Tag Archives: film music

Bambi “Love is a Song” (1942)

On August 13th, 1942, RKO Radio Pictures released Walt Disney’s fifth animated classic Bambi, based on the 1923 novel Bambi, a Life in the Woods, by Felix Salten. Disney actually acquired the rights to Bambi in 1937, after MGM’s attempts to turn the book into a live-action film proved to be unfeasible. Originally meant to be Disney’s second animated feature, the project became delayed (among other things, the animators discovered that animating deer realistically was no easy task) and work didn’t really get going until 1939. The score for this film proved to be the final work of composer Frank Churchill (1901-1942), who died after committing suicide following a severe bout of depression.

The film went through many stages, but the following main characters emerged:

Bambi: the son of the Great Prince of the Forest (Fred Shields); spends the first half of the story living with his unnamed mother (Paula Winslowe). Bambi’s closest friends are Thumper, a gray rabbit, and Flower, a male skunk (the name is based on a joke where Bambi, learning to speak, mistakenly thinks that Flower is, well, a flower, much to Thumper’s amusement).

The film’s opening song (referenced again as the film closes) is “Love is a Song,” performed as the opening credits roll. The song speaks to an enduring theme in the story that love takes many forms and despite changes in life, it never really goes away.

Love is a song that never ends
Life may be swift and fleeting
Hope may die yet love’s beautiful music
Comes each day like the dawn

Love is a song that never ends
One simple theme repeating
Like the voice of a heavenly choir
Love’s sweet music flows on

Like the voice of a heavenly choir
Love’s sweet music flows on

I actually didn’t like this opening when I was younger because the themes about love went over my head (plus I wanted to get on with the story). Years later I can appreciate what “Love is a Song” is trying to say. Let me know what you think of “Love is a Song” in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Bambi “Little April Shower” (1942)

Bambi “Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song” (1942)

Bambi “Looking For Romance” (1942)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Frozen “Love is an Open Door” (2013)

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As I said in my official review of the film, one of the great things about Frozen is the way it subverts the traditional Disney love story. At first, it looks like Anna and Hans are going to have the “love at first sight” relationship that has (for better or worse) defined Disney for most of its history. They meet on Elsa’s coronation day, appear to be instantly smitten, and have a wonderful time at the following party. During this latter time, they also engage in the traditional Disney love song, which usually goes something along the lines of “my life was incomplete before I met you, now I’m so happy, etc.”

The presence of “Love is an Open Door” at the beginning of the film should in hindsight be a big clue that things are not going to end well between Anna and Hans. Seriously, think about the nature of this song. Doesn’t it sound like something you’d hear at the end of the story, after going through trials and tribulations and the couple realize they’ve found that perfect one? It sounds exactly like that, only Anna and Hans have literally just met.

Okay, can I just, say something crazy?
I love crazy!

All my life has been a series of doors in my face
And then suddenly I bump into you

I was thinking the same thing! ‘Cause like…
I’ve been searching my whole life to find my own place
And maybe it’s the party talking or the chocolate fondue

But with you…
But with you I found my place
I see your face

And it’s nothing like I’ve ever known before
Love is an open door
Love is an open door

Right here we can see that Anna’s definition of love is way off base. Since her only sister has stayed behind her closed bedroom door, Anna now defines love as “an open door” which translates to anyone paying her attention. Not to state the obvious, but that isn’t love. Poor Anna is so excited that someone (an admittedly handsome someone) is paying attention to her that she falls in love (or at least thinks she does) on the spot.

Love is an open door

With you!
With you!
With you!
With you!
Love is an open door…

I mean it’s crazy
What?
We finish each other’s—
Sandwiches!
That’s what I was gonna say!

I’ve never met someone
Who thinks so much like me!
Jinx! Jinx again!
Our mental synch-ro-ni-zation
Can have but one explanation:

You-
And I-
Were-
Just-
Meant to be!

