told them that his theme song had nothing to do with the plights of their characters. Whatever it took, he got the job done, delivering a memorable song and a touching tribute to his hidden inspiration.
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
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