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Songs that broke the mould when it came to Oscar winners in the Original Song Category.

6 Unusual Oscar Winning Songs

The Academy Awards are generally traditionalist in their approach. However these six songs tell another story. The composers of these numbers might not have worked on the superhit Broadway musicals, or been part of the privileged Big-Studio-Boy’s-Club, or been country music/rockabilly super stars known to be the safest bet among orginal song contenders for the Oscars. They might not be your Alek Menkel with the seamless Disney musicals, or Oscar Hammerstein or a Jay Livingston- Ray Evans. So here’s a list of songs and song composers who broke the regular mould and surprised everybody with a win.

Moon River – Henry Mancini

The man behind the jazz based Pink Panther theme also composed this Audrey Hepburn ballad from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Story goes that after a very successful screening in San Francisco, when a Paramount executive suggested deleting the song, Mancini reports Audrey coming up in rage and saying, “Over my dead body” or colourful words to that effect. Audrey could not have chosen a better song to back, we say.

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Do Not Forsake Me O My Darling – Dimitri Tiomkin

Coming from Fred Zinneman’s standout Western which swept the Academy Awards in several categories, this haunting song fitted the stark countryside expecting a raid from an ‘outlaw’ in the storyline like nothing else. Russian composer and conductor Dimitri Tiomkin composed the song, and released it as a single when the film bombed at the box office. The single was a resounding hit however, and based on its success, the film was released again to be a success, getting seven Oscar nominations to boot.

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It’s Hard Out there for a Pimp – Hustle and Flow

Hustle and Flow’s rap mesmerised the genteel crowd enough to get the Oscars, and deliver a fresh Oscar speech stripped down to pure honesty.

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Last Dance – Paul Jabara

The creator behind the song, It’s Raining Men also came up with this revved-up foot tapping number, which shifts with ease between synth pop and R n B overtones. Paul Jabara, known for his disco albums, was a sure shot deviation from the regular winners for best song, but then at 1978, perhaps it was a sign of the times.

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I’m Easy – Keith Karradine

He grew up attending Shakespeare rehearsals of his actor father, and launched his acting career with a Broadway production of Hair. Recently seen as FBI agent Frank Lundy in Dexter, Keith Karradine’s defining moment came with the Academy Winning song I’m Easy, written as well as composed by him.

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Jai Ho – A R Rahman

While Rahman has been known for better tracks, it was a proud moment for India as a song with Gulzar’s lyrics and Rahman’s tune won us our first Oscar for an original composition.

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