Throughout his prolific career, James Newton Howard has scored films of all scales and genres, earning multiple award nominations for his work. Howard began studying music as a young child and went on to attend the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California and then majored in piano performance at the University of Southern California. After Howard left college, he toured with Elton John and Toto as a keyboardist during the late 1970s and early 1980s before moving into film music in the mid-1980s.
By the 1990s, Howard truly hit his career stride, scoring the surprise blockbuster romantic comedy Pretty Woman (1990) and receiving his first Academy Award nomination for his score for Barbra Streisand's drama The Prince of Tides (1991). Setting the musical mood for numerous films throughout the decade, Howard's skills encompassed a plethora of genres, including two more best original score Oscar nominations, the Harrison Ford actioner The Fugitive (1993) and the Julia Roberts romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding. In addition, Howard scored the Western epic Wyatt Earp (1994), the legal drama Primal Fear (1996), and the blockbuster M. Night Shyamalan suspense thrillers The Sixth Sense (1999), Unbreakable (2000), Signs (2002), and The Village (2004). His collaborations on tunes for One Fine Day (1996) and Junior (1994) garnered Best Song nods. Along with scoring such smaller, character-driven films as Five Corners (1988), Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), and American Heart (1993), Howard proved equally skilled at composing for big-budget Hollywood spectacles, including Space Jam (1996), Dante's Peak (1997), Dinosaur (2000), and Collateral (2004). Although for Dante's Peak he only composed the main theme only, the score itself was composed by John Frizzell. Though he concentrated primarily on films, Howard has also contributed music for TV series, earning an Emmy nomination in 1995 for his theme to NBC's ratings smash ER.
Howard is now one of the most recognized composers for film. His work in 2004 on The Village, with violin solos by Hilary Hahn, earned him an Oscar nomination. Since, he has composed for several major motion pictures, notably the score for Batman Begins which he co-wrote with Hans Zimmer. On October 14, 2005, it was officially announced that Howard would replace Howard Shore as composer for King Kong, due to "differing creative aspirations for the score" between Shore and director Peter Jackson. The resultant score earned Howard his first Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score.
Since then he has been nominated for Best Original Score for the legal thriller Michael Clayton in 2008 and the war film Defiance in 2009. Since then he has composed music for blockbuster franchises and solo films including I Am Legend,The Dark Knight with Hans Zimmer, all of The Hunger Games films and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He was nominated for another Academy Award nomination in 2021 for his work on News of the World
I'm Still Here#comment-box
James Newton Howard Lyrics
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Not an answer to the Earth
On a moment
That's held in your arms
And what do you think you'd ever say
I won't listen anyway
You don't know me
And I'll never be who you want me to be
And what do you think you'd understand
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man
You can't take me
And throw me away
And how can you learn what's never shown
Yeah you stand here on you own
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Want to hold on
And feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They don't know me
'Cause I'm not here
And you see the things they never see
All you wanted I could be
Now you know me
And I'm not afraid
And I want to tell you who I am
Can you help me be a man
They can't break me
As long as I know who I am
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Want to hold on
And feel I belong
And how can the world want me to change
They're the ones that stay the same
They can't see me
But I'm still here
They can't tell me who to be
'Cause I'm not what they see
Yeah the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe
And I want a moment to be real
Want to touch things I don't feel
Want to hold on
And feel I belong
And how can you say I'll never change
They're the ones that stay the same
I'm the one now
'Cause I'm still here
I'm the one
'Cause I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
I'm still here
The lyrics to James Newton Howard's I'm Still Here are deep and introspective, reflecting the struggles many people face when trying to figure out their place in the world. The opening line, "I am a question to the world, not an answer to the Earth," suggests that the singer feels lost and uncertain about their purpose. They don't feel like they fit in or belong anywhere, and they're not sure what they have to offer the world.
The chorus expresses a desire to be understood and accepted for who they are, rather than being pressured to conform to society's expectations. The line, "And how can the world want me to change, they're the ones that stay the same," conveys the frustration of feeling like the odd one out, and questioning why others can't see the value in being different. The line, "They can't tell me who to be, 'cause I'm not what they see," is particularly powerful, affirming that the singer knows themselves better than anyone else, and they won't let others define them.
