"St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" is a song by British singer John Parr from the 1985 film St. Elmo's Fire. It hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart on 7 September 1985, remaining there for two weeks. It was the main theme for Joel Schumacher's film, and first single from the soundtrack. The song was created and edited within 24 hours.
The song also peaked at number six in the United Kingdom, Parr's home country, and became a number-one hit for John Parr around the world and provided many awards and a Grammy nomination.
David Foster and John Parr were contracted to write a song for the film, but Parr struggled with inspiration for the lyrics. Foster showed Parr a news clip about the Canadian athlete Rick Hansen, who at the time was going around the world in his wheelchair to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries. His journey was called the "Man in Motion Tour." Parr decided to help the campaign by writing words that would fit vaguely with the film, but which directly referenced Hansen's efforts.
The song did not initially feature on Parr's studio albums, only appearing on the London Records re-release of his self-titled debut album in the United Kingdom. It also appeared on a very rare 1985 West German CD re-release of the album, which has since been deleted and is therefore unavailable.
Members of the bands Toto, REO Speedwagon and Mr. Mister appear on the recording.
Last Updated: June 12, 2021