Here’s another detail that suggests there really isn’t anything to this whirlwind “romance.” Notice that for most of the song, Hans is following Anna’s lead with what to say. The best example might be when he says “We finish each other’s-” and you expect the finish to be “sentences” but as soon as Anna blurts out “sandwiches” Hans is like “Yes I was going to say that!” Right…because everyone talks about finishing each other’s sandwiches. Again, in hindsight, it’s clear that Hans is only saying what Anna wants to hear (and the smitten princess is oblivious).

Say goodbye…
Say goodbye…

To the pain of the past
We don’t have to feel it anymore
Love is an open door
Love is an open door
Life can be so much more

With you!
With you!
With you!
With you!
Love is an open door…
Can I say something crazy? Will you marry me?
Can I say something even crazier? Yes!

With all of this being said, I love “Love is an Open Door.” It’s a brilliant parody of Disney romance songs and provides some levity before everything goes south with Elsa and her ice powers (which is literally the next big development in the story once Anna and Hans drop the bombshell that they want to get married despite having just met each other).

Let me know what you think about “Love is an Open Door” in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Frozen “Frozen Heart” (2013)

Frozen “For the First Time in Forever” (2013)

Frozen “Let it Go” (2013)

Frozen “In Summer” (2013)

Frozen “For the First Time in Forever (reprise)” (2013)

My Thoughts on: Frozen (2013)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Bambi “Little April Shower” (1942)

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Bambi opens, as several Disney films do, with a birth, Bambi’s birth that is. All the animals of the forest are gathering to greet the young Prince (in the original novel, deer are regarded as “Princes” of the forest, while elk are “kings.”) The movie quickly flashes forward to Bambi strolling around the forest with his mother, but still mute. This changes when Bambi meets Thumper, a hyperactive young rabbit, who proceeds to teach him how to talk (there is a humorous exchange where Bambi learns to say “Bird.”) Shortly afterward, thunder rings out in the distance and the two go their separate ways and head home. This leads to the introduction of “Little April Shower,” a song about a rainstorm. Interestingly, this song was originally going to be called “I like Falling” (referring to the raindrops).

If you watch the opening the song you’ll hear four separate notes in the introduction as the raindrops begin falling. In a previous version, those notes were supposed to be words (something like this): “I, I, I, I, like, fall, -ing, I, Iike, fall, -ing, I like falling, I like falling, etc.) Ultimately, the animators decided that this was detracting from the quality of the song and the song was modified into its current version.

Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
Beating a tune as you fall all around

Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
What can compare with your beautiful sound?
Beautiful sound, beautiful sound
Drip, drop, drip, drop

Drip, drip, drop
When the sky is cloudy
Your pretty music will
Brighten the day

Drip, drip, drop
When the sky is cloudy
You come along with a
Song right away
Come with your beautiful music

Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
Beating a tune as you fall all around
Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
What can compare with your beautiful sound?

As the rain picks up in intensity, we see various animals running for cover, including a little field mouse who takes shelter under various objects or animals until he reaches the safety of his nest.

Drip, drip, drop
When the sky is cloudy
You come along, come along with your
Pretty little song
Drip, drip, drop
When the sky is cloudy
You come along, come along with your
Pretty little song

Gay little roundelay
Gay little roundelay
Song of the rainy day
Song of the rainy day
How I love to hear your patter
Pretty little pitter patter
Helter-skelter when you pelter
Troubles always seem to scatter

Bambi finally tries to sleep, but as Bambi’s mom suddenly looks upward, you know something is about to happen. And sure enough, as the song briefly fades away, the sky fills with lightning! When I was very young, this scene used to scare me because it’s filled with bright flashes and loud noises (and I used to be terrified of thunderstorms). Poor Bambi is petrified and we see various scenes of the the forest reacting to the storm. Eventually, the storm passes with a last roll of thunder and Bambi and his mother go back to sleep, while the song slowly fades away (as do the increasingly slow drops of rain).

Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
Beating a tune as you fall all around
Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
What can compare with your beautiful sound?

Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
Beating a tune as you fall all around
Drip, drip, drop
Little April shower
What can compare with your beautiful sound?
Beautiful sound

One of the things I like about this song is it ends as it began, with the rain drops slowly plunking down one by one, until all you hear is the “plink” of the clarinet that becomes slower and slower, until finally it fades away.