Towards the end of the song, the lyrics take on a more hopeful tone. The singer says, "I'm still here," affirming that despite all the challenges they've faced, they've persevered and are still standing. They also express a desire to be seen and understood, but now they're confident in their own identity, and won't be swayed by the opinions of others.
Overall, the song is a powerful anthem of self-discovery and courage. It encourages listeners to be true to themselves, even when it's difficult, and to embrace their uniqueness rather than trying to conform to societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a question to the world
I am an enigma, unknown and uncertain to the world
Not an answer to the Earth
I cannot provide solutions or explanations for the world’s problems
On a moment that's held in your arms
Reflecting on those tender moments of vulnerability
And what do you think you'd ever say
What do you have to say anyway?
I won't listen anyway
I won't bother to pay attention
You don't know me
My true identity is unknown to you
And I'll never be who you want me to be
I can never conform to someone else’s standards or expectations
And what do you think you'd understand
What makes you think you could possibly comprehend my complexity?
I'm a boy, no, I'm a man
I'm still struggling to figure out my identity
You can't take me and throw me away
You cannot simply discard me like trash
And how can you learn what's never shown
You cannot learn what is not taught or demonstrated
Yeah you stand here on you own
You’re standing on your own, missing all of me
They don't know me
Others cannot understand my true self
'Cause I'm not here
Because I represent something absent or unexplained
And I want a moment to be real
I crave genuine experiences, not just shallow appearances
Want to touch things I don't feel
Wanting to have deeper sensations and emotions
Want to hold on and feel I belong
Longing to have that sense of belonging and purpose
And how can the world want me to change
The world often expects me to conform, but that's not who I am
They're the ones that stay the same
Others cling to their own ways and refuse to accept diversity
But I'm still here
Despite everything, I'm still present and resilient
And you see the things they never see
There are sides of me that others refuse to acknowledge
All you wanted I could be
Others have expectations and desires for me that I can never fulfill
Now you know me
Only after seeing my true self can you truly know me
And I'm not afraid
I've come to accept myself and embrace who I am
And I want to tell you who I am
I want to share my identity on my own terms
Can you help me be a man
I'm still struggling to find my own identity
They can't break me
Despite all their efforts, I refuse to be broken
As long as I know who I am
As long as I remain true to myself, I will remain strong
They can't tell me who to be
No one has the power to dictate who I should be
'Cause I'm not what they see
Others have preconceived notions and misconceptions about me
Yeah the world is still sleeping while I keep on dreaming for me
The world remains ignorant and indifferent while I keep fighting for my own future
And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe
I refuse to believe the lies and deceitful words of others who do not know me
And how can you say I'll never change
No one can predict or control my personal growth and evolution
I'm the one now
I'm in control of my own identity and future
'Cause I'm still here
Despite all odds and obstacles, I am still present and persevering
I'm the one
I am the one in charge of my own destiny
I'm still here
I'm still here, alive and fighting for my true self
I'm still here
I will remain present and true to myself no matter what
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: John Rzeznik
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@IamARobot7
I love this movie. Its so good.
@AAAstudioz
You killed this!
12 Years Later/Silver Surfer, To The Spaceport, Silver Leaves, The Launch 🤩, Jim Saves The Crew whole suite was sweet
@lostmoviemusic1289
Glad you enjoyed it. ive played it liike 20 times in my truck with my new kicker speakers, im obsessed with it. one of my favorites. if you ever want something else done, let me know.
@AAAstudioz
@Lost Movie Music would you do a suite for Dinosaur also by JNH? Again you killed this one, amazing transitions, not a second wasted
@lostmoviemusic1289
@AAAstudioz I can try. That will be a real challenge
@AAAstudioz
@Lost Movie Music would be great to hear it with Aladar Meets the Herd, Disney was on something else for cutting that from the album release
@lostmoviemusic1289
@AAAstudioz I hope you like it long, its pushing about 12 minutes. probably one of the hardest ones ive ever done.
@blitzy7961
Love it
@manucrack9419
No Wayne, the 2nd Best suite i hear