Yearly Archives: 2016

Hercules “Gospel Truth” (1997)

Hercules was Disney’s take on the legendary demi-god of Greek myth. Originally the son of Zeus and a mortal woman, Hercules is now presented as a full god, the son of Zeus and Hera. Unfortunately, his godhood is short-lived, as the jealous Hades (who secretly wants to overthrow Zeus, go figure), having been informed that a grown Hercules would ruin his plans, decides to have the baby god turned mortal and then killed. Thankfully, his (un)reliable henchmen Pain and Panic botch the job and thus Hercules grows up as an awkward mortal with incredible strength.

But before we get to all of that, there’s a short prologue that begins in what appears to be an old museum filled with the relics of Ancient Greece. The narrator should sound familiar: that’s the legendary Charlton Heston in one of his final roles before he retired from acting in 2003.

There are actually nine Muses in Greek mythology, but I’m guessing that the animators wanted to simplify things and cut the number down to five.

With Heston’s voice, the first section of the prologue has a very serious tone until…the Muses (on the Greek vase) interrupt him and inform him that “we’ll take it from here darling.” After that, the entire feel of the prologue changes from serious to…well, a “Disney” feel.

Back when the world was new
The planet Earth was down on its luck
And everywhere gigantic brutes called Titans ran amok

It was a nasty place
There was a mess wherever you stepped
Where chaos reigned and earthquakes and volcanoes never slept

And then along came Zeus
He hurled his thunderbolt
(He zapped)
Locked those suckers in a vault
(They’re trapped)
And on his own stopped chaos in its tracks
And that’s the gospel truth
The guy was too type “A” to just relax

And that’s the world’s first dish
Zeus tamed the globe while still in his youth
Though, honey, it may seem impossible
That’s the gospel truth
On Mt. Olympus life was neat and smooth as sweet vermouth
Though, honey, it may seem impossible
That’s the gospel truth

“Gospel Truth” serves multiple purposes: It introduces the Muses (who narrate various portions of the film), it summarizes how Zeus came into power (by defeating the Titans and imprisoning them) and finally it describes how all the gods live on Mount Olympus. The picture then shifts from a painted image of Mount Olympus to a “live” image that quickly zooms the audience up to the fantastic dwelling of the Greek gods.

I love this song a lot. Given that this is a film about Ancient Greece, you would not expect to hear songs performed in the “Gospel” style, but it works! It gets a lot of story exposition across without boring the audience. I also love how the song is narrated through art “come to life” that’s done in the style of actual Greek pottery.

Art like this inspired the animators

Trivia Time!

After the dark tone presented in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), the studio practically demanded that the next film be lighter and happier, and so that’s why Hercules is filled with so many comedic moments.

James Woods (the voice of Hades) allegedly enjoyed playing the character so much that he and Disney put a standing arrangement in place where anytime they needed him to voice the character, he would come do it.

Rip Torn (the voice of Zeus) was married to Geraldine Page, who voiced Madame Medusa in The Rescuers (1977).

And that’s my look at the beginning of Disney’s Hercules! Let me know your thoughts about this awesome song in the comments below!

*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

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For more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney A-Z

See also:

Hercules “Gospel Truth II & III” (1997)

Hercules “Go the Distance” (1997)

Hercules “One Last Hope” (1997)

Hercules “Zero to Hero” (1997)

Hercules “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” (1997)

The Little Mermaid “Poor Unfortunate Souls” (1989)

16 Replies

Disney villains have come in many different varieties over the years. Some have been downright scary (The Horned King from The Black Cauldron (1985) comes to mind), some have been rather funny (Captain Hook from Peter Pan (1953) is one of those) and then there’s Ursula from The Little Mermaid (1989): she has moments of humor combined with moments of extreme scariness and pure evil. All of which is showcased in her song “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” This song was created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman.

The setup is simple: After seeing her precious grotto destroyed by her father, King Triton, Ariel is persuaded to visit “the sea witch” Ursula, because (according to her eel minions Flotsam and Jetsam), she can give Ariel what she wants: the ability to get to Prince Eric. Extremely bitter for what her father did, Ariel agrees to go (much to the horror of Sebastian and Flounder, who follow along to see what will happen).

Ursula lives far away from the city of Atlantica in a cave/reef that looks reminiscent of dinosaur bones. The sea witch herself is not, as many believe, half octopus. If you count her tentacles, you’ll see she has only six, which would make her half-squid (it was done this way on purpose because six tentacles were easier to animate than eight).

The witch assures Ariel that she can give the little mermaid exactly what she wants…for a price of course. As the song begins, she explains that the only way Ariel can get Prince Eric is to become a human herself.

