Ryan Seacrest: (Introduction - one on one on the stools with Elliott) Love songs tonight. The Yaminians are cheering 'cause Elliott is sitting here with me on the stool.
Elliott: (Pumping his fist) Yaminians! (Cheers)
Ryan Seacrest: (Leans across and puts his hand on Elliott's shoulder) Now, you're pumped up for tonight. You feel pretty good about this don't you?
Elliott: I feel great, yeah. I do.
Ryan Seacrest: What are you gonna sing?
Elliott: I'm gonna sing A Song For You by Donny Hathaway.
Ryan Seacrest: Why that one?
Elliott: (Takes a deep breath) Man! Ahm, I've been waiting my whole life to sing this song on the stage like this and ah, it's kind of like a good luck charm. It's the first song that I sang to really get my foot in the door of American Idol. It's the first song I sang during my audition. I sang it for the Executive Producer round and now ah, enough time has elapsed throughout this competition to... to bring it to this big stage and... so I'm pumped... (turns and looks toward the band) and I also want to... to honor Donny Hathaway's music and help bring it back to the forefront and ah... (Applause) ...as a matter of fact one of our background singers Kenya... one of our lovely background singers Kenya is one of his daughters as a matter of fact.
Ryan Seacrest: (Places his hand on Elliott's shoulder) Well!
Elliott: So er... a little tidbit you may not know.
Ryan Seacrest: (Leans toward Elliott) A little bit of pressure for you then Elliott!
Elliott: (Laughs) No pressure at all. I'm feelin' great, I'm ready to do it.
Ryan Seacrest: Alright, let's see how it went with David and Andrea. Take a look at this...
Intro clip... Elliott: (To camera) I'm singing "A Song For You" by Donny Hathaway. Ah, it's one of my favorite songs of all time.
Elliott: (Rehearsing with Andrea and David) ¯ I've been so many places ¯ In my life and time ¯
Andrea: I... I'm sure that he knows the song very, very well. Probably he performed this song often.
Elliott: (Rehearsing) ¯ Remember when we were together ¯
David: It's always dangerous to do a song by an artist like Donny Hathaway that's so stylized.
David: (On piano) Right... take it from there...
Elliott: ¯ Remember when we were together ¯
David: (To Elliott) You've gotta like 'deliver', if you just do that it ain't gonna work.
Elliott: When he first wanted to implement the change that he wanted to make to it, ahm, I wasn't really gettin' it at first and so I took a few tries, a few takes.
Elliott: ¯ Remember, remember when we were together ¯
David: (Stops playing piano) Well, I don't know if you need to go "remember, remember, remember" (Bangs a chord)
Elliott: ¯ Remember when we were together ¯
David: Whoa! What's that? No. That's not gonna get anybody excited.
Elliott: ¯ Remember!...when we were together ¯
David: (Stands up) Yes!
Elliott: For him to be able to implement that in a song that I'm singing, it was just like "wow!".
David: He used a lot of Donny's licks, that's why I was tryin' to get him to like go off the Donny licks and create his own lick there at that moment. Um, but he really, really sings well.
Elliott sings...
¯ I've been so many places in my life and time ¯ I've sung a lot of songs and I've made some bad rhyme ¯ I've acted out my life on stages ¯ With ten thousand people watching ¯ But we're alone now and I'm singing this song to you ¯ You taught me precious secrets of a true love witholding nothing ¯ You came out in front when I was hiding ¯ But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together ¯ Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding ¯ Said I love you in a place where there's no space or time ¯ Said I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine ¯ And when my life is over ¯ Remember when we were together ¯ We were alone ¯ I was singing this song to you ¯ We were alone ¯ And I was singing this song to you ¯ Singing this song to you ¯
(Cheers and applause)
Randy Jackson: Whoa baby. Elliott! So check it out dawg! Elliott, so check it out man. I hated... (Some audience screams)... check it out... did not like the arrangement. The arrangement was way too confusing, way too much... (Raises his arm up) but! ... I love you! You are dope. Dude the arrangement was just overshadowing the vocals. Donny is dope. You can sing it like the record any time, 'cause you got it like that. You were 'da bomb' tonight. (Cheers)
Elliott: Thank you.
Paula Abdul: (Tearful) You move me. You celebrate what this competition's all about and you know I spent the day yesterday watching the tapes of when you... when everyone first started and... (Seems like she's about to cry) ...you've moved me from the beginning. But you are this handsome, evolved performer that isn't... it's... you are an American Idol. You are. You have a beautiful, beautiful... (Drowned out by cheers).
Randy Jackson: Simon... Simon Cowell? Simon Cowell, please?
Simon Cowell: (Red faced, but grinning) Ahm!
Randy Jackson: Why are you laughing Simon?
Simon Cowell: I'm not laughing. Ahm, okay. Seven weeks ago I said that in my opinion you are one of the best male vocalists we've ever had. Tonight, in parts, that was like a vocal masterclass. It was superb. (Cheers)
Elliott: Okay. (Nods and smiles) Thank you very much. I've been waiting a long time for that (Laughs)
Ryan Seacrest: (Draws a rollercoaster in the air) It is an emotional roller coaster ladies and gentlemen.
Paula Abdul: (Dries her eyes)
Elliott: I've been waiting a long time to hear that word.
Ryan Seacrest: Well that's great news. An... an... look, I mean Paula, she's tearing up. She's like you! (Shot of Paula smiling) She's like McPhee, Mr McPhee right now.
Elliott: (Laughs)
Ryan Seacrest: (Gives out the voting numbers) Just so you know, Paula's still crying. Simon's just punched. Randy doesn't know what to do.
(Shot of Paula standing up to Simon)