You Must Love Me
Encyclopedia
"You Must Love Me" is a pop
ballad
recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna
from the soundtrack album Evita
of the motion picture of the same name
. It was released in October 1996 by Warner Bros.
as the first single from the album. Written by Tim Rice
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
, the song won an Academy Award
for Best Original Song
in 1997. It was seen by critics as her "new adult, matriarchal image".
Featuring a simple, elegantly arranged melody, the single sold roughly 1.5 million copies worldwide, and entered the top twenty in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The music video
shows her while being eight months pregnant with her first child, and scenes from the film Evita, for which she received a Golden Globe Award
for best actress in a musical.
and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber
after eleven years of not working together on any new songs. It was written specifically for the film (the director Alan Parker
requested a rewrite of parts of the final scenes of the score) and was included in the stage production for the first time when the musical was staged in Iceland in 1997 and subsequently in many other productions, including the English language revival in June 2006 at London
's Adelphi Theatre
.
The song speaks on two levels: First, the literal level of Eva Perón
's discovery that her husband Juan Perón
has actually loved her all along and not merely seen her as a political prop. Second, in a more political level, as Eva Peron talking to her people, notably represented in the musical by the character of Che. The B-side
to the single was "Rainbow High".
Brooke White
covered this song on the seventh season
of American Idol
, during Andrew Lloyd Webber
week. She marked Idol history that night when she stopped after the first verse in the song to restart because she forgot the lyrics.
for Best Original Song
. Madonna also performed the song at the awards. The song also won a Golden Globe Award as Best Original Song. Kathleen Guerdo from Billboard
said that "[Madonna] delivers what is by far one of the strongest vocal performances of her career, comfortably scaling to the song's demanding soprano heights while infusing it with delicate, heart-rending emotion. This bodes well for the creative potency of the rest of the soundtrack, which is due Nov. 14. Prepare for wall-to-wall airplay of this flawless ballad on pop and AC radio."
" stalled at number eleven. It also became a hit in US, reaching number eighteen, and was certified gold by the RIAA on on October 22, 1998. It was released and was immediately embraced by U.S. radio.
In Germany, it was her worst peaking song, only reaching #78.
for "You Must Love Me" on August 31, 1996 at Culver Studios
in Culver City, California
while she was eight months pregnant with her daughter Lourdes. The video was produced and directed by Alan Parker
, also the director of Evita
. The video includes footage from the film Evita
, and shows Madonna singing the song in a small room. She stands behind an acoustic piano
to hide her pregnancy, and her pianist and cellist are also in the video. There are no Madonna-related DVDs that included this music video.
.
Madonna performed the song on a world tour for the first time in 2008 on the Sticky and Sweet Tour, marking one of the only acoustic, down-tempo moment in the entire show, which was dance intensive (the other down-tempo song of the tour being "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
").
EU CD Single
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
ballad
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
recorded by American singer-songwriter Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
from the soundtrack album Evita
Evita (soundtrack)
Evita is the third soundtrack album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on November 12, 1996 by Warner Bros. Records. It also includes performances by Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce and Jimmy Nail. It was released to promote and accompany the 1996 motion picture, Evita. The soundtrack...
of the motion picture of the same name
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
. It was released in October 1996 by Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
as the first single from the album. Written by Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, the song won an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
in 1997. It was seen by critics as her "new adult, matriarchal image".
Featuring a simple, elegantly arranged melody, the single sold roughly 1.5 million copies worldwide, and entered the top twenty in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. The music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
shows her while being eight months pregnant with her first child, and scenes from the film Evita, for which she received a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
for best actress in a musical.
Background
The track is the only song recorded for the movie that did not originate in one form or another from the original stage version of the musical. The song reunited lyricist Tim RiceTim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
after eleven years of not working together on any new songs. It was written specifically for the film (the director Alan Parker
Alan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
requested a rewrite of parts of the final scenes of the score) and was included in the stage production for the first time when the musical was staged in Iceland in 1997 and subsequently in many other productions, including the English language revival in June 2006 at London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Adelphi Theatre
Adelphi Theatre
The Adelphi Theatre is a 1500-seat West End theatre, located on the Strand in the City of Westminster. The present building is the fourth on the site. The theatre has specialised in comedy and musical theatre, and today it is a receiving house for a variety of productions, including many musicals...
.
The song speaks on two levels: First, the literal level of Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
's discovery that her husband Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
has actually loved her all along and not merely seen her as a political prop. Second, in a more political level, as Eva Peron talking to her people, notably represented in the musical by the character of Che. The B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to the single was "Rainbow High".
Brooke White
Brooke White
Brooke Elizabeth White is an American indie pop/folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress from Mesa, Arizona who was the fifth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2005, White released her first studio album, called Songs from the Attic.White's first post-Idol album High Hopes &...
covered this song on the seventh season
American Idol (season 7)
The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, during Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
week. She marked Idol history that night when she stopped after the first verse in the song to restart because she forgot the lyrics.