Let me know what you think about “Little April Shower” in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Bambi “Love is a Song” (1942)

Bambi “Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song” (1942)

Bambi “Looking For Romance” (1942)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Frozen “For the First Time in Forever” (2013)

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After Elsa accidentally injured Anna with her ice powers when they were both small children, their parents made the decision to close the castle up and raise the two girls away from the outside world. So for the next 10-15 years (I’m not sure how old Elsa is at the start of the film), the pair are raised in near isolation, which only increases when their parents die. But now it’s the day of Elsa’s coronation as Queen of Arendelle and the castle gates are finally going to be opened! Of course Anna is completely excited about the prospect of meeting new people (any new people) and possibly encountering true love. This is the set up for “For the First Time in Forever”:

The window is open, so’s that door
I didn’t know they did that anymore
Who knew we owned eight thousand salad plates?

For years I’ve roamed these empty halls
Why have a ballroom with no balls?
Finally, they’re opening up the gates

There’ll be actual real live people
It’ll be totally strange
Wow, am I so ready for this change?

‘Cause for the first time in forever
There’ll be music, there’ll be light
For the first time in forever
I’ll be dancing through the night

Don’t know if I’m elated or gassy
But I’m somewhere in that zone
‘Cause for the first time in forever
I won’t be alone

I can’t wait to meet everyone! (Gasps) What if I meet the one?

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, Anna at the start of the film is the stereotypical Disney princess. She wants to meet her Prince Charming, she wants the fairy tale romance, etc. And she’s even envisioned the perfect way for it to happen:

Tonight, imagine me gown and all
Fetchingly draped against the wall
The picture of sophisticated grace

I suddenly see him standing there
A beautiful stranger, tall and fair
I wanna stuff some chocolate in my face

But then we laugh and talk all evening
Which is totally bizarre
Nothing like the life I’ve led so far

For the first time in forever
There’ll be magic, there’ll be fun
For the first time in forever
I could be noticed by someone

And I know it is totally crazy
To dream I’d find romance
But for the first time in forever
At least I’ve got a chance

The fatal flaw in Anna’s plan is visible from the start: she’s dreaming about meeting “a beautiful stranger” and falling in love like that. But we all know, you don’t fall in love with strangers and it takes more than a fun evening to really get to know someone. To be sure, you can start getting to know someone in a single night, but enough to propose marriage? Nope, not a chance. Now, contrast Anna’s optimism with how Elsa feels about today. Unlike her sister, who’s mostly retained her optimism, Elsa has lived in increasing fear and depression about keeping her ice powers hidden and under control. The worst part? She can’t even tell her own sister about what’s bothering her:

Don’t let them in, don’t let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don’t feel, put on a show
Make one wrong move and everyone will know

But it’s only for today
(It’s only for today)
It’s agony to wait
(It’s agony to wait)
Tell the guards to open up the gate…
(The gate…)

For the first time in forever
(Don’t let them in, don’t let them see)
I’m getting what I’m dreaming of
(Be the good girl you always have to be)
A chance to change my lonely world
(Conceal)
A chance to find true love
(Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know)

I know it all ends tomorrow
So it has to be today
‘Cause for the first time in forever
For the first time in forever
Nothing’s in my way…

Basically, Elsa and Anna have opposite perspectives on today: Elsa is only opening the gates because her duty requires it, she just wants to get through the day with her secret intact. Anna, meanwhile, is ecstatic and wants the day to never end. With opposing mindsets like this, it was only inevitable that things would end badly (and boy did it ever!) I really like “For the First Time in Forever,” it’s Disney musical at its finest (and I’m so glad Disney brought this style of music back).

Time for some trivia! Eugene and Rapunzel from Tangled make a blink and you’ll miss it cameo when Anna comes running out of the gates. Also, the painting of the lady on a swing that Anna jumps in front of is another Tangled reference, as the real life painting served as a visual inspiration for the animation style of that film. I’ve also read that the bust that ends up in a cake bears some resemblance to the statue of Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid. I sort of see it (and it makes sense since Hans Christian Anderson also wrote The Little Mermaid) but it wasn’t the first thing that came to my mind.

