Desplat has composed scores for a wide range of films, including low-budget independent productions and large-scale blockbusters, such as The Queen, The Golden Compass, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 & Part 2, The King's Speech, The Danish Girl, Moonrise Kingdom, Argo, Rise of the Guardians, Zero Dark Thirty, Godzilla, The Imitation Game, Unbroken, The Secret Life of Pets, and Isle of Dogs.
Desplat was born in Paris to a French father and a Greek mother. At the age of five, he began playing piano. He also became proficient on trumpet and flute. He studied with Claude Ballif and Iannis Xenakis in France and Jack Hayes in the U.S. Desplat's musical interests were wide, and he was also influenced by South American and African artists and teachers, among whom were Carlinhos Brown and Ray Lema.
Desplat has composed extensively for films, in France and in Hollywood - scores and incidental music for over 100 films including "Lapse of Memory" (1992), "Family Express" (1992), "Regarde Les Hommes Tomber" (1994), "Les Péchés Mortels" (1995), César-nominated "Un Héros Très Discret" (1996), "Une Minute de Silence" (1998), "Sweet Revenge" (1998), "Le Château des Singes" (1999), "Home Sweet Home" (2001), "Reines d'un Jour" (2001), the César-nominated "Sur mes Lèvres" (2002), "Rire et Châtiment" (2003), "Fantastic Mr. Fox" (2009), "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (2010), "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" (2011) and "The Danish Girl" (2015).
Desplat has composed individual songs that have been sung in films by such artists as Akhenaton, Kate Beckinsale, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Valérie Lemercier, Miosotis, Catherine Ringer and Renée Fleming. He has also written music for the theatre, including pieces performed at the Comédie Française. Desplat has conducted performances of his music played by the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Munich Symphony Orchestra. Desplat has also given Master Classes at La Sorbonne in Paris and the Royal College of Music in London.
In 2007, he composed the scores for Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass", Zach Helm's directorial debut "Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium" with American composer Aaron Zigman and the Ang Lee movie "Lust, Caution". Prior to these break-out works, he contributed scores for "The Luzhin Defence", "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "Syriana", "Birth", "Hostage", "Firewall", "Casanova", "Nid de Guêpes" and "The Painted Veil", for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music, and the 2006 World Soundtrack Award. He won the 2007 BMI Film Music Award, 2007 World Soundtrack Award, 2007 European Film Award, and received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score for "The Queen". He also won the Silver Berlin Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for Best Film Music in "De battre mon cœur s'est arrêté". In 2008 Desplat received his second Oscar nomination for David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Desplat received his third Oscar nomination and a BAFTA nomination for "Fantastic Mr. Fox" in 2010, both of which were won by Michael Giacchino for "Up".
Recently, Desplat has composed music for "Largo Winch", based on the Belgian comic; "Afterwards", a French-Canadian psychological thriller film directed by Gilles Bourdos in English; Anne Fontaine's "Coco avant Chanel" based on the life of designer Coco Chanel; Robert Guédiguian's "L'Armée du Crime"; "Chéri", reuniting him with director Stephen Frears, whom he collaborated with on "The Queen"; "Un Prophète" reuniting with director Jacques Audiard; "Julie & Julia" directed by Nora Ephron; "Fantastic Mr. Fox", directed by Wes Anderson and based on the novel by Roald Dahl; "The Twilight Saga: New Moon", directed by Chris Weitz; Roman Polanski's "The Ghost Writer"; "Tamara Drewe"; "The Special Relationship"; "The King's Speech", which earned Desplat his fourth Oscar nomination; and "Largo Winch II: The Burma Conspiracy".
In early 2011, Desplat began to write the music to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2". He reunited with director David Yates, who offered Desplat the opportunity to score the second part.
Desplat's upcoming projects include "The Tree of Life", directed by Terrence Malick (which he actually recorded in early 2010), "A Better Life" and "La Fille du Puisatier", Roman Polanski's "Carnage" and George Clooney's "The Ides of March".
Desplat started 2012 with "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" and continued with scores for "The Spider's House", the Florent Emilio Siri-directed biopic "Cloclo", Jacques Audiard's "De rouille et d'os", Ben Affleck's "Argo", DreamWorks Animation's "Rise of the Guardians", Matteo Garrone's "Reality", Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" and Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero dark Thirty".
Miracles
Alexandre Desplat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The angels sing to me these words
And sometimes in your eyes
I see the beauty in the world
Oh, now I'm floating so high
I blossom and die
Send your storm and your lightning to strike
Me between the eyes
Eyes
Sometimes the stars decide
To reflect in puddles in the dirt
When I look in your eyes
I forget all about what hurts
Oh, now I'm floating so high
I blossom and die
Send your storm and your lightning to strike
Me between the eyes
And cry
Believe in miracles
Oh hey, I'm floating up above the world now
Oh hey, I'm floating up above the world now
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh, uh, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh, uh, uh
The lyrics of Alexandre Desplat's song Miracles convey a message of finding beauty and hope in unexpected places. The opening lines suggest a divine message, with the angels singing to the singer from above. The following line, "sometimes in your eyes, I see the beauty in the world," could be interpreted as a reference to finding beauty in the people around us. The singer is floating above the world - perhaps in an elevated spiritual state - and this newfound perspective allows them to blossom and die, indicating the potential for growth and transformation.
The lines "send your storm and your lightning to strike me between the eyes" demonstrate a willingness to face challenges head-on, even if it means enduring pain. This idea is repeated in the final verse, as the singer implores the listener to "believe in miracles" - a call to hope even when circumstances seem bleak. The bridge suggests that even the most humble things can hold beauty; the stars reflected in puddles demonstrate that beauty can be found even in the dirtiest places. The final lines, "oh hey, I'm floating up above the world now" suggest a sense of freedom and joy in embracing this mindset.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of optimism and hope, even in the face of adversity. The metaphor of the singer floating above the world suggests a detachment from everyday life that allows them to see the world in a new light.
Line by Line Meaning
From up above I heard
I hear a message from above
The angels sing to me these words
The message is delivered by angels who sing to me
And sometimes in your eyes
Occasionally, I can see beauty and positivity in your eyes
I see the beauty in the world
Through your eyes, I see the beauty that exists in the world
Oh, now I'm floating so high
I feel extremely elated and empowered
I blossom and die
I experience intense emotions of vitality and energy
Send your storm and your lightning to strike
I am ready to face any challenge with courage and bravado
Me between the eyes
I am ready to be challenged directly in order to prove myself worthy
Eyes
My eyes represent my focus, bravery, and passion
Sometimes the stars decide
Sometimes fate intervenes and dictates our lives
To reflect in puddles in the dirt
We can often find beauty and light in the most unexpected places
When I look in your eyes
When I am with you and see through your eyes
I forget all about what hurts
I forget all about the pain and sorrow of life
And cry
I am moved and overwhelmed by these feelings
Believe in miracles
I ask for belief and trust in miracles, magic, and unexpected blessings
Oh hey, I'm floating up above the world now
I am feeling incredible joy and freedom
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah
I am affirming and embracing these positive feelings
Uh, uh, uh, yeah, yeah, yeah
I am expressing my deep emotions through sounds and movements
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Anthony John Martin, GUY RUPERT, JONATHAN BUCKLAND, WILLIAM CHAMPION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind