The Rise of Skywalker and of Elton John

Scene	Alex’s Playlist	Sarah’s Playlist
Scrawl/Opening Scene/Kylo Ren meets Palpatine	I’m Your Puppet This one is evident when Palpatine reveals that he has been every voice in Kylo’s head, meaning that everything that Kylo has done has been because of Palpatine. Kylo has been Palpatine’s puppet.	The Bitch is Back Let’s start this movie off with a strong bang! Palpatine is back, Kylo Ren is back and angsty as ever after the turmoil of The Last Jedi. He even resurrects his mask. Both have an agenda to execute and are taking no prisoners.
Rey and Kylo’s vision on Pasaana	Lovesick This should be the moment when Rey sees Kylo for what he is. He is abusive, both emotionally and physically, but she will eventually come around to him by the end of the film. She has never heard too many lies as the song ends.	Tortured This song works so well from both Rey’s and Kylo Ren’s perspectives, though I take it a little more from Rey’s. This song is all about the ties that both bind and cut into them: “Tortured, I’ve been so tortured by you so many times But you always love the ones that hurt you And I guess those are the ties that bind.” “Don’t want you to know that I am crying Although your friends can see I’m dying Slowly from the knife you left in me “
Rey and Kylo play Ship Tug of War and Rey’s Lightning	Billy and the Kids Rey loses control of her emotions and releases her anger in force lightning when she does not mean to. That goes along with the song chorus of “And what came out as anger Oh was a lack of self control” which fits perfectly with Rey. There are also other lines about anger that line up perfectly with the scene.	Billy and the Kids Rey loses control here, unleashing lightning and “kills Chewbacca”. “What came out as anger Oh was a lack of self-control”. The song is up-tempo, which to me works coming out of the previous Pasaana desert scenes and adds to the tension of the tug-of-war. After this outburst, Rey doesn’t trust herself – she believes “I’m a hand that’s raised in anger The blow that causes pain.”
C-3PO’s memory sacrifice and Babu Frick	Children’s Song This one is a bit of a stretch but I enjoy it from the perspective of looking at the long life that C-3PO has led, and we are at a scene where we are made to believe he will be dying. This is taken back later in the movie but the sentimentality remains in the scene of enjoy life while you can because you never know when it will disappear.	Friends Originally written for the movie Friends, this was also released as a charting single. C-3PO is doing this sacrifice for his friends in this sentimental song about the fleeting nature of time and focusing on what’s really important. 3PO also makes new friends with Babu Frick! Gotta love a double meaning. “It seems to me a crime that we should age. These fragile times should never slip us by. A time you never can or shall erase….With a friend at hand you will see the light If your friends are there then everything’s all right”
Rey is revealing as a Palpatine and her relationship with Kylo Ren	I’ve Seen that Movie Too I chose this song because it was all leading to this. Lucasfilm decided to take the ‘safe’ route and make Rey a Palpatine which explains all of her powers and anger. This is the movie that everyone has seen before, with nothing new or interesting added to the narrative.	Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word Rey is discovering things about herself she doesn’t like, (“what do I do when lightning strikes me?”), and she and Kylo are at war. It’s a sad, sad situation. I think in a way Ben wants to say sorry. Sorry that Rey is part of the fight, for the way he treated her, for what’s about to come. He knows all about bloodlines and the lofty expectations. He also knows what Palpatine wants to do. Ben is still reaching out to Rey, wanting to join forces. (“What have I gotta do to make you love me? What have I gotta do to make you care?”) If nothing else, Rey is sorry to hear about her lineage, confirming that these dark thoughts and anger have biological backing. A little tongue in cheek, this point the movie is where things start “getting more and more absurd” 😛. To me, Rey Palpatine is a slap in the face to the groundwork laid out in The Last Jedi about who Rey is.
Rey and Kylo Ren’s Fight on the Death Star Wreckage	This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore Rey kills Kylo in the most backhanded and Dark-Side way possible, showing her love for him has disappeared. Leia gives up her life for Ben meaning she is no longer around, and Ben has to grapple with his own inner demons to come back to the light. If that doesn’t sum up this song of bitterness and regret, I don’t know what will.	Healing Hands I take this song largely from Kylo Ren’s point of view. The fight on the Death Star is his moment of realization. He turns to the light with the help of both Leia and Rey. “There’s a light, where the darkness ends. Touch me now and let me see again. Rock me now in your gentle healing hands.” Also, he’d be dead without Rey’s healing hands after she stabs him.
Ben and Rey Team Up	Freaks in Love Again, this team-up doesn’t make much sense as they have not built this relationship up at all in the film, so they are just both being weird freaks. They also have amazing Force powers that we have never seen before and they are crazy powerful, giving more emphasis on them being freaks.	Big Man in a Little Suit Another song from Ben’s perspective, this time about his redemption and teaming up with Rey. He turns from the Dark and wants a new life. “I’m not the man I was, I guess the dark side lost and the sun broke through. I thought I knew it all, I was the next big thing until I thought about you. When you think you can make it on you own, You think you’re bulletproof But what you really are Is a big man in a little suit” The lyrics also slightly foreshadow Rey carrying on the Skywalker name (which I know The Rocketman would sneak into his work) – “But what you really are Is a big man in a little suit, [the name] It’s tight on me, hot on you”.
Sky Battle with Resistance	The Bitch is Back Palpatine is back at full now and lights the sky with lightning. How he is able to pick out the Rebel ships and not his own is beyond me – but he is the Bitch that is back. He also is just evil and loving it.	If There’s a God in Heaven (What is He Waiting for?) The Resistance is struggling to get ahead, taking a stride forward only to have to take two steps back. They are hoping and praying for reinforcements, but they look like they are not coming. A lot of Resistance fighters are killed while waiting for the Galaxy to arrive. “There’s so many big men. They’re out making millions. When poverty’s profits Just blame the children…If He can’t hear the children Then he must see the war…. Dying for causes they don’t understand. We’ve been taking their futures right out of their hands”
Ben Solo’s Death	There’s No Tomorrow Rey dies fighting Palpatine as if there is no tomorrow. Ben sacrifices his own life to bring back Rey. There is no tomorrow for Ben and also Palpatine, unless he comes back again.	One More Arrow This song summarizes Ben’s struggles so well and highlights what he wished could have been but was not realized – adventure, connection, and peace. It is slow and sentimental with Elton singing in falsetto for about half the song. Alma Patterson explains the meaning of this song so well, I’m linking and sharing that song review/analysis. https://oldtimemusic.com/w2/the-meaning-behind-the-song-one-more-arrow-by-elton-john/
End Celebration	Good Morning Freedom The Galaxy is ridden of Palpatine, The First Order, and the New Empire. They are finally free. They can now sing Good Morning Freedom because the evil Dark Side is dead. For now.	Solar Prestige A Gammon Sir Elton John has been on the record saying this is one of the worst songs he has written. Bernie Taupin strung together nonsense words and phrases, which Elton put to music. He sings it in a mocking operatic style, adding to the ridiculousness. This pop song is fit for a celebration and is a fitting ending track for a movie that just doesn’t make sense by the end.