Critical
The song won the 1996 Academy AwardAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
. Madonna also performed the song at the awards. The song also won a Golden Globe Award as Best Original Song. Kathleen Guerdo from Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
said that "[Madonna] delivers what is by far one of the strongest vocal performances of her career, comfortably scaling to the song's demanding soprano heights while infusing it with delicate, heart-rending emotion. This bodes well for the creative potency of the rest of the soundtrack, which is due Nov. 14. Prepare for wall-to-wall airplay of this flawless ballad on pop and AC radio."
Commercial
The song returned Madonna to the UK top ten, at number ten (selling 90,428 copies), and it was the beginning of an eight year run of consecutive UK top ten hits until the end of 2003 when "Love ProfusionLove Profusion
"Love Profusion" is the fourth and final single by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her 2003 studio album American Life. It was released by Maverick Records on December 8, 2003 in the UK, Europe and Australia and in North America on March 16, 2004. The song failed to match the chart success...
" stalled at number eleven. It also became a hit in US, reaching number eighteen, and was certified gold by the RIAA on on October 22, 1998. It was released and was immediately embraced by U.S. radio.
In Germany, it was her worst peaking song, only reaching #78.
Music video
Madonna filmed the music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for "You Must Love Me" on August 31, 1996 at Culver Studios
Culver Studios
The Culver Studios is a historic Colonial-styled movie studio located at 9336 W. Washington Blvd., in Culver City, California. It was the site of filming for Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane and other classics from Hollywood’s Golden Age...
in Culver City, California
Culver City, California
Culver City is a city in western Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 38,883, up from 38,816 at the 2000 census. It is mostly surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, but also shares a border with unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Culver...
while she was eight months pregnant with her daughter Lourdes. The video was produced and directed by Alan Parker
Alan Parker
Sir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
, also the director of Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
. The video includes footage from the film Evita
Evita (film)
Evita is the 1996 film adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical of the same name based on the life of Eva Perón. It was directed by Alan Parker and written by Parker and Oliver Stone. It starred Madonna, Antonio Banderas, and Jonathan Pryce...
, and shows Madonna singing the song in a small room. She stands behind an acoustic piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
to hide her pregnancy, and her pianist and cellist are also in the video. There are no Madonna-related DVDs that included this music video.
- Director: Alan ParkerAlan ParkerSir Alan William Parker, CBE is an English film director, producer, writer and actor. He has been active in both the British cinema and American cinema and was a founding member of the Directors Guild of Great Britain.-Life and career:...
- Producer: Alan Parker
- Director of Photography: Darius KhondjiDarius KhondjiDarius Khondji A.S.C. is an Iranian-French cinematographer. He has worked with such well-known directors as Jean-Pierre Jeunet, David Fincher, Bernardo Bertolucci, Alan Parker, Roman Polanski, Sydney Pollack, Woody Allen, and Wong Kar-wai.-Biography:...
- Editor: Gerry HamblingGerry HamblingGerry Hambling is a British film editor whose work is credited on 49 films; he has also worked as a sound editor and a television editor...
- Production Company: First Avenue Films
Live performances
On March 27, 1997, Madonna performed the song at the 69th Academy Awards69th Academy Awards
The 69th Academy Awards were dominated by movies produced by independent studios, financed outside of mainstream Hollywood, leading to 1996 being dubbed "The Year of the Independents". All but one of the nominees for Best Picture were low-budget independent movies The 69th Academy Awards were...
.
Madonna performed the song on a world tour for the first time in 2008 on the Sticky and Sweet Tour, marking one of the only acoustic, down-tempo moment in the entire show, which was dance intensive (the other down-tempo song of the tour being "Devil Wouldn't Recognize You
Hard Candy (Madonna album)
Hard Candy is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Madonna, released on April 19, 2008, by Warner Bros. Records. It was her final studio album with the record company, marking the end of a 25 year recording history. Madonna started working on the album in 2007, and collaborated...
").
Formats and tracklisting
US CD / 7" Single- "You Must Love Me" (Single Version) - 3:09
- "Rainbow High" - 2:27
EU CD Single
- "You Must Love Me" (Single Version) - 3:09
- "Rainbow High" - 2:27
- "You Must Love Me" (Orchestral Version) - 4:27
Official versions
This song was not remixed officially. A few unofficial remixes have been made but not released and they are not of any professional standards. A few versions of the song were made for the single release. The single version has an instrumental intro, whilst the album version begins acappella.- Album Version (2:50)
- Single Version (3:03)
- Orchestral Version (4:27)
- Radio Edit (2:22)
Credits and personnel
- Vocals by Madonna
- Written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Produced by Nigel Wright, Alan Parker, Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Caddick
Peak positions
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Singles Chart |
11 |
| Belgian Wallonie Ultratop 40 Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
50 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 11 |
| Finnish Singles Chart | 4 |
| French SNEP Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... Singles Chart |
41 |
| Italian FIMI Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 49 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
43 |
| Tokio Hot 100 | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
10 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
18 |
| US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
15 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1997) | Position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 99 |