At the age of six, Jones already had decided to become a film composer. In 1967 he attended the Royal Academy of Music in London with a scholarship and afterwards worked for five years for the BBC on reviews of radio and television music. In 1974 Jones attended the University of York from which he graduated with a master's degree in Film and Media Music. At the National Film and Television School Jones studied for three years on general film-making and film and sound techniques. During this time he wrote the music for twenty-two student projects. In 1981 Jones wrote the score for the Academy Award-winning short movie The Dollar Bottom and for the short Black Angel.
Jones was soon after brought to the attention of John Boorman, who was in the midst of making his Arthurian epic, Excalibur (1981). Although mostly tracked with classical music by Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, Boorman also needed original dramatic cues (as well as period music) for certain scenes. Given Excalibur's modest budget, a "name" composer was out of the question, so Boorman commissioned the up-and-coming young Jones.
Excalibur brought Jones to the attention of Jim Henson, who was making The Dark Crystal (1982), and looking for a composer who was young and eager to work in the experimental, free-wheeling way which Henson preferred. The resultant score is an expansive, multi-faceted work, featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, augmented by inventive use of Fairlight and Synclavier synthesizers, as well as period instruments like crumhorn, recorder, and the unusual double-flageolet, which Jones came across by chance in a music store.
Jones followed Excalibur with scores for the horror films The Appointment (1981) and The Sender (1982), and the pirate adventure Savage Islands (1983). In 1985 Jones composed one of his best scores, for the acclaimed television production The Last Place on Earth.
Jones reunited with Henson for the 1986 fantasy musical Labyrinth. David Bowie wrote and performed the vocal tracks for this movie, including the hit "Underground", while Jones provided the dramatic score.
Reflecting that his complex, symphonic score for The Dark Crystal garnered little notice, Jones began to re-think his entire approach to dramatic scoring. Around the mid-80s, Jones' work became more electronic-based (much like fellow film composer Maurice Jarre), eschewing identifiable themes in favor of mood-enhancing synth chords and minimalist patterns. While he wrote a somber, chamber orchestra score in 1988 for Dominick and Eugene (which featured classical guitarist John Williams), scores like Angel Heart (1987), Mississippi Burning (1988) and Sea of Love (1989) are more typical of Jones' output during this period.
Jones' return to large-orchestra scoring came with 1990s Arachnophobia, and he provided a light-hearted Georges Delerue-flavoured score for Blame it on the Bellboy in 1992.
Jones' most popular success came later in 1992 with his score for The Last of the Mohicans, and his soaring, passionate music belies the difficulties which afflicted its creation. Director Michael Mann initially asked Jones to provide an electronic score for the film, but late in the game, it was decided an orchestral score would be more appropriate for this historic epic. Jones hurried to re-fashion the score for orchestra in the limited time left, while the constant re-cutting of the film meant music cues sometimes had to be rewritten several times to keep up with the new timings. Finally, with the release date looming, composer Randy Edelman was called in to score some minor scenes which Jones did not have time to do. Jones and Edelman received co-credit on the film (thus making this very popular and acclaimed score ineligible for Oscar consideration). Although all were displeased with the circumstances, Jones was not fired from the film despite reports to the contrary.
Jones became active in television in the 1990s, with orchestral scores for several Hallmark productions, including Gulliver's Travels, Merlin and Cleopatra. He also provided a fun, jazzy, 1930s-style score for Richard III (1995), which features a swing-band setting of Christopher Marlowe's The Passionate Shepherd to His Love. In 1997 Jones worked for the first time with Ridley Scott, providing an electronic/orchestral/rock-flavoured soundtrack for G.I. Jane (1997).
He is married to Victoria Seale and has four children. His South-African born uncle, the actor Norman Florence, together with his aunt Rhoda Florence and his cousin Peter Florence, founded the Hay Festival in 1988, which Jones has attended almost every year since its inception.
Sway
Trevor Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dance with me, make me sway.
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore,
Hold me close, sway me more.
Like a flower bending in the breeze,
Bend with me, sway with ease.
When we dance, you have a way with me;
Other dancers may be on the floor,
But my eyes will see only you.
Only you have that magic technique:
When we sway, I go weak.
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins.
Make me thrill as only you know how:
Sway me smooth, sway me now.
Other dancers may be on the floor,
But my eyes will see only you.
Only you have that magic technique:
When we sway, I go weak.
I can hear the sound of violins
Long before it begins.
Make me thrill as only you know how:
Sway me smooth, sway me now.
Come on, babe
Sway me now.
Sway me smooth
Sway me now, yeah.
Oh-oh, gotta sway me now.
Come on, babe
Come on, babe
Sway, sway
Take me now.
(Sway me.)
