Often collaborating with lyricist Pete Bellotte, Moroder scored a number of hits in his own name including "Son Of My Father" in 1972 and "From Here to Eternity" in 1977 under the name Giorgio, and in the following year releasing "Chase", the theme from the film Midnight Express and sold well elsewhere. All were hits in the UK. The full movie score for Midnight Express won him his first Academy Award for best film score in 1978.
In 1985, Moroder worked with Phil Oakey, frontman of the popular synthpop group, The Human League, to make the album Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder. The following year, Moroder collaborated with his protege Harold Faltermeyer (of "Axel F." fame) and lyricist Tom Whitlock to create the score for the popular film Top Gun (1986), with the most noteworthy hit being the Berlin classic, "Take My Breath Away", which went on to become a huge hit for the group.
He also scored other popular films in the 1980s including American Gigolo, Flashdance, The NeverEnding Story, Thief of Hearts, Electric Dreams, Scarface and Cat People(in collaboration with David Bowie). The latter score has recently regained popularity due to its use in the popular computer game Grand Theft Auto III. Moroder's "From Here To Eternity" and "The Chase" were also used in the Sony PSP game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
In 1984, Moroder compiled a new restoration and edit of the famous silent film Metropolis and provided a new modern rock-and-roll soundtrack to the film.
His song "Tears" was sampled and used as the basis of the DJ Shadow song "Organ Donor" on his 1996 album Endtroducing......
On September 20, 2004 Moroder was honored at the Dance Music Hall of Fame ceremony, held in New York, when he was inducted for his many outstanding achievements and contributions as producer. In 2005, he was given the title of Commendatore by Azeglio Ciampi.
In 2005, a great deal of his work (including the Cizeta-Moroder supercar he co-produced in the mid 90s with Claudio Zampolli) was used in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, and was the entire playlist of the Flashback FM radio station.
Giorgio Moroder is one of the numerous composers interested in writing the theme tune of the 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. This is not the first theme song Moroder composed for the Olympic games. "Hand in Hand" was regarded as the best ever Olympic theme song for the 1988 Seoul Olympics by former International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch.
Moroder contributed to Daft Punk's 2013 studio album Random Access Memories, admitting that he had been a fan of their song "One More Time" before working with the group. His voice and story is featured on the album's track "Giorgio by Moroder". On the track he states, "My name is Giovanni Giorgio, but everybody calls me Giorgio."
American Dream
Giorgio Moroder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So you leave it behind
believing in your dream.
On the threshold of what you've been told
Got to grab a hold 'cause the streets are paved with gold.
You work so hard just to break the ice
And you take a chance when you roll the dice
then it all comes back to you.
An American dream came true
the vision coming into view.
Now can you hear it calling you? Somehow I always knew:
An American dream came true
an open door that I walked through.
I hit it with the cards I drew.
Lightning strikes from the blue
It's calling you - American dream.
At the speed of light every night and day
Living on the edge but the dream won't go away.
Follow your plan 'cause you know you can
Make it to the top
wanna hold it in your hand.
You work so hard just to break the ice
An American dream came true
an open door that I walked through
An American dream came true
the vision coming into view. . . .
An American dream came true
an open door that I walked through.
I hit it with the cards I drew.
Lightning strikes from the blue
An American dream came true.
The lyrics to Giorgio Moroder's song American Dream are an ode to the American way of life and the pursuit of success. The song starts with an affirmation to be the best that one can be, with the belief that success can only be achieved by leaving behind what has been told before and having faith in one's own dream. The threshold mentioned in the second line refers to the tipping point when someone is on the cusp of greatness, and the streets being paved with gold refer to the opportunities and bounties that await those who make it big in America.
The chorus revolves around the American Dream coming true - a vision that has been achieved through hard work, taking chances, and holding on to one's plan. The line 'somehow I always knew' indicates that the singer of the song had unwavering belief in their dream and knew that they would make it someday. The second verse reiterates the message of working hard to break the ice and make the dream come true. The reference to lightning striking from the blue can be interpreted as a nod to the unpredictable and sudden nature of success.
Overall, the song celebrates the American Dream, which is characterized by ambition, hard work, and the belief that anything is possible with determination and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
Got to be the best that you can be
Strive for excellence and reach your full potential
So you leave it behind
Let go of your doubts and fears
believing in your dream.