Let me know what you think about “For the First Time in Forever” in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Frozen “Frozen Heart” (2013)

Frozen “Love is an Open Door” (2013)

Frozen “Let it Go” (2013)

Frozen “In Summer” (2013)

Frozen “For the First Time in Forever (reprise)” (2013)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Frozen “Frozen Heart” (2013)

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Of all the ways I thought Frozen would begin, I didn’t expect it to be with a group of ice harvesters hauling up huge blocks of ice. However, in retrospect, this opening absolutely works because it lays out the major themes of the film before we’ve even met any of the main characters (sure we do see young Kristoff and Sven but we don’t know who they are yet).

In “Frozen Heart,” the harvesters are sawing away on top of a frozen lake and singing about the dangers of a frozen heart:

Born of cold and winter air
And mountain rain combining
This icy force both foul and fair
Has a frozen heart worth mining

So cut through the heart, cold and clear
Strike for love and strike for fear
See the beauty, sharp and sheer
Split the ice apart!
And break the frozen heart

Hyup! Ho! Watch your step! Let it go!
Hyup! Ho! Watch your step! Let it go!

Beautiful!
Powerful!
Dangerous!
Cold!

Ice has a magic, can’t be controlled
Stronger than one! Stronger than ten!
Stronger than a hundred men!

Hyup!

Born of cold and winter air
And mountain rain combining!
This icy force both foul and fair
Has a frozen heart worth mining

Cut through the heart, cold and clear
Strike for love and strike for fear
There’s beauty and there’s danger here
Split the ice apart!
Beware the frozen heart…

It’s immediately clear that this song is referring to Elsa and her ice powers, which are both beautiful and dangerous. The power of ice is stronger than a hundred men and should be feared. However, looking back after the film, some of the lines can also be interpreted as referring to Hans, who most definitely has a “frozen heart” given how he used Anna and left her to die in an attempt to usurp Arendelle’s throne for himself.

While listening to this song, something about it felt familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. Then I learned that “Frozen Heart” is a tribute to Dumbo’s “Song of the Roustabouts” and it all made sense: the heavy cadence, the rhythmic singing, both songs are performed the same way (albeit with wildly different subject matter). Also, like the song in Dumbo, “Frozen Heart” is performed in the evening, with low light. This really is the kind of musical performance that sucks you right into the story.

“Frozen Heart” is a great prologue/introduction to the film and is the first of several great songs in Frozen. Let me know what you think of “Frozen Heart” in the comments below and have a great day!

Frozen “Love is an Open Door” (2013)

Frozen “Let it Go” (2013)

Frozen “In Summer” (2013)

Frozen “For the First Time in Forever (reprise)” (2013)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Oliver & Company “Why Should I Worry?” (1988)

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Over the years Disney has adapted many classic stories to be told in their animated films. In 1988, the studio released their interpretation of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist as Oliver & Company. Set in New York City, this loose adaptation features some familiar characters with an animal twist:

-Oliver (Joey Lawrence) is an orange tabby kitten forced to wander the streets when nobody adopts him.

-Dodger (Billy Joel) is a street-smart canine who eventually takes Oliver under his wing.

Oliver & Company was the last Disney animated film to be released before the launch of the Disney Renaissance with The Little Mermaid the following year. It was originally conceived as a direct sequel to The Rescuers (1977) but when that idea fell through Penny became “Jenny” and any other similarities were dropped.

