111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 6

Ryan Dosier - Part 6, Part 6, woo-hoo!

56.)   "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio
No song says Disney more than the theme from Pinocchio. In fact, this was (and in my opinion, still is) undoubtedly the anthem for The Walt Disney Company. "When You Wish Upon a Star" encapsulates everything that Disney stands for as both an entertainment company and an ideal to strive for. The "Disney Way" is this song, and it's perfection. Jiminy Cricket's original version from Pinocchio remains the stalwart best. Favorite Lyrics: "Like a bolt out of the blue/Fate steps in and sees you through/When you wish upon a star/Your dreams come true."

57.)   "Perfect World" from The Emperor's New Groove
Come on, I had to include a song from The Emperor's New Groove, one of Disney's most under-appreciated animated features. No, it's not a musical, but this number performed by rock and roll legend Tom Jones to open the film is spectacular. It sets the tone for the film immediately, and clues you into the fact that this will definitely not be the traditional Disney fare. "Perfect World" is a perfect song for this film. Favorite Lyrics: "He was born and raised to rule/No one has ever been this cool/In a thousand years of aristocracy/An enigma and a mystery/In Meso American history/The quintessence of perfection/That is he!"

58.)   "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty
This song is actually my favorite part of Sleeping Beauty. It's gorgeously animated, the backgrounds are incredibly stunning, and the song is magical. The lyrics illustrate such a beautiful ideal--meeting your true love in a dream, and knowing they're the one for you when you meet them for real. It's such a delightful moment in one of Walt Disney's classic films. Perfectly performed, stunningly animated, and a wonderful part of Disney music history. Favorite Lyrics: "I know you, I've walked with you/Once upon a dream/I know you, the gleam in your eyes/Is so familiar agleam/And I know it's true/That visions are seldom what 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."

59.)   "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from Frozen
The newest song in the list this week comes directly from the icy world of Frozen, the latest Disney animated blockbuster. "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" is the catchiest song in the film and the one that stuck with me the most after my first viewing of the film. I love the angelic voices of the girls singing the song, the adorable way Anna says "It doesn't have to be a snowman," and everything else about this song. Favorite Lyrics: "Do you wanna build a snow man?/Or ride our bikes around the halls/I think some company is overdue/I've started talking to/The pictures on the walls!"

60.)   "Gonna Take You There" from The Princess and the Frog
I really don't understand how you could not love The Princess and the Frog. Stunning traditional animation, wonderful storytelling, and exceptional music from Randy Newman. Ray the Lightning Bug (voiced by voice actor virtuoso Jim Cummings) is my favorite character in the film, and this quick zydeco-flavored song he sings to Tiana is a blast. The animation in this scene is especially stunning, with the many lightning bugs hopping and flying through the swamp. It's a joy. Favorite Lyrics: "We all go through together/Down here that's how we do!/Me for them and them for me/We'll all be there for you!"

61.)   "Stand Out" from A Goofy Movie
I'm pretty sure I've already said this, but my goodness does A Goofy Movie have excellent music. "Stand Out" is the first Powerline song we hear in the film, as Max ruins his school assembly performing it with incredible light and video effects. The song is actually a really nice message of coming to terms with how you're different and how you stand out because of it. Plus, it rocks super hard. Favorite Lyrics: "Some people settle for the typical things/Living all their lives waiting in the wings/It ain't a question of if, just a matter of time/Before I move to the front of the line!"

62.)   "Go the Distance" from Hercules
Perhaps my favorite Alan Menken ballad, "Go the Distance" is the anthem for many, many people setting out to live their dreams on a grand scale. I adore this song so much and I've sang it in the car when I needed a reminder of how important dreams are on multiple occasions. It's one of those songs with a message that will never get old or stop being important. "Go the Distance" is one of many factors that makes Hercules so wonderful. Favorite Lyrics: "I have often dreamed/Of a far off place/Where a great, warm welcome/Will be waiting for me/Where the crowds will cheer/When they see my face/And a voice keeps saying/This is where I'm meant to be."

63.)   "On the Open Road" from A Goofy Movie
Ooh, yet another song from A Goofy Movie, and one of my favorites! This is the only true "musical" style song in the whole film, where there characters are spontaneously all singing the same song. Oddly, I think "On the Open Road" is my favorite tune from the flick. I love Bill Farmer's singing voice as Goofy and this song fits him so well. The chorus of other drivers who chime in are also incredibly well done. Favorite Lyrics: "Do ya need a break from modern livin'?/Do you long to shed your weary load?/If your nerves are raw and your brain is fried/Just grab a friend and take a ride/Together upon the open road!"