Have faith in yourself and your aspirations
On the threshold of what you've been told
Standing at the edge of what you've been taught
Got to grab a hold 'cause the streets are paved with gold.
Seize the opportunity to succeed, because riches await you
You work so hard just to break the ice
You put in great effort to overcome challenges
gotta make the dream come true
You must make your aspirations a reality
And you take a chance when you roll the dice
You take a risk in order to succeed
then it all comes back to you.
You receive the reward for your hard work and determination
An American dream came true
A success story was born
the vision coming into view.
Your aspirations are starting to materialize
Now can you hear it calling you? Somehow I always knew:
Can you sense that the American dream is within reach? I had a feeling it would happen
an open door that I walked through.
A pathway to success that I have taken
I hit it with the cards I drew.
I achieved success using the resources at my disposal
Lightning strikes from the blue
Achievement occurs suddenly and surprisingly
It's calling you - American dream.
The American dream beckons you to chase it
At the speed of light every night and day
Pursuing the dream with all my energy and effort
Living on the edge but the dream won't go away.
Risking everything to achieve the American dream, but it is always there
Follow your plan 'cause you know you can
Pursue your objective with confidence
Make it to the top
Achieve the ultimate goal
wanna hold it in your hand.
Wishing to grasp the rewards of success
Contributed by Caroline T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@nguyensiba8500
Got to be the best that you can be
So you leave it behind
Believing in your dream.
On the threshold of what you've been told
Got to grab a hold 'cause the streets are paved with gold.
You work so hard just to break the ice
Gotta make the dream come true
And you take a chance when you roll the dice
Then it all comes back to you.
An American dream came true
The vision coming into view.
Now can you hear it calling you? Somehow I always knew:
An American dream came true
An open door that I walked through.
I hit it with the cards I drew.
Lightning strikes from the blue
It's calling you - American dream.
At the speed of light every night and day
Living on the edge but the dream won't go away.
Follow your plan 'cause you know you can
Make it to the top
Wanna hold it in your hand.
You work so hard just to break the ice
. . .
An American dream came true
An open door that I walked through
. . .
An American dream came true
The vision coming into view. . . .
An American dream came true
An open door that I walked through.
I hit it with the cards I drew.
Lightning strikes from the blue
An American dream came true
@SummumRecords
That intro guitar is pure 80s!
For a short moment, the world was his...
@RomelioSanz
My Gosh !!! Finally the extended version !!!!
@nguyensiba8500
Got to be the best that you can be
So you leave it behind
Believing in your dream.
On the threshold of what you've been told
Got to grab a hold 'cause the streets are paved with gold.
You work so hard just to break the ice
Gotta make the dream come true
And you take a chance when you roll the dice
Then it all comes back to you.
An American dream came true
The vision coming into view.
Now can you hear it calling you? Somehow I always knew:
An American dream came true
An open door that I walked through.
I hit it with the cards I drew.
Lightning strikes from the blue
It's calling you - American dream.
At the speed of light every night and day
Living on the edge but the dream won't go away.
Follow your plan 'cause you know you can
Make it to the top
Wanna hold it in your hand.
You work so hard just to break the ice
. . .
An American dream came true
An open door that I walked through
. . .
An American dream came true
The vision coming into view. . . .
An American dream came true
An open door that I walked through.
I hit it with the cards I drew.
Lightning strikes from the blue
An American dream came true
@csillakohari6739
Super voice
@fiercenessis
🔥🔥
@maxapa3909
Super SOUND COOL!!!!!! YEAHHH
@michelelaraia7358
Steve Stevens of Billy Idol's would have done those riffs
@michelelaraia7358
4:32 sounds like "What a feeling" singing pause.
@colinlinskey9678
Richie Zito it likely was
@michelelaraia7358
@Colin Linskey Paul Engemann,german,born 1957,sang 6 years later in Device trio;made "22b3" album for Chrysalis.And an anthem for Italy's 1990 Football/soccer world championships,i think."To be number one",even though i saw a curly,long darked hair guy singing publicly instead of him.Went he away from the project,only featured in 45's pic?🤔 Giorgio Moroder,from Ortisei(BZ)-check-82 now and living in L.A. Bye