Oliver meets Dodger when they initially form a partnership to steal some hot dogs. However, once the wisecracking dog has what he wants, he summarily takes off, even though he promised half of the food to Oliver. This is the set up for “Why Should I Worry?” which explains Dodger’s views on life in the big city. To date this is the only time Billy Joel has ever played a character in a film, and during the song Dodger takes on aspects of his voice actor (like donning a pair of sunglasses and playing on a piano):

One minute, I’m in Central Park
Then I’m down on Delancey Street
From the Bowery to St. Marks
There’s a syncopated beat
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo
I’m streetwise
I can improvise

Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo

I’m street-smart
I’ve got New York City heart

Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
I may not have a dime
But I got street savoir-faire

Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
It’s just be-bopulation
And I got street savoir-faire

The rhythm of the city
Boy, once you get it down
Then you can own this town
You can wear the crown

Why should I worry?
Tell me, why should I care?
Say, I may not have a dime
But, oh, I got street savoir-faire

Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
It’s just doo-wopulation
And I got street savoir-faire

Ev’rything goes
Ev’rything fits

They love me at the Chelsea
They adore me at the Ritz

Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
And even when I crossed that line
I got street savoir-faire

Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo

In similar fashion to “The Bare Necessities,” while Dodger easily navigates the city streets, showing off how cool he is, Oliver is barely able to follow along, almost getting into serious trouble multiple times. Dodger is clearly popular and well-known, since everywhere he goes he attracts hordes of dogs to sing along with him. If you look carefully, you’ll also see cameos from Pongo, Jock, Trusty, and Peg (all from 101 Dalmatians) during the song (they’re very short “blink and you’ll miss them” cameos).

“Why Should I Worry?” is a fun song, Billy Joel has you bopping along in no time. Let me know what you think about “Why Should I Worry?” in the comments below and have a great day!

See also:

Oliver & Company “Good Company” (1988)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Sleeping Beauty “Skumps” (1959)

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As we begin to reach the end of the film, we finally go back to the castle where King Stefan is impatiently waiting for the sun to set so he can finally see his daughter. King Hubert (Philip’s father) tries to cheer Stefan up by presenting him a bottle of wine that he has been saving for sixteen years. This leads to “Skumps” (also known as “The Drinking Song”), a jovial song performed by Hubert and Stefan as they toast Aurora’s imminent return and the fact that the marriage of their children will unite their kingdoms. Of course Hubert wants the wedding to happen right away but, as Stefan rightly points out “I haven’t even SEEN my daughter yet, and you’re trying to take her away from me!” (Maleficent delves a whole lot deeper into the question of what happens when you’re not actually raised by your parents and then reintroduced to them).

Skumps! Skumps!

Skumps!

A toast to this night!

The outlook is rosy,

But the future is bright,

Our children will marry, Our kingdoms unite, Skumps! Skumps! Skumps!

Skumps!

A toast to the home!

One grander by far than a palace in Rome!

Ah, let me fill up your glass, That glass was all foam!

Skumps! Skumps! Skumps!

It’s an amusing song meant to brighten the mood before the drama that will follow. And despite the lighthearted tone, things nearly break down between Hubert and Stefan. When the latter attempts to break it to his fellow monarch that the revelation about Philip might come as a shock to Aurora, Hubert takes it wrong and things nearly break down into warfare between the two (Hubert attacks Stefan using a fish as a sword) before the pair realize how ridiculous they’re being and dissolve into laughter. The two kings are sure that Philip and Aurora will love each other, but boy does Philip have news for his father.

I like to call this part of the film “The Comedy of Errors” because of all the misunderstandings that occur in short order. It can be summed up like this:

1) King Hubert thinks his son Prince Philip is in love with a peasant girl
2) The fairies think Aurora is in love with a commoner
3) Neither side realizes they’ve actually met Aurora/Prince Philip (though admittedly Hubert does think this initially)
4) And most importantly, Maleficent is wise to the fairy’s scheme and nobody knows it.

Based on all of these misunderstandings, Aurora is miserable while being led back to the castle, Philip has left to seek the girl he loves and Hubert is in a quandary about how to tell Stefan that Philip doesn’t want to marry Aurora anymore.

Let me know what you think about “Skumps” in the comments below and have a great day!