My dear, sweet child, that’s what I do
It’s what I live for
To help unfortunate merfolk like yourself
Poor souls with no one else to turn to

I admit that in the past I’ve been a nasty
They weren’t kidding when they called me, well, a witch
But you’ll find that nowadays
I’ve mended all my ways
Repented, seen the light, and made a switch
True? Yes

And I fortunately know a little magic
It’s a talent that I always have possessed
And here lately, please don’t laugh
I use it on behalf
Of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed (Pathetic)

Poor unfortunate souls
In pain, in need
This one longing to be thinner
That one wants to get the girl
And do I help them?
Yes, indeed
Those poor unfortunate souls
So sad, so true
They come flocking to my cauldron
Crying, “Spells, Ursula, please!”
And I help them
Yes I do

I really love “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Pat Carroll delivers a thrilling performance as the villain-disguised-as-helper to “those poor unfortunate souls.” As Ursula tells it, she USED to be a bad person, but now she’s turned her life around and spends all her time helping less fortunate merfolk by giving them their heart’s desires.

Of course, “once or twice” these poor merpeople couldn’t pay her price so she “had to rake ’em cross the coals” (i.e. she turned them into those seaweed creatures trapped at the entrance of her home) but other than that she’s this great do-gooder. (Actually, I think Ursula can’t possibly have cheated EVERYONE she’s helped, because if everyone who went to see her disappeared, people still wouldn’t be going).

what IS it with Disney villains and the scary eyes!!??

Now it’s happened once or twice
Someone couldn’t pay the price
And I’m afraid I had to rake ’em ‘cross the coals
Yes I’ve had the odd complaint
But on the whole I’ve been a saint
To those poor unfortunate souls

I’m not asking much, just a token really, a trifle
What I want from you is your voice
But without my voice, how can I-
You’ll have your looks, your pretty face
And don’t underestimate the importance of body language, ha!

The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber
They think a girl who gossips is a bore
Yes on land it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a word
And after all dear, what is idle prattle for?
Come on, they’re not all that impressed with conversation
True gentlemen avoid it when they can

But they dote and swoon and fawn
On a lady who’s withdrawn
It’s she who holds her tongue who gets a man

Come on you poor unfortunate soul
Go ahead
Make your choice
I’m a very busy woman and I haven’t got all day
It won’t cost much
Just your voice!

You poor unfortunate soul
It’s sad but true
If you want to cross the bridge, my sweet
You’ve got the pay the toll
Take a gulp and take a breath
And go ahead and sign the scroll
Flotsam, Jetsam, now I’ve got her, boys
The boss is on a roll
This poor unfortunate soul!

Ariel is very tempted by all of this, and her lingering concerns over never seeing her family again are quickly brushed over by Ursula because in return she says “you’ll have your man.” Of course, there’s still the matter of payment, and Ursula really isn’t asking all that much. All she wants from Ariel is…her voice! Now, that doesn’t sound like too much, but keep in mind part of what made Prince Eric fall in love with Ariel at first sight was that song she was singing to him. Without her voice, how is Eric going to know it’s really her? Ariel is wondering the same thing, but Ursula again brushes this off, saying that all Ariel needs is some “body language” and she’ll be fine, because women aren’t expected to talk on the surface anyways (it’s a total lie, but Ariel doesn’t know that).

Beluga sevruga
Come winds of the Caspian Sea
Larengix glaucitis
Et max laryngitis
La voce to me

Now, sing
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah
Keep singing!
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah

Oh yes, there is one other detail. Once Ariel is made human, she will have three days to get Prince Eric to give her “the kiss of true love.” If this happens, the transformation will be permanent, but if not, then Ariel will turn back into a mermaid and belong to Ursula forever! (Talk about killer fine print!)

A contract magically appears, wherein Ariel would grant Ursula her voice “for all eternity.” To Ursula’s delight, Ariel signs the contract and the deal is done! Now comes my favorite part, the transformation! Ursula sings/chants this powerful spell that sends chills down my spine. As she finishes, a pair of ghostly hands appears and she commands Ariel to sing. And as the little mermaid sings, the hands come closer and ease Ariel’s voice out of her and into Ursula’s magical shell. With payment granted, Ariel is seized and given a pair of human legs (all the while Ursula laughs maniacally, because in her mind Ariel is as good as hers, you know she has no intention of letting that “kiss of true love” happen). Of course, now that she’s human, Ariel can’t breathe underwater anymore, so it’s up to Sebastian and Flounder to race her to the surface.

Trivia Time!

Ursula herself was based on the appearance of a drag queen named Divine (1945-1988).

There were originally a few lines inserted to insinuate that Ursula was King Triton’s sister (and therefore Ariel’s aunt) but this was deemed one subplot too many and the lines were removed.

During the recording, Pat Carroll adlibbed a few words throughout the song (I know her use of “pathetic” early on is a definite adlib), and Menken and Ashman liked her rendition so much that they kept it as is.

And that’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” definitely my favorite song from The Little Mermaid. I hope you enjoyed reading about it and listening to it 🙂

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The Little Mermaid “Part of Your World” (1989)

The Little Mermaid “Les Poissons” (1989)

The Little Mermaid “Vanessa’s Song” (1989)

*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

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For more great Disney songs, check out the main page here: Disney A-Z

Aladdin “The End” (1992)

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At the conclusion of the reprise of “Prince Ali”, Aladdin, Abu and the magic carpet were whisked away to the ends of the Earth via a palace tower turned rocket. There, lost in the frozen wilderness, Aladdin finally comes to understand that a lot of this happened because he didn’t tell Jasmine the truth about who he really was. Vowing to set things right, he and Abu free the magic carpet from underneath the tower (which nearly crushes them in the process) and begin the race back to Agrabah.

