Brian's Flingo on Disney Songs
So this is a day late, but my computer's slow, and so I struggled to find all of the clips I wanted.
But that said, I give you: My top ten childhood disney songs. These aren't necessarily the best songs they've ever had, or even all of my current favorites, but these are the ones I think about when I think about laying in the living room and popping in a Disney VHS. These are the ones I think about, and instantly get that little bounce in my step.
In a pretty much random order: My Top Ten Childhood Disney Songs
The Lion King - Be Prepared
This one always stuck out. Lion King is my favorite animated movie, and this is my favorite song. God, Scar was terrifying, and I just loved the back and forth between him and the hyenas. Jeremy Irons lends one of the great voices, making you shake in your seat. And now, in my old age, I can really appreciate the borrowed Nazi imagery in the animation. No wonder it was so scary.
Alice in Wonderland - The Unbirthday Song
Who doesn't know The Unbirthday Song? I feel like this was on every disney cassette I owned, every VHS compilation video. I loved the kooky Mad Hatter.
Aladdin - One Jump Ahead
Aladdin vs. Lion King, the great debate. Lion King won, but I loved everything about this song. The fat lady who wants to eat him, the way the platform shakes from the guards. And the way this song moves -- God, it starts at 60mph and just gets faster and faster and never stops gaining energy. It's breathless.
The Lion King - Circle of Life
Breathless in a very different way. The Lion King looked and sounded unlike anything put on film. Musically, there was nothing that sounded like it, nothing that incorporated such diverse and foreign cultural music into pop culture, at least not this effectively. And visually, it was a feast. This opening was balls-out, get-your-ass-ready-cause-here-we-come animation. It was so pounding and effective, in fact, that it worked on its own as the movie's trailer.
Little Mermaid - Under The Sea
I was never a huge fan of the movie as a kid, but everyone loves Sebastian. I remember, I had a tape with him singing various pop classics; the one that always stuck out was his "What A Wonderful World." I loved that little crustacean, and I love his crustacean band.
Pinnochio - I've Got No Strings
I could only find foreign language versions of this on youtube, and Italian felt most fitting. Looking back, there's something really poignant about watching this little kid get used and abused, and in seeing the difference between the lifeless puppets and Pinnochio dancing side by side.
The Jungle Book - Bare Necessities
Wow. When I watched this, I realized the similarities between it and "Hakuna Matata." Animals teaching adolescants to live on their own through songs about the simple things in life. I wonder how much of "Hakuna Matata" was homage (specifically, when they eat bugs from the tree). This is just such a damn jovial, bouncy song. I want to dance like Baloo.
Aladdin - A Whole New World
It wasn't the cool song to like as a young boy, but I loved it. There's a reason I remember every word of it, but forget lyrics from other songs in Aladdin -- it's the greatest of Disney love songs, and it still kind of chokes me up. I'm a cheeseball, but I love it.
The Lion King - Just Can't Wait To Be King
Just as I loved the back and forth between Scar and the three Hyenas in "Be Prepared," you gotta love the same between Simba/Nala and Zazu here. And when you're a little kid, and you watch a little kid establish himself as the future king, and watch the little bird holding him back get squished by an Elephant, it's awesome. It's a gloriously abstract number, and again, the animation has just never been topped.
Zip a Dee Doo Dah
I remember this song from a VHS tape of Disney music videos, but never knew where it was from. I remember reading something about Disney disowning the movie because of major racism issues, which is maybe why I couldn't find this song on youtube. But still, I dare you not to sing along. And who needs the video? I still completely remember it anyway.
So this is a day late, but my computer's slow, and so I struggled to find all of the clips I wanted.
But that said, I give you: My top ten childhood disney songs. These aren't necessarily the best songs they've ever had, or even all of my current favorites, but these are the ones I think about when I think about laying in the living room and popping in a Disney VHS. These are the ones I think about, and instantly get that little bounce in my step.
In a pretty much random order: My Top Ten Childhood Disney Songs
The Lion King - Be Prepared
This one always stuck out. Lion King is my favorite animated movie, and this is my favorite song. God, Scar was terrifying, and I just loved the back and forth between him and the hyenas. Jeremy Irons lends one of the great voices, making you shake in your seat. And now, in my old age, I can really appreciate the borrowed Nazi imagery in the animation. No wonder it was so scary.
Alice in Wonderland - The Unbirthday Song
Who doesn't know The Unbirthday Song? I feel like this was on every disney cassette I owned, every VHS compilation video. I loved the kooky Mad Hatter.
Aladdin - One Jump Ahead
Aladdin vs. Lion King, the great debate. Lion King won, but I loved everything about this song. The fat lady who wants to eat him, the way the platform shakes from the guards. And the way this song moves -- God, it starts at 60mph and just gets faster and faster and never stops gaining energy. It's breathless.
The Lion King - Circle of Life
Breathless in a very different way. The Lion King looked and sounded unlike anything put on film. Musically, there was nothing that sounded like it, nothing that incorporated such diverse and foreign cultural music into pop culture, at least not this effectively. And visually, it was a feast. This opening was balls-out, get-your-ass-ready-cause-here-we-come animation. It was so pounding and effective, in fact, that it worked on its own as the movie's trailer.
Little Mermaid - Under The Sea
I was never a huge fan of the movie as a kid, but everyone loves Sebastian. I remember, I had a tape with him singing various pop classics; the one that always stuck out was his "What A Wonderful World." I loved that little crustacean, and I love his crustacean band.
Pinnochio - I've Got No Strings
I could only find foreign language versions of this on youtube, and Italian felt most fitting. Looking back, there's something really poignant about watching this little kid get used and abused, and in seeing the difference between the lifeless puppets and Pinnochio dancing side by side.
The Jungle Book - Bare Necessities
Wow. When I watched this, I realized the similarities between it and "Hakuna Matata." Animals teaching adolescants to live on their own through songs about the simple things in life. I wonder how much of "Hakuna Matata" was homage (specifically, when they eat bugs from the tree). This is just such a damn jovial, bouncy song. I want to dance like Baloo.
Aladdin - A Whole New World
It wasn't the cool song to like as a young boy, but I loved it. There's a reason I remember every word of it, but forget lyrics from other songs in Aladdin -- it's the greatest of Disney love songs, and it still kind of chokes me up. I'm a cheeseball, but I love it.
The Lion King - Just Can't Wait To Be King
Just as I loved the back and forth between Scar and the three Hyenas in "Be Prepared," you gotta love the same between Simba/Nala and Zazu here. And when you're a little kid, and you watch a little kid establish himself as the future king, and watch the little bird holding him back get squished by an Elephant, it's awesome. It's a gloriously abstract number, and again, the animation has just never been topped.
Zip a Dee Doo Dah
I remember this song from a VHS tape of Disney music videos, but never knew where it was from. I remember reading something about Disney disowning the movie because of major racism issues, which is maybe why I couldn't find this song on youtube. But still, I dare you not to sing along. And who needs the video? I still completely remember it anyway.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home