The lyrics of Trevor Jones's song "Sway" evoke a feeling of romantic longing and surrender. The first verse compares the experience of dancing with someone to being embraced by the gentle and steady rhythm of the ocean. The persona of the song implores their partner to hold them close and sway them more, as if they are surrendering to the feeling of being lost in the moment. The second verse furthers the metaphor by comparing the dancers to bending flowers in the breeze, as if they are completely in sync with one another. The persona asserts that when they dance together, their partner has a technique that only they possess which makes the persona go weak. The refrain of the song repeats the idea that other dancers may be present, but only the persona's partner has the power to make them feel this way. The song ends with the persona urging their partner to sway them now, as if they cannot wait any longer to feel the magic of their dance.
One interesting fact about "Sway" is that it was originally written and recorded as "¿Quién será?" by Mexican bandleader Pablo Beltrán Ruiz in 1953. It was later translated and adapted into English by Norman Gimbel in 1954. The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Dean Martin, Michael Bublé, and Jennifer Lopez. It was also prominently featured in the 2004 movie "Shall We Dance?" The song has been included in various TV shows, including "Dancing with the Stars," "So You Think You Can Dance," and "Mad Men." In 2019, a remix of the song by DJ Robin Schulz was released and became a hit in various European countries.
The chord progression for "Sway" is relatively simple and follows a standard Latin rhythm. The song begins in the key of C major with a C6 chord, and then moves to the IV chord (F), before resolving to the I chord (C) in the chorus. Throughout the song, the chords move back and forth between the IV and V chords (F and G), creating a sense of harmonic tension and release. The bridge of the song features a ii-V-I progression (Dm-G7-C), which is a common jazz progression that creates a sense of resolution.
Chords: C6, F, G7, Dm-G7-C.
Line by Line Meaning
When marimba rhythms start to play,
As the upbeat sound of marimba begins,
Dance with me, make me sway.
Partner with me in a dance and cause me to move smoothly from side to side.
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore,
Just as the ocean waves gently kiss the shoreline,
Hold me close, sway me more.
Hold me tightly as we dance and make me move effortlessly.
Like a flower bending in the breeze,
Similar to how a tender flower sways with the wind,
Bend with me, sway with ease.
Sway alongside me with grace and without difficulty.
When we dance, you have a way with me;
When we dance together, there's something about you that captivates me.
Stay with me, sway with me.
Remain by my side as we move and sway together in sync.
Other dancers may be on the floor,
While there may be other dancers around us,
But my eyes will see only you.
I can only see you, as your movements are the only ones that matter to me.
Only you have that magic technique:
It's only you who has that special skill for making me sway and feel alive.
When we sway, I go weak.
As we dance and sway, I become completely entranced and vulnerable to your influence.
I can hear the sounds of violins
Even before the song starts,
Long before it begins.
I can already hear the beautiful melody in my mind, waiting to be brought to life.
Make me thrill as only you know how:
Excite me in the way that only you can with your movements and touch.
Sway me smooth, sway me now.
Make me move in a smooth and effortless way, here and now.
Come on, babe
Let's go, my love.
Sway me smooth
Move me in a silky smooth manner.
Sway me now, yeah.
Lets start right away, yes.
Oh-oh, gotta sway me now.
Oh, I really need you to move me now.
Come on, babe
Let's do this, darling.
Come on, babe
Let's begin right now, my love.
Sway, sway
Let's keep moving and swaying.
Take me now.
Lead me in this dance right away.
(Sway me.)
(Move me in this dance.)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Christian Leuzzi, Desmond Child, Storm Lee Gardner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
???????
for those that like to sing along
LYRICS!!!
When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have the magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have the magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
You know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Lord Feder
the scene with Jennifer Connelly singing this song, looking into the camera with her green eyes... that scene is absolutely Divine.
Wiseman
One of my fav movies because of that among other things
???????
for those that like to sing along
LYRICS!!!
When marimba rhythms start to play
Dance with me, make me sway
Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore
Hold me close, sway me more
Like a flower bending in the breeze
Bend with me, sway with ease
When we dance you have a way with me
Stay with me, sway with me
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have the magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Other dancers may be on the floor
Dear, but my eyes will see only you
Only you have the magic technique
When we sway I go weak
I can hear the sounds of violins
Long before it begins
Make me thrill as only you know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
You know how
Sway me smooth, sway me now
Skedarking85
Thank you.
Mac Mcleod
Awesome and underrated film.
Le
One of my favorites!
TimeandMonotony
Very much so!
EraserRain Lantier
My favorite movie. Never gets old for me. Recommend the director's cut personally.
John Smith
Much of the blame falls to how the film was marketed. I gained a lot of respect for Roger Ebert after hearing his take on this masterpiece. I don't usually put any value into mainstream media reviews but I realized this was a guy that knew good cinema when he saw it. It's a very powerful film and one of my favorites. A re-release would be so awesome. The world would appreciate it more now.
CalamityCain
The scene in which Jennifer Connelly performed "Sway" was so strong. She was very wicked, in an attractive, old fashioned, film noir style. Too bad she didn't perform the whole song... *sigh* But Anita Kelsey does an awesome performance as well. I know, the original's by Dean Martin, but I really think this song suits a throaty, yet feminine voice even more. Love it! 5/5* & faved! Thanks for the upload =)