Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States. He is the head of the film music division at DreamWorks studios and works with other composers through the company that he founded, Remote Control Productions, formerly known as Media Ventures. His studio in Santa Monica, California has an extensive range of computer equipment and keyboards, allowing demo versions of film scores to be created quickly.
Zimmer's works are notable for integrating electronic music sounds with traditional orchestral arrangements. He has received four Grammy Awards, three Classical BRIT Awards, two Golden Globes, and an Academy Award. He was also named on the list of Top 100 Living Geniuses, published by The Daily Telegraph.
Zimmer was born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany on 12th September 1957, and moved to London as a teenager. While he lived in London, Zimmer wrote advertising jingles for Air-Edel Associates. Zimmer began his musical career playing keyboards and synthesisers. In 1980 he worked with The Buggles, a New Wave band formed in 1977 with Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, and Bruce Woolley, appearing briefly in the video for "Video Killed the Radio Star" (1979).
In the 1980s, Zimmer worked with film composer Stanley Myers, a prolific film composer who composed scores for over sixty films. Zimmer and Myers co-founded the London-based Lillie Yard recording studio. Together, Myers and Zimmer worked on fusing the traditional orchestral sound with state-of-the-art electronics. Some of their first movies with this new sound include "Moonlighting" (1982), "Success is the Best Revenge" (1984), "Insignificance" (1985), and "My Beautiful Launderette" (1985). In 1986, Zimmer joined David Byrne and Ryuichi Sakamoto on their Oscar-winning score for "The Last Emperor" (1988).
Soon afterwards, Zimmer began working on his own solo projects. During his solo career years, Zimmer experimented and combined the use of old and new musical technologies. His first solo score was for Chris Menges’s film "A World Apart" (1988). However, the turning point in his career came later that year when he was asked to compose a score for Barry Levinson’s film "Rain Man" (1988). In the score, Zimmer uses synthesizers mixed with steel drums. The score was nominated for an Academy Award in 1989. A year later Zimmer was asked to compose a score for Bruce Beresford's "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989), which won a Grammy Award 1991.
In 1994, Zimmer won his biggest commercial hit for Disney’s "The Lion King" (1994). He wanted to go to South Africa himself to record the soundtrack, but couldn't because he had a police record there for making subversive films. "The Lion King" soundtrack won numerous awards, including an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and two Grammys. It was then adapted for the Broadway musical version, which won the Tony for Best Musical in 1998.
Since the success of "The Lion King", Zimmer has written numerous film scores. His hundredth composition was for "The Last Samurai" (2003), for which he won both a Golden Globe and a Broadcast Film Critics nomination in 2004. After composing over a hundred film scores, Zimmer finally performed live for the first time in concert with a hundred-piece orchestra and a hundred-person choir at the twenty-seventh Annual Flanders International Film Festival.
He has received numerous honours and awards, including: Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in Film Composition from the National Board of Review, Frederick Loewe Award in 2003 at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, ASCAP’s Henry Mancini Award for Lifetime Achievement, and BMI's prestigious Richard Kirk Award for lifetime achievement in 1996. Today, Zimmer is considered to be the father of integrating the electronic musical world with traditional orchestral arrangements.
Zimmer's first wife was a model, Vicki Carolin, with whom he has a daughter, model Zoe Zimmer. Zimmer lives in Los Angeles with his second wife Suzanne Zimmer with whom he has an additional three children.
Gladiator
Hans Zimmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um {shaddai}
Flavum nom de leesh
Ham de nam um das
La um de Flavne
We de ze zu bu
We de sooo a are you Un va-a pesh a lay
Un vi-I bee
Un da la pech ni sa(aah)
Un di-I lay na day
Un ma la pech a nay
Mee di nu ku
La la da pa da le na da na
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
Anol shalom
Anol sheh ley kon-nud de ne um.
Flavum, flavum
M-ai shondol-lee flavu
Lof flesh lay nof ne
Nom de lis
Ham de num um dass
La um de flavne
Shom de nomm
Ma-lun des dwondi, dwwoondi
Alas sharum do koos
Shaley koot-tum
The lyrics of "Now We Are Free" have elements of various languages including Latin, Arabic, and even made-up words. The opening phrase "Anol shalom" seems to have originated from the Hebrew language which translates to "peace be with you." The following lines appear to be Latin, which translates to "We relinquish our spirits (souls) to you (God) and the earth (or possibly a deity named shaddai). Golden-hued (or bright) are the fields in the sun, in the region of the summer stars. Tan-skinned (or strong) is the figure (or essence) of the man who sits in the lowest east (or mountain), in a garden of equal land. He creates his equal. "
As the song proceeds, the lyrics become more ambiguous and incoherent, suggesting a blend of multiple languages. It's also possible that the words may have been primarily chosen for their melodic quality rather than the significance of their meaning. The verses appear to be intended to transport us to an ethereal, distant realm known as the afterlife. This mesmerizing atmosphere is partially credited to Lisa Gerrard's mesmerizing vocals and the musical arrangement of Hans Zimmer's orchestration. The openness and vagueness of the lyrics permit the song to be interpreted in a more personal way by the listener, making it a beloved song for many.
Line by Line Meaning
Anol shalom
A call for peace
Anol sheh lay konnud de ne um {shaddai}
May God bless and help us
Flavum nom de leesh
The golden beauty of life
Ham de nam um das
We are one with the universe
La um de Flavne
We come from the same source
We de ze zu bu
We are nothing but dust
We de sooo a are you
We are all the same
Un va-a pesh a lay
We strive for freedom
Un vi-I bee
We exist
Un da la pech ni sa(aah)
We follow our destiny
Un di-I lay na day
We should not fear death
Un ma la pech a nay
We carry on our legacy
Mee di nu ku
We are immortal
La la da pa da le na da na
A rhythmic chant of unity and strength
Ve va da pa da le na la dumda
A call for action
Nom de lis
The sweet sound of life
Shom de nomm
May we always remember who we are
Ma-lun des dwondi, dwwoondi
The cycle of life and death
Alas sharum do koos
Peace and harmony are our true nature
Shaley koot-tum
May we all be blessed
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HANS ZIMMER, KLAUS BADELT, LISA GERRARD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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