Singing To A Different Tune

     This weekend I finally got to watch the movie Moulin Rouge! with my friend, which I had been looking forward to doing for awhile. The movie is sort of a musical about love, however the majority of the music is remixes of 20th century songs. At first, I didn't like the mix of the old time period setting of the movie (it is set in Paris 1900) and new music, but I came to love it because the songs were all so different from their originals it worked.
      I decided to analyze some of the differences between the song Roxanne by The Police and the song El Tango De Roxanne that was in the movie. I cut both of the songs to about a minute long so you can watch and see the differences. The second song takes a bit longer to get to the singing part, but I thought it was necessary to keep the beginning part because it adds to your understanding of the song.























      Both songs are describing a story about a man who falls in love with a prostitute. However I think that El Tango De Roxanne, although it is the remix of the orignal song by The Police, it captures the emotions of the situation better than the original did. As explained in the beginning of the tango, "When love is for the highest bidder there can be no trust...jealousy will drive you mad." He explains how you can never trust that a prostitute loves you because their job is to make men think they love them. Also you will feel extreme jealousy because they will have to sleep with other men. He is singing to warn the listener against falling in love with a prostitute because it will only "drive you mad."
      The tango song from Moulin Rouge demonstrates the anger and frustration that the man would feel perfectly. The background music is sharp and full of tension. The main male singer uses a raspy, guttural voice that sounds more like growling than singing. The dancing is quick and precise with movements that are both passionate and violent. Every part of the video demonstrates the internal battle between the love and anger the man feels. In comparison, the other song Roxanne has a relatively slow tempo with the chords in the chorus almost seeming upbeat and happy. The video is just one of the band performing that doesn't really add anything to the song.

What do you think of the two different versions of the song? Do you notice any other differences between the two videos? Would you agree that one portrays the story better than the other? Why or why not?