And speaking of Agrabah, it seems that Jafar has been thoroughly enjoying himself. The elephant throne has been replaced by a cobra. The room itself is filled with huge piles of treasure; Jasmine is wearing a red version of her usual outfit (while chained) and Iago is having the time of his life stuffing the Sultan’s face with crackers (Iago had hated how the Sultan always made him eat crackers).

Now here’s the crazy thing: Jafar literally has anything anyone could possibly want: he’s the Sultan, he’s the most powerful sorcerer EVER, he has more wealth than he could spend in a lifetime, a lovely Princess at his beck and call, but is that enough for him? NOPE! He still has one wish left to use: he wants the Genie to make Jasmine fall in love with him (Jafar). The Genie tries to explain (as he did with Aladdin) that there are certain things a Genie can’t do, but Jafar won’t listen. While the two are arguing, Jasmine spots Aladdin behind a curtain trying to sneak up on the lamp so he can get it back. Knowing a distraction is required, Jasmine puts on the performance of a lifetime and pretends that the Genie really has made her fall in love with him. Jafar is (disgustingly) thrilled and while Jasmine flatters him to the moon, Aladdin sneaks closer and closer, when suddenly a gagged-by-Abu Iago (who has already spotted Aladdin) knocks over a fruit dish! Jafar turns to see where the noise is coming from but Jasmine pulls him back with a kiss! (YUCK!!!) It nearly works too, except Jafar then sees Aladdin reflected in Jasmine’s tiara!!!

Now the final battle begins, and suffice to say, Aladdin is heavily outmatched. Jafar begins to systematically destroy all of is friends: the magic carpet is unwound, Abu is turned into a toy monkey and Jasmine is trapped in a rapidly filling hourglass. It’s a race for Aladdin to get the lamp and free Jasmine, but things are about to get a lot more difficult.

When Jafar continues to hold Aladdin off via his sorcery, the ex-Prince shouts “Aren’t you brave enough to fight me yourself, you cowardly snake!” Aladdin really shouldn’t have used the word snake, because Jafar decides to answer Aladdin with “A snake am I?Perhaps you’ll see how snake-like I can be!” while he turns into a gigantic cobra!! While in this form, Aladdin does get a few strikes in, but it’s not long before Jafar has Aladdin wrapped firmly in his coils.Everything has come to a head: Jasmine is moments away from being buried alive, none of Aladdin’s friends can help him, not even the Genie…or can he? Aladdin has one last gamble and it’s a big one:

Aladdin: The Genie, The genie! The Genie has more power than you’ll ever have!

Jafar: What?

Aladdin: He GAVE you your power, he can TAKE it back! Face it Jafar, you’re STILL just second best!

Based on Jafar’s dialogue about power, Aladdin has figured out that Jafar is obsessed with becoming the most powerful there ever was, he can’t live with the idea that something somewhere is more powerful than he! So, he plays on the fact that the Genie possesses more power than Jafar does: this IS true, but what Aladdin is leaving out is the fact that a Genie’s near omnipotent power is always constrained by a lamp. Completely unaware of this, Jafar uses his final wish: to become an all-powerful Genie! This done, Jafar transforms into a terrifyingly huge red genie, all the power he ever wanted is finally his! But there’s a big catch: a black lamp has appeared, which Aladdin now takes possession of.

Aladdin: Hey Jafar, aren’t you forgetting something?

(Jafar looks down in puzzlement)

Aladdin: You wanted to be a Genie? You got it!

Jafar: (golden wrist bands appear) WHAT??

Aladdin: And everything that goes with it! (the lamp begins to suck Jafar inside as he screams in rage) Phenomenal cosmic powers….itty bitty living space!

With Jafar safely trapped inside the lamp, everything goes back to normal, only there’s still a big dilemma. Jasmine is still very much in love with Aladdin, but the law forbids her to marry anyone who isn’t a prince! However, in the Sultan’s eyes, Aladdin has proved himself to be more than worthy of Jasmine’s hand, so he decides to change the law. From now on, the princess may marry “whomever she deems worthy.” Which means Jasmine and Aladdin can get married after all! All that leaves now is the Genie, who is more than happy to use Aladdin’s final wish to make him a Prince again, but Aladdin has a better idea: he’s going to give the Genie his freedom! The golden bands disappear and the Genie is ecstatic to discover that no one can command him to do anything! The Genie is going to leave and explore the world now that he’s free, but you get the feeling that he’ll be back eventually.

At the end now, the sky explodes in fireworks as Aladdin and Jasmine proclaim their love for each other once more. The two ride off into the night sky, but there’s one last surprise: the moon is revealed to have the Genie’s face and then:

Genie: Made you look!!

And that’s the end!! I hope you enjoyed visiting the world of Aladdin, like I said at the top, I’m going to focus on individual Disney songs and other film music moments for a while.

*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

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Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

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For more Aladdin, see:

Aladdin “Arabian Nights” (1992)
Aladdin “One Jump Ahead” and reprise (1992)

Aladdin “Friend Like Me” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali” (1992)

Aladdin “A Whole New World” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali (reprise)” (1992)

For more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (1991)

5 Replies

robin_hood_prince_of_thieves

I can’t believe this movie is 25 years old, but it’s true! On this day in film history, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was released to theaters. Starring Kevin Costner, the film sought to re-tell the classic story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, but in a much darker fashion than its predecessors. If you’re looking for the bright spectacle as seen in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), then keep looking because this is not the film for you.

Robin (Kevin Costner) escapes captivity in Jerusalem with a condemned Moor named Azeem (Morgan Freeman). He returns to England, only to find that his father (Brian Blessed) has been murdered, his family castle burned to the ground and his lands claimed by the utterly corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman). This telling of the Robin Hood story is unusual in that Prince John (typically the villain of the story) does not appear nor is he mentioned.

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Robin becomes reacquainted with Lady Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), a childhood friend (and also a cousin to King Richard). After killing some of the Sheriff’s men, Robin, Azeem and the blind servant Duncan are forced to take refuge in Sherwood Forest, where they encounter a sizable band of outlaws, led by John Little and the brash Will Scarlett (Christian Slater), the latter taking an instant dislike to Robin, even after he beats John Little in a fight and renames him “Little John.”

Robin declares war on the Sheriff and proceeds to rob every rich man passing through the forest, organizing the outlaws into a rather prosperous community along the way. Desperate, the Sheriff (goaded on by the witch Mortiana) hires Celtic mercenaries to track Duncan to the outlaws hideout after Marian is kidnapped by the Sheriff’s men (Duncan having been sent to live with Marian due to his failing health). A vicious battle ensues, and Robin is missing, presumed dead. The devastated Marian learns that the Sheriff wishes to marry her (as he seeks the throne for himself and marrying the king’s cousin would give him a semi-legitimate claim) and believing Robin dead, she has no choice but to accept.

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But Robin isn’t dead, and while they plan their next move, a captured-then-released Will Scarlett appears and informs everyone that a large number of prisoners taken during the battle (including Little John’s oldest son) are to be hanged the very next day. Will also drops a veritable bombshell: he is the half-brother to Robin, the son of a woman that their father loved for a time after Robin’s mother died. The woman was sent away because Robin didn’t like her, therefore Will holds Robin responsible for the rough life he has led.

The next day, just as the prisoners are to be hung, Robin and his men appear, and chaos erupts. The prisoners are saved just in time, while the Sheriff drags a screaming Marian away to be married (he intends to claim his “marital rights” as soon as the ceremony is completed). Robin and Azeem give chase and just as the ceremony is finished, Robin literally crashes the wedding by entering through a stained glass window.

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A huge sword fight follows between Robin and the Sheriff. The fight is largely equal, until the Sheriff’s sword breaks Robin’s blade into pieces, leaving him pinned against a wall. But just as the Sheriff lunges for the killing blow, Robin reveals his last weapon: a dagger given to him by Marian (who received it from the Sheriff) plunged straight into the villain’s heart! With the Sheriff dead (and Mortiana the witch dying soon afterward), Marian and Robin are reunited and shortly thereafter, married, with the returning King Richard (Sean Connery) in attendance.

I’ve seen this movie get a lot of flak because of Costner’s performance, but personally I enjoyed it very much. It’s a different spin on the Robin Hood story and it’s full of humorous little moments. Alan Rickman in particular slays the role of the Sheriff (he allegedly refused the role three times until the director offered him carte blanche in how he played the character). Another favorite character is Friar Tuck (played by Mike McShane), a hilariously funny character, with a big booming laugh and an obsession with beer!

If you haven’t seen this film, it is definitely worth seeing at least once. It also features a great score by the late Michael Kamen.

*poster image is the property of Warner Bros. Studios

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Aladdin “Prince Ali (reprise)” (1992)

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So to recap, after Prince Ali/Aladdin abruptly arrives to court Princess Jasmine, the evil Jafar attempts to have the fake prince murdered so that *he* can marry Jasmine instead and become Sultan. Luckily for our hero, Genie is able to save Aladdin via his second wish and take him back to the palace. After informing the Sultan about the truth: that Jafar a) tried to have Prince Ali killed and b) has been manipulating the Sultan with his cobra staff for years , Jafar is ordered to be arrested, but just before the vizier escapes, he notices the lamp resting in Ali’s turban, which for him can mean only one thing: Ali is Aladdin and HE has the lamp that Jafar has been after this entire time!