Sleeping Beauty “The Gifts of Beauty and Song” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “I Wonder” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “Once Upon A Dream” (1959)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Sleeping Beauty “Once Upon A Dream” (1959)

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Like many sixteen year old girls, Aurora wants very much to be in love, in fact she claims to have met her true love already….just in her dreams though. She seems so depressed that he isn’t real that the animals decide to do something to cheer her up. It just so happens that Prince Philip is still nearby, drying off after Samson accidentally dunks him into the river. The animals sneak off with his hat, cloak and boots and dress up the owl as her “dream prince” (much to Aurora’s amusement). This leads to the first rendition of “Once Upon a Dream” (taken directly from Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty Waltz.”)

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you, the gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
Yet I know it’s true that visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you,
I know what you’ll do
You’ll love me at once
The way you did once upon a dream

The song is simple: Aurora and Philip are in love because they’ve already met in their dreams (a funny premise for a relationship, but this is Disney after all). While Aurora and the animals are having their fun, Philip and Samson finally lay eyes on the mysterious singer and of course Philip falls in love at first sight. So what does the prince do? Join in the song of course! The prince and princess share a dance and then at the crucial moment when Philip asks her name, it’s only THEN that Aurora remembers that she’s not supposed to speak to strangers and runs off. Meanwhile, back at the cottage…things are going…well….not well actually.

After enduring Flora’s efforts at dressmaking and watching Fauna attempt to make a cake, Merriweather finally snaps and lets the others know that if they’re going to do this properly they just need to use magic. Soon enough the cake is nearly ready, the cottage is clean and the dress is almost done. There’s just one little snag…shall the dress be pink or blue? (On a side note: the running gag of changing the dress’s color stems from a real-life argument the animators had over the very same question. They simply could not agree on whether the dress should be pink or blue so they ended up doing both…in a way.)

Flora and Merriweather get into a full-blown fight over the color of the dress, leading to magical sparks flying all over the cottage and straight up the chimney (the one part of the house they forgot to close up. Of course, the magical fight draws the attention of Maleficent’s raven Diablo, who has been searching far and wide for the missing Aurora ever since her other minions revealed that they’ve been searching for a baby for sixteen years! Diablo peeks his head in and witnesses Aurora coming home to tell her aunts about the wonderful man she’s just met, only to hear some rather earth-shattering news (one, her name is Aurora and not Briar Rose. Two, she’s a princess and she’s going back to the royal castle tonight and three, she must NEVER see that young man again (because of course the fairies have no way of knowing who he is.))

This news delights Diablo and he rushes off to inform his mistress while Aurora, quite naturally, has an emotional breakdown. This leads to one of the most ridiculous lines I have ever heard. Merriweather turns to the others and says “And we thought she’d be so happy…” I’m sorry but, how would YOU react if everything you’d ever known your whole life turned out to be a lie? I don’t think I would be happy about it personally (but that’s just me.) And remember when I said that Aurora speaks the least out of any Disney Princess? Once Aurora runs upstairs and throws herself on the bed…she doesn’t speak again for the rest of the movie.

Let me know what you think about “Once Upon A Dream” in the comments below and have a great day!

Sleeping Beauty “The Gifts of Beauty and Song” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “I Wonder” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “Skumps” (1959)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook

Sleeping Beauty “I Wonder” (1959)

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The prologue of the film being over, the story flashes forward to Aurora’s sixteenth birthday, though in the story she has been raised under the name Briar Rose by her three “aunts.” The teenage princess is voiced by opera singer Mary Costa, who also stood in as the physical model for Aurora. Being an opera singer, Aurora’s singing style is something of a call back to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Costa is a true soprano (as her vocal improvisation at the beginning of “I Wonder” makes perfectly clear.)

On this day, her “aunts” Flora, Fauna and Merriweather need Briar Rose out of the house so that they can make a few surprises for her birthday, so the teenager is shooed out of the house to pick some berries. After Briar Rose leaves, it becomes obvious that the fairies have set a huge (read: impossible) task for themselves. According to Merriweather, Flora “can’t sew” and Fauna “has never cooked.” (Which really makes one wonder who’s been keeping the household running all these years.) Nevertheless, the fairies set out on their task and we’re soon following Briar Rose out into the forest.

Of all the Disney Princesses, Aurora speaks the least, and this scene in the forest marks the opening of her first song, “I Wonder.” In this song, Aurora/Briar Rose summons her animal friends by improvising a clear soprano melody.

