For the fifth time, U2 has been nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song for “Ordinary Love” from Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. Others in the category are Coldplay for “Atlas” from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Robert Lopez for “Let It Go” from Frozen, Justin Timberlake for “Please Mr. Kennedy” from Inside Llewyn Davis and Taylor Swift for “Sweeter Than Fiction” from One Chance. Winners will be announced on January 12, 2014.

U2 have had four other Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song. In 1994 “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)” from Wim Wenders’ Faraway, So Close! was nominated, but lost to Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia”. In 1996 “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” from Batman Forever was nominated, but lost to “Colors of the Wind” by Vanessa Williams. In 2003, U2 won the Golden Globe for “The Hands That Built America” from Gangs of New York. In 2010 their song “Winter” from Brothers was nominated but lost to “The Weary Kind” by Ryan Bingham for Crazy Heart. 

U2 have also been nominated for an Academy Award, but just one. In 2003, Golden Globe winner “The Hands That Built America” lost the Oscar to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” from 8 Mile. U2 is favored to once again be nominated for an Oscar for “Ordinary Love.”

On the heels of their Golden Globe nomination, U2 released a new version of “Ordinary Love.” It is a remix by Paul Epworth, about 11 seconds longer than the original soundtrack version. It is available for free on soundcloud. This weekend U2 posted the following on their website:

Bono was in South Africa this week, to join those paying tribute to Nelson Mandela at Tuesday’s memorial service.

‘In Ireland,’ he says, ‘A wake is never without humour but it’s fair to say we lean heavily on the melancholy… one thing I love about Africa is they accompany the departed with dancing, lots of it, and music full of joy.’

On Thursday, ‘Ordinary Love’, the song the band wrote forMandela:Long Walk To Freedom, was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and today the band wanted to share Paul Epworth’s new version.

‘We think Paul Epworth’s mix is a very soulful, uplifting one and we hope our audience will agree,’ says Bono. ‘Nelson Mandela’s life and times meant more to me than I can ever tell you, I would need a hundred songs to do that…but this complicated little love song to Winnie and South Africa is the one that landed on our lap.

‘I want to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press for believing in us and the film. This is truly a great honour.’

We’ve just posted the new version of ‘Ordinary Love’ to SoundCloud – the band wanted you to hear it first.

best wishes

The U2.com Team

I have to admit at first, I did not fall in love with “Ordinary Love.” I wrote it didn’t ‘touch my soul,’ but since then it has really grown on me. I am not sure if it is just because it is the only new U2 we have had in a while or it is because I truly like it. I know one thing for sure, I truly love the line “Your heart is on my sleeve, did you put it there with a magic marker.” The only problem is I keep calling it “Ordinary World’ – as in Duran Duran;s song, album and tour from 1993. 

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