As soon as Jafar sees the lamp, you just KNOW he’s going to get his hands on it at some point. The devious parrot Iago is dispatched to get the lamp away from Aladdin. This proves easier than one might think, because at the same time, Aladdin is suffering from a tremendous amount of guilt. The good news is that Princess Jasmine is in love with him and the Sultan approves. The bad news (in Aladdin’s mind) is that once they get married he (Aladdin) will become Sultan, and he doesn’t feel like he’s up to the task, especially if he keeps his promise and uses his last wish to free the Genie. So…Aladdin not-so-gently breaks the news that he won’t be freeing the Genie after all, which upsets everybody.

Aladdin finally decides that he has to tell Jasmine the truth, that he’s not really a Prince. Great decision, too bad it comes just as Iago is out to get the lamp. He mimics Jasmine’s voice to lure Aladdin out of his room and quickly swipes the lamp away. The Genie is less than thrilled to find himself in Jafar’s hands, but he doesn’t have the ability to refuse Jafar’s first wish: to become Sultan!!

Just as this happens, the real Sultan is getting ready to proclaim to all of Agrabah the joyous news: Princess Jasmine has finally chosen a suitor, Prince Ali! Before Aladdin can tell anyone the truth, the sky grows dark and Jafar appears out of nowhere, now clothed in the robes of a Sultan (even Iago has a little Sultan hat!) No one is quite sure how this happened, but Aladdin finally figures it out when he goes to get the lamp and finds it gone! Now comes the second part of Jafar’s first wish (He phrased it as “I wish to rule on high, as Sultan). The only way to rule “on high” is to have a palace HIGH in the air, so…Genie appears to lift the royal palace to a high cliff.

Now that he is Sultan, Jafar expects to receive the proper respect, but both Jasmine and her father refuse. Enraged, Jafar uses his second wish: to be the most powerful sorcerer in the world! With this wish granted, Jafar decides it’s time to tell Jasmine how things really are: enter the reprise of “Prince Ali.”

The all-too-brief song is performed in a mocking style of the original “Prince Ali” and serves to show everyone the truth. While Jasmine is held in a magical beam, she is forced to watch as Jafar magically transforms Aladdin’s princely outfit back into the rags he wore in the marketplace. Abu is changed back into a monkey; Rajah is turned into a tiny kitten and all are held helpless. But before Aladdin can tell Jasmine anything, Jafar continues! This next verse really explains it all:

“So Ali turns out to be merely Aladdin/Just a con, need I go on? Take it from me!

His personality flaws/give me adequate cause/to send him packing on a one-way trip,

Where his prospects take a terminal dip/his assets frozen, the venue chosen is the ends of the Earth, WHOOPEE!!! So long! Ex-Prince Ali!!”

Jafar uses his magic to send Aladdin and Abu flying into a tower (the magic carpet secretly follows) and with all watching (including the unhappy Genie), the tower is sent flying away like a rocket towards “the ends of the Earth.”

I think all that power has gone to Jafar’s head…

Waving Aladdin farewell, Jafar descends into maniacal, psychotic laughter, as his shadow looms over the ex-Sultan and Jasmine. Hearing this song really makes me wish that Jafar had a full-length song of his own (but sadly he does not).

Ok, I WAS going to make this the last Aladdin post, but remembering how this song ends, I realized I just can’t leave things hanging like this, so there will be one more Aladdin post after this one to cover the climax of the film. I also wanted to let you know that I’m going to cut back a little more on the amount of posting I do during the week (it will probably go down to one a day) because I need to focus some more on my dissertation. I promise I’m not going to disappear, just write a little less (for a while anyways).

Enjoy the reprise of “Prince Ali”, and enjoy the weekend!

*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

Become a patron of the blog at: patreon.com/musicgamer460

Like Film Music Central on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/filmmusiccentral

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

For more Aladdin, see:

Aladdin “Arabian Nights” (1992)

Aladdin “One Jump Ahead” and reprise (1992)

Aladdin “Friend Like Me” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali” (1992)

Aladdin “A Whole New World” (1992)

Aladdin “The End”

For more great Disney songs check out the main page here: Disney A-Z

Aladdin “One Jump Ahead” and reprise (1992)

6 Replies

When we first meet him, Aladdin doesn’t appear to be Jafar’s “diamond in the rough” or a future prince for that matter. That’s because when we meet him in “One Jump Ahead”, Aladdin is fleeing the city guards after stealing a loaf of bread for himself and his pet monkey Abu.

The song takes Aladdin and Abu all over the market place of Agrabah. In fact, based on the lyrics in “One Jump Ahead”, Aladdin’s gotten so good at evading and eluding that he doesn’t seem overly concerned about whether or not he’ll get away.

Gotta keep
One jump ahead of the breadline
One swing ahead of the sword
I steal only what I can’t afford
And that’s everything!

One jump ahead of the lawmen
That’s all, and that’s no joke
These guys don’t appreciate I’m broke

Riffraff! Street rat! Scoundrel!
Take that!

Just a little snack, guys

Rip him open! Take it back, guys!
I can take a hint,
Gotta face the facts
You’re my only friend, Abu!

Aladdin and Abu try to hide in several places, the most notable being what appears to be a brothel (you know, the room full of pretty girls dressed in bright clothes that sing about “oh it’s just Aladdin again?”)

Who?
Oh, it’s sad, Aladdin’s hit the bottom
He’s become a one-man rise in crime
I’d blame parents except he hasn’t got ’em
Gotta eat to live,
Gotta steal to eat
Tell you all about it when I got the time!

One jump ahead of the slowpokes
One skip ahead of my doom
Next time gonna use a nom de plume

One jump ahead of the hitmen
One hit ahead of the flock
I think I’ll take a stroll around the block

At least that’s what someone claims it is on Tumblr, but another possible (maybe) explanation is that it’s a family of pretty girls, they’re all sisters and Aladdin just annoys them? (I really don’t want the brothel explanation to be true, because it weirds me out that Disney would put anything like this in one of their movies!!)

A recurring theme in the song is Aladdin being derided as “rif-raff….street rat…scoundrel…” etc. It’s clear the “respectable” people of Agrabah think very little of a poor kid like Aladdin. This point comes up again in the reprise to this song, after Prince Achmed informs Aladdin “You were born a street rat, you will die a street rat, and only your fleas will mourn you!”

Stop, thief! Vandal!
Outrage! Scandal!

Let’s not be too hasty
Still I think he’s rather tasty!
Gotta eat to live,
Gotta steal to eat
Otherwise, we’d get along
Wrong!

One jump ahead of the hoofbeats
(Stop, thief!)
One hop ahead of the hump
(Street rat!)
One trick ahead of disaster
(Scoundrel!)
They’re quick, but I’m much faster
(Take that!)
Here goes: Better throw my hand in
Wish me happy landin’
All I gotta do is jump!

Meanwhile, Aladdin continues to dodge and evade, but the guards are slowly closing in from all directions, forcing Aladdin and Abu to climb higher and higher, until finally, all they can do is “JUMP!” They get away safely, and the guards end up falling into a stinky pile of camel poo (ewwwwwwww, gross!)

However, after spending all that time and effort to acquire a loaf of bread to eat, Aladdin ends up giving it to two little kids who clearly need more than he does, showing that despite being a thief, Aladdin is a good guy at heart. After being insulted by Prince Achmed, Aladdin begins the long walk home, singing a sad reprise of “One Jump Ahead.” This part always got to me when I was younger (having been teased a great deal), because it talks about how all the people Aladdin knows judge him and put him down, but they wouldn’t if they really KNEW him. I really liked the last line “they’d find out/there’s so much more, to me…”

At the end, we get to see that Aladdin lives in a half ruined building that has a great view of the palace. Aladdin dreams about being rich someday, imagining that when he lives in a palace he “won’t have any problems at all.” Of course the complete opposite happens to be true, as Princess Jasmine knows all too well.

“One Jump Ahead” was one of the songs created by Alan Menken and Tim Rice after Howard Ashman passed away. Originally, this part of the film had a completely different number entitled “Proud of Your Boy”, a song that Aladdin sings to his mother (who is disappointed in how he’s living his life). This song was ultimately cut (but later restored to the Broadway play adaptation of the story) and temporarily replaced by a song entitled “Count on Me” before “One Jump Ahead” was finally selected. The song serves as a good introduction to Aladdin and his mischievous nature, and I enjoy listening to it.

So that’s it for “One Jump Ahead” and would you believe there’s only one song left? All that remains is “Prince Ali (reprise)” and that’ll do it for Aladdin!

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*all images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

*Like Film Music Central on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/filmmusiccentral

For more Aladdin, see:

Aladdin “Arabian Nights” (1992)

Aladdin “Friend Like Me” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali” (1992)

Aladdin “A Whole New World” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali (reprise)” (1992)

Aladdin “The End” (1992)

For more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z

Brian Tyler talks Fast Five (2011)

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Of the seven Fast and Furious films that have been released, Fast Five (2011) remains the first and only film in the series that I have watched. It was my senior year of college, and the local movie theater was having a “Free Movie Night” for all the students of the university, and I’d never seen a Fast and Furious film before, so I decided to check it out. I remember enjoying it and laughing a lot! This was before I discovered my calling for film music, so I didn’t really pay any attention to the score at the time, but I was delighted years later to discover that Brian Tyler was the composer for that film.

Brian Tyler may not be an immediately recognizable name, but it surely will be in years to come: he has already composed the music for Thor: The Dark World, Avengers: Age of Ultron; Constantine; The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, among many, many others.

This interview gives a great look at Brian Tyler in his recording space. As a film music scholar, it’s so exciting for me to be able to see his computer layout where he records and then synthesizes all these melodies together (I still have a dream of meeting some of these film composers some day).

I hope you enjoy this interview!

You can become a patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

See also:

Film Composer Interviews A-H

Film Composer Interviews K-Z

My Thoughts on: Fast Five (2011)

Brian Tyler scoring Furious 7 (2015)

Brian Tyler scoring The Fate of the Furious (2017)

Brian Tyler “Alien vs. Predator: Requiem” scoring session (2007)

Brian Tyler scoring Partition (2007)

Brian Tyler talks War (2007)

Brian Tyler talks Rambo (2008)

Brian Tyler “Law Abiding Citizen” scoring sessions (2009)

Brian Tyler “Dragonball Evolution” scoring session (2009)

Brian Tyler talks The Expendables (2010)

Brian Tyler “Battle: Los Angeles” (2011) scoring session

Brian Tyler scoring session for Iron Man 3 (2013)

Brian Tyler “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (2014) scoring session

Brian Tyler conducting and scoring Now You See Me 2 (2016)

Brian Tyler “Power Rangers” scoring session (2017)

Brian Tyler conducts The Mummy (2017)

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The Road to El Dorado “It’s Tough to Be a God” (2000)

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Waaaaaay back in the year 2000, DreamWorks Animation released an animated comedy entitled The Road to El Dorado. Taking inspiration from the Bob Hope/Bing Crosby “Road to..” films, El Dorado tells the story of two swindlers named Miguel (Kenneth Branagh) and Tulio (Kevin Kline), who end up winning a map to the fabled city of gold “El Dorado.” After unwittingly stowing away on the ship of conquistador Hernan Cortes (Jim Cummings), the pair (accompanied by a horse) escape and make landfall in the New World. There, the two use the map and successfully locate the city deep in the jungle. Conveniently, Miguel and Tulio bear more than a passing resemblance to the two gods who created the city in the first place, and the pair are hailed (after a rocky start) as deities, with the entire city at their disposal.

During their first night in the city, the Chief throws a huge party for the “gods.” While Tulio is skeptical about this whole “being a god” thing, Miguel, the eternal optimist, loves it, and swears that being a god is the easiest thing in the world! This is how “It’s Tough to Be a God” begins.

I hardly think I’m qualified
to come across all sanctified.
I just don’t cut it with the cherubim

Tulio, what are you talking about?!
There again, they’re on their knees.
Being worshiped is a breeze which rather suits us in the interim.

Interim, interim. It’s me and him.
Oh, my God!

It’s tough to be a god.
Tread where mortals have not trod.
Be deified when really you’re a sham.
Be an object of devotion,
be the subject of psalms.
It’s a rather touching notion,
all those prayers and those salaams.
And who am I to bridle
if I’m forced to be an idol?
If they say that I’m a god, that’s what I am.

I think the title of the song is somewhat tongue-in-cheek, because while the pair bemoan how tough it is to appear godlike, all you really see is the two having a good time, partying and drinking the night away. I love listening to these two sing, Branagh and Kline are great together. The style of the music is very much in keeping with what you might expect from a Disney musical (even though this is DreamWorks) and the animation is gorgeous! In fact, this is my favorite song from the film, considering it’s the one I remember the most.

There is one spoken verse where Tulio reminds Miguel that if they DON’T pull off this “god” gambit, then they could very easily be sacrificed (i.e. killed) to the real gods.

What’s more, if we don’t comply
with the locals’ wishes,
I can see us being sacrificed or stuffed.
You have a point, yes, that’s very good thinking.
So let’s be gods; the perks are great.
(Yeah.)
El Dorado on a plate.
(Thank you!)
Local feelings should not be rebuffed.
Never rebuff, never rebuff a local feeling, no my friend.

It’s tough to be a god, but if you get the people’s nod,
count your blessings, keep ’em sweet, that’s our advice.
It’s great advice!
Be a symbol of perfection.
Be a legend!
Be occult! Take their praise, take a collection as the multitudes exalt.
Don a supernatural habit
We’d be crazy not to grab it!
You got it!
So sign on two new gods for paradise… par-a-dise!

Miguel acknowledges Tulio’s point, but doesn’t seem overly concerned, and why not? Right now the entire city believes they’re gods. It seems that the pair should have no trouble collecting as much gold as they like and eventually leaving when the time is right.

But considering this is a movie, you KNOW things aren’t going to be nearly that simple. Hopefully Miguel and Tulio enjoy this night of partying, because things get really hairy starting the next morning (but that’s a story for another time). If you’ve never seen this movie before, don’t let it’s reputation dissuade you, it’s a really fun experience, everyone should see this movie at least once. For now, enjoy “It’s Tough to be a God.”

*All images are the property of DreamWorks Animation

For more Disney and other animated soundtracks, see here

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What a guy!: Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt

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This post is part of the Reel Infatuation Blogathon hosted by Silver Screenings and Font & Frock.

Reel Infatuation Banners

It is no secret that I am a big fan of the Mission Impossible film series. But why do I like this series so much? Is it because of the music? Yes, that’s certainly part of it. Is it the action? Yup, there’s that too. But at the heart of it, the biggest reason I watch the movies is because of:

Ethanhunt (1)

Him.

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Him.

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And oh yes…him!!

That’s right. I confess that I have a gigantic crush on Ethan Hunt (aka the craziest spy to ever walk the face of the Earth. Brilliantly portrayed by Tom Cruise in five films and counting). I didn’t quite realize I had a crush on him until I saw Mission Impossible 2. As dated as that film is in terms of look, there’s a great plot line between Ethan and the thief Nyah, where Ethan has to save her in time after she injects herself with the last dose of the killer Chimera virus. If there’s one thing you can depend on with Ethan Hunt, it’s that he will move heaven and earth to save the people he cares about. And guys who care that deeply about people…well, I find that very attractive in a guy. (It also helps that Ethan is in perfect physical condition too).

Ethan is also that guy who can go anywhere, do anything and literally be anyone. Case in point: see the first Mission Impossible movie where he bluffs his way into meeting Max, the arms smuggler. And every time he raises the stakes with some death-defying stunt (including the free swimming one that nearly killed him in Rogue Nation), I actively worry about him, even though I’m pretty sure I would never cross paths with a man like Ethan Hunt in real life. But hey, I can dream right?

Anyways, that’s my crush on Ethan Hunt, I hope you liked reading about it (I’m totally going to binge on Mission Impossible movies this coming weekend now).

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Aladdin “A Whole New World” (1992)

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There are many romantic songs in the Disney Universe, too many to list all at once. But of all those Disney love songs, “A Whole New World” probably ranks up at the top. And why not? Being whisked away on a magic carpet ride to fly all around the world is a beautiful idea. This song was nominated for and won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also remains the only Disney song to win Song of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

“A Whole New World” at the 65th Academy Awards

I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did
You last let your heart decide!

I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride

A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming

A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I’m way up here
It’s crystal clear
That now I’m in a whole new world with you

The song (and everything that takes place during it) is how Prince Ali/Aladdin finally thaws his way into Princess Jasmine’s heart. Being used to stuck-up suitors who just viewed her as a “prize to be won”, Prince Ali stuns her by saying that she should be free to make her own choice (regarding who she marries).

Now I’m in a whole new world with you

Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky

A whole new world
(Don’t you dare close your eyes)
A hundred thousand things to see
(Hold your breath it gets better)
I’m like a shooting star
I’ve come so far
I can’t go back to where I used to be

A whole new world
(Every turn a surprise)
With new horizons to pursue
(Every moment, red-letter)

I’ll chase them anywhere
There’s time to spare
Let me share this whole new world with you

A whole new world
(A whole new world)
That’s where we’ll be
(That’s where we’ll be)

A thrilling chase

A wondrous place

For you and me

Aladdin’s idea of inviting Jasmine for a ride is brilliant, but he makes a mistake (the first of several during this sequence). When Jasmine asks if it (the carpet) is safe, Ali/Aladdin says “Sure, do you trust me?” (When Aladdin met Jasmine while she was in disguise in the marketplace, he asked her the exact same thing as they were fleeing the city guards). Jasmine is slightly suspicious, but she agrees to come anyways, leaving a bewildered Rajah far behind.

I have a small story to share about this song. Two summers ago, I went home for a visit and attended an Il Divo concert with my mom (Il Divo is a singing group consisting of operatically trained male singers, look them up, they’re amazing). And during this particular concert tour, they had a guest performer with them: Lea Salonga, aka the singing voice of Princess Jasmine!!! You can imagine my unbridled joy when, in the middle of the concert, a familiar tune started up and Lea Salonga performed “A Whole New World” for us (with various members of Il Divo filling in for Aladdin)!!!! It’s been over twenty years since Aladdin came out, and she still sounds just the way she did in the movie.

The flight starts in Agrabah but quickly moves across the desert, through Egypt (where the Sphinx loses its nose as a result of the carver being startled by the pair flying past), through what appears to be Ancient Greece, and finally China. The song is all about the experiences of life, and how Aladdin can show her the world she’s never gotten to see before. My favorite verse of all comes from Princess Jasmine:

“I’m like a shooting star/I’ve come so far/I can’t go back to where I used to be!”

In essence, this whole experience has changed Jasmine, to the point where she can no longer go back to simply living in the palace, she’s seen too much of the outside world for that.

Ali/Aladdin unwittingly continues to leave little clues as to who he really is. As the pair fly through Greece, Aladdin plucks an apple off a nearby tree and rolls it to her exactly as Aladdin did (again, in the marketplace). This time Jasmine gets a knowing look in her eyes. She’s still not sure exactly HOW it’s happened, but she knows now that Ali has to be Aladdin.

In closing, I love this song, it was very well done (there have been times where I’ve listened to this song on repeat). It’s also a nice quiet interlude because once this song is over, things in the story begin to move very quickly.

*All images are the property of Walt Disney Studios

Become a patron of the blog at: patreon.com/musicgamer460

Check out the YouTube channel (and consider hitting the subscribe button)

Remember to like Film Music Central on Facebook 🙂

For more Aladdin, see:

Aladdin “Arabian Nights” (1992)

Aladdin “One Jump Ahead” and reprise (1992)

Aladdin “Friend Like Me” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali” (1992)

Aladdin “Prince Ali (reprise)” (1992)

Aladdin “The End”

For more great Disney songs and films, check out the main page here: Disney Films & Soundtracks A-Z