64.)   "Strangers Like Me" from Tarzan
Have we had any songs from Tarzan on the list yet? Probably... and I'm too lazy to go back and check! Anyway, Phil Collins' work with the music in Tarzan is wonderful. One of the few Disney animated features to feature prominent songs that characters don't sing, Tarzan features a plethora of hits. "Strangers Like Me" is a beautiful storytelling song in the film, but also works as a wonderful anthem for finding a place where you belong. A true highlight of the film. Favorite Lyrics: "Every gesture, every move that she makes/Makes me feel like never before/Why do I have/This growing need to be beside her /Ooh, these emotions I never knew/Of some other world far beyond this place/Beyond the trees, above the clouds/I see before me a new horizon."

65.)   "Reflection" from Mulan
Another beautiful anthem from a Disney animated feature, "Reflection" is a favorite of many girls and women who adored Mulan. But really, "Reflection" reflects all of us searching for purpose and trying to define who we truly are. It's a touching and staggering song expressing how most people feel at a young age. Trying to figure out who you are at the most confusing period of life is never easy, and this song explores and expresses that incredibly well. Favorite Lyrics: "Who is that girl I see?/Staring straight back at me/Why is my reflection someone I don't know?/Somehow I cannot hide/Who I am, though I've tried/When will my reflection show/Who I am inside?"

66.)   "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from Mary Poppins
Absolutely one of the most clever songs ever written, this impossible to spell Sherman Brothers classic is a delight. When performed by Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke, "Supercali-" becomes a masterpiece. I adore this song and how silly and fun and wonderful it is. It's the definition of a nonsense song, and it's marvelous. Favorite Lyrics: "Because I was afraid to speak/When I was just a lad/Me father gave me nose a tweak/And told me I was bad/But then I learned a word to help me save my achin' nose/The biggest word you ever hear/And this is how it goes, oh!/Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" 

111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 5

Ryan Dosier - Look, I'm being consistent and updating this list again! Let's jump forward with even more Awesome Disney songs!

45.)   "The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room" from Disneyland
This is one of those songs that immediately makes me think of Disneyland, and makes me wonder why I'm sitting here typing and not in the park right now. It's chock full of great, silly lyrics and jokes ("I sing so beautiful, I should sing solo." "Si, so low we can't hear you!"), and the birds are all wonderfully fun characters. Really, there's not much more to say other than I adore this attraction and this song. Favorite Lyrics: "All the birds sing words/And the flowers croon/In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room!"

46.)   "I've Got No Strings" from Pinocchio
Pinocchio is one of my favorite films, and the music is such a huge part of why it's so delightfully charming and enjoyable. This little number performed by Pinocchio as part of Strombolli's marionette show is so innocent and sweet... until the saucy German marionette girls swoop in. It's funny, it's fun, the music is simple but delightful, and the lyrics are adorable. Just like Pinocchio. Favorite Lyrics: "I've got no strings/So I have fun/I'm not tied up to anyone/They've got strings/But you can see/There are no strings on me."

47.)   "Dig a Little Deeper" from The Princess and the Frog
My favorite song from The Princess and the Frog is Mama Odie's brilliantly upbeat and joyful "Dig a Little Deeper." This song breathes so much life into Mama Odie, a character who only appears in a few scenes in the film, but steals every one of them. Couple that with the soulful vocals of Jenifer Lewis, and you've got one of the finest gospel-themed songs in any animated film. It's a blast. Favorite Lyrics: "Don't matter what ya look like/Don't matter what ya wear/How many rings ya got on your fingers?/We don't care--no, we don't care!"

48.)   "It's Gonna Be Great" from Winnie the Pooh
One of the most vastly underrated Disney animated features is 2011's Winnie the Pooh. It's so deliciously funny and clever, and its charm is never-ending. One of my favorite moments from the film is this song that Tigger sings with Eeyore as he helps the morose donkey become a Tigger. The song is, dare I say it, bouncy, and one of the finest singing performances from the legendary Jim Cummings. Favorite Lyrics: "Strike me down, give me all you got/Bounce me, trounce me, flounce me, pounce me/Do it, do it, do it/It's gonna be great, it's gonna be great, it's gonna be great."

49.)   "That's How You Know" from Enchanted
Ah, the modern day fairytale classic Enchanted. Not only is it one of Amy Adams' best performances, but the film features new music from Alan Menken and its awesome. No song is better than the show stopping production number "That's How You Know." The dancing, singing, spectacle is one of the best in live action Disney films. Trivia: the old men dancing in the park were the original "Step in Time" dancers from Mary Poppins! Favorite Lyrics: "Well does he leave a little note/To tell you you are on his mind/Send you yellow flowers when the sky is gray?/He'll find a new way to show you/A little bit everyday."

50.)   "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast
A spectacular opening number to one of Disney's finest features. "Belle" is a wonderful example of group performance and echoes