It is during this vocal introduction that we also meet the grown up Prince Philip. The prince has no idea that his betrothed is close by, so naturally he’s curious to see the source of this gorgeous melody. This leads to a hysterical moment where Philip spurs his horse on by promising him extra carrots if he’ll help him look for the singer. The excited horse charges off, only to stop short as he accidentally flings Philip into a creek (the disgruntled prince revokes his offer of carrots). As they attempt to find the singer, we go back to Aurora’s song.

I wonder, I wonder,
I wonder why each little bird has a someone
To sing to, sweet things to,
A gay little love melody
I wonder, I wonder,
I wonder if my heart keeps singing,
Will my song go winging
To someone, who’ll find me
And bring back a love song to me.

As her friends gather, the princess muses aloud about why all the animals around her have their own loved ones, but not her. She then wonders, if she keeps singing, maybe she’ll find a lover of her own (ironically the song concludes with Aurora looking wistfully at the royal castle in the distance, not knowing that she’s looking at her birthplace and rightful home.) It would seem that at sixteen years old, Aurora feels somewhat…smothered…by her well-meaning aunts who “still treat her like a child.”

Having grown up knowing no one but her three aunts, Aurora/Briar Rose is understandably feeling lonely and sad because there isn’t anyone new for her to talk to or meet. She has no idea that her entire life is about to be turned upside down in a matter of hours. I really like “I Wonder,” it’s a beautiful, operatic song that reveals in short order the kind of woman Aurora is growing up to be (clearly the gifts of Beauty and Song have done their work). The only thing that disappoints me is that Aurora doesn’t talk more throughout the film.

Let me know what you think about “I Wonder” in the comments below and have a great day!

Sleeping Beauty “The Gifts of Beauty and Song” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “Once Upon A Dream” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “Skumps” (1959)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

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Sleeping Beauty “Hail to the Princess Aurora” (1959)

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Evolution of Disney : Sleeping Beauty Part 1

Sleeping Beauty “Hail to the Princess Aurora” (1959)

After the success of Cinderella, nine long years passed before Sleeping Beauty came to the theater. It wasn’t supposed to be that long of a wait, but the production (as many Disney animated features tended to do) ran over-budget and became the most expensive Disney film to date when it was finally finished. Unlike the previous two Disney Princess films, the score to Sleeping Beauty was derived entirely from the music Tchaikovksy wrote for his Sleeping Beauty ballet. The only original item is the lyrics added to the songs (as well as a simplified arrangement of the melody).

After an introduction by an unseen narrator that explains the circumstances of Princess Aurora’s birth, the film opens with the song “Hail to the Princess Aurora,” ostensibly sung by all the nobles journeying to the castle to see the newborn Princess. This was the first Disney movie to be animated in a widescreen format and the animators took full advantage of the extra space given to them.

Joyfully now to our princess we come,
Bringing gifts and all good wishes, too,
We pledge our loyalty anew

Hail to the Princess Aurora!
All of her subjects adore her!

Hail to the King!
Hail to the Queen!
Hail to the Princess Aurora!

Health to the Princess,
Wealth to the Princess,
Long live the Princess Aurora!

Hail Aurora!
Hail Aurora!
Health to the Princess,
Wealth to the Princess,
Long live the Princess Aurora!

Hail to the King!
Hail to the Queen!
Hail to the Princess Aurora!

“Hail to the Princess Aurora” is a rich choral piece that takes the audience from the town all the way up to the castle where the King and Queen are receiving their guests. Everything is animated in gorgeous colors and this remains one of my favorite openings to a classic Disney film. Let me now what you think about “Hail to the Princess Aurora” in the comments below and have a great day!

Sleeping Beauty “I Wonder” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “Once Upon A Dream” (1959)

Sleeping Beauty “Skumps” (1959)

Disney/Dreamworks/Pixar/etc. Soundtracks A-Z

Become a Patron of the blog at patreon.com/musicgamer460

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

Don’t forget to like Film Music Central on Facebook