Come What May

A song written exclusively for Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge by David Baerwald, the acclaimed artist behind films like The Crossing Guard and Sheryl Crow’s debut Tuesday Night Music Club, Come What May is what I consider to be the centerpiece of the film. In the movie it is laid out as the secret song that Satine and Christian can sing to each other when their love seems doomed. It is also a part of the grand finale of their play Spectacular, Spectacular known in this case not too subtlety as "The Lover Secret Song".

On the soundtrack, the English version at least, it is track number eleven of sixteen with it placed just before the dark and dramatic "El Tango de Roxanne".

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Credits (as listed on the CD liner notes)

Performed by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
Produced by David Foster for Chartmaker Inc.,
Courtesy of Warner Music Group and Simon Franglen for Native, Inc.
Orchestral Production by Craig Armstrong
Additional Vocals Produced by Marius DeVries
Engineered by Geoff Foster, Simon Franglen, Felipe Elgueta and David Reitzas
Mixed by Humberto Gatica
Written by David Baerwald
Published by Almo Music Corp./Pale Rider, Inc./T C F Music Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)

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The lyrics reporduced here are as sung in the film. On the soundtrack the it is sung entirely by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor with no interludes by the rest of the cast.

Satine:

We have to end it. Everyone knows. Harold knows, and sooner or later the Duke will find out too. On opening night I have to sleep with the Duke, and the jealousy will drive you mad... Christian
Christian:

Then I'll write a song, and we'll put it in the show, and no matter what happens no matter how bad things get, whenever you hear it and sing it or whistle it or hum it, you'll know that is means we love each other. I won't get jealous.
Satine:

Thing's don't work like that. We have to end it.
Christian (as he breaks into song):

Never knew I could feel like this

Like I've never seen

The sky before

Want to vanish inside your kiss
Christian (as the scene changes to the set of Sepctacular, Spectacular he gives directions to the cast):

Now this new scene is where the penniless sitar player writes a song for the courtesan so that no matter how bad things are, whatever happens. They remember their love. Now let's take it from you line, Satine...
Christian:

Seasons may change

Winter to spring
Satine (as Courtesan):

We must be careful
The Narcoleptic Argentinean (as Penniless Sitar Player):

Do not fear, we will conduct our affair right under the Maharaja's...
Christian:

But I love you

'Till the end of time
Zidler (Speaking):

This is getting ridiculous, Amigo.
Christian:

Come what may

Come what may

I will love you until my dying day
Satine and Christian:

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Duke (Speaking):

My dear, a little frog!
Satine and Christian:

Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace

Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste

It all revolves around you

And there's no mountain to high

No river to wide

Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side

Storm clouds may gather

And stars may collide
Christian:

But I love you
Satine:

I love you
Satine and Christian:

'Till the end of time

Come what may

Come what may

I will love you
Christian (giving directions):

The magical sitar falls from the roof and says, "the greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."
Nini (As the two sing she whisper’s into the Duke’s ear):

This ending is silly. Why would the courtesan go for the penniless writer? Whoops, I mean sitar player.
Satine , Christian , and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

Come what may
Satine and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

I will love you
Satine, Christian and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

Come what may
Satine and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

Yes I will love you
Satine, Christian and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

Come what may
Satine and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

I will love you
Satine, Christian , and the Narcoleptic Argentinean:

Until my dying day
Duke (As they wait for his reaction):

I don't like this ending.

And in case all of that was a bit too much for those of you who still haven't had the chance to see this wonderful little film I have sourced the lyrics as performed on the soundtrack...

Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
I want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I'm loving you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sings
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
It all revolves around you
And there's no mountain too high
No river too wide
Sing out this song I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather
And stars may collide
But I love you until the end of time

Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Oh, come what may, come what may
I will love you, I will love you
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

Come what may
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day

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Every time I hear this song, the first notes alone are enough to knock me down. The lyrics are totally over the top and maybe a bit corny but the despite this, in the film it worked wonderfully and as a stand alone song it manages to keep the sense of pure worship and devotion to the other person that made the film so powerful. It brings back a joy to the world that is so hard to capture at 7.00am on grey English morning and more than anything it also makes me pine for the perfect, pure and overwhelming love Baz Luhrmann so masterfully created in Moulin Rouge.

The "love theme" from Moulin Rouge. Sung by Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. It is the song Christian wrote for their play, Spectacular Spectacular, which the secret lovers would sing to remind each other of their love. But of course he and Satine are also the secret lovers, so they use it too. She sings the refrain when she sees him through the window of the Duke's tower, and when he breaks into the theater, pays her for "pretending" to love him, and starts to leave, she sings it again (with prompting by Toulouse's line, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return").

This leads into the original ending of the play even though Duke had declared it should be changed. The cast sings about the triumph of Bohemian ideals while Duke's thug tries to get his gun back and kill Christian. But when he gets it, the prostitute Nini, who'd been causing trouble all along out of envy for Satine, kicks it out of his hand. It lands where Duke can get it, but before he can use it, Zidler decks him, and the gun goes flying out the window and bounces off the Eiffel Tower. For just a moment, there is a happy ending.

This is the version on the American soundtrack (which has only 15 tracks):

Christian:
Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I love you more and more

Listen to my heart, can't you hear it sing
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you till the end of time

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day

Satine:
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace
Together:
Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste
Satine:
It all revolves around you

Together:
And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide
Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side
Storm clouds may gather, storms may collide
Christian, with Satine echoing:
But I love you till the end of time

Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day
Oh come what may, come what may
I will love you

Satine:
I will love you
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place

Together:
Come what may, come what may
I will love you until my dying day