LI Sound: LI war correspondent Marie Colvin inspires Annie Lennox's new song
Marie Colvin, left, of The Sunday Times, at a 2010 service at St. Bride's Church in London. The late journalist inspired Annie Lennox, right, to write her first original song in eight years. Credit: Composite photo; Getty Images/ WPA Pool / Arthur Edwards, left, Getty Images for Global Citizen / Theo Wargo
Marie Colvin, the late war correspondent who grew up in East Norwich and graduated from Oyster Bay High School, continues to inspire, even after her death while reporting in Syria in 2012.
Her story, as told in the new Rosamund Pike film “A Private War,” inspired Annie Lennox to release her first new original song in eight years, “Requiem for A Private War” (Music Film/Varese Sarabande). It also received a Golden Globe nomination this week for Best Original Song.
“What really drew me was Marie, and knowing that I’d been asked to write a song,” Lennox says in the song’s music video. “It’s an honor to be part of this project.”
And Lennox does her best to honor Colvin’s memory with a gorgeous, haunting ballad that balances her questioning nature with her defiance. The song opens with a question: “Why do these cold stars burn bright?”
But Lennox moves quickly to a challenge. “Bring it on,” she promises, with the quiet strength that has marked her vocals since her Eurythmics days. “Nothing will stop me.”
It’s no wonder “Requiem for A Private War” is already on many Oscar shortlists in the Best Original Song category. Sure, it will face plenty of competition from Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s “Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” and Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “All the Stars” from “Black Panther,” as well as Dolly Parton’s “Girl in the Movies” from “Dumplin’” and songs from the upcoming “Mary Poppins Returns.”
Of course, Colvin never feared an uphill battle.
Carey chartwatch
Good news: Mariah Carey’s latest album “Caution” (Butterfly/Epic) debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard charts last week.
Bad news: That’s the lowest start for an album from the Greenlawn native since the “Glitter” soundtrack’s No. 7 debut in 2001. (In the middle of the “Caution” release blitz, Carey fans banded together to push “Glitter” to No. 1 on iTunes for a day, as part of the #JusticeForGlitter social media campaign.)
Good news: Carey’s annual holiday hold on the charts has begun again, with the perennial hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” arriving at No. 29 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart last week. It’s expected to top the Holiday singles charts again this season, a chart where the song has already been No. 1 for 30 weeks over the years.
Bad news: That’s a stronger chart showing than any of the current singles from “Caution.”
Contact The Long Island Sound at glenn.gamboa@newsday.com or follow @ndmusic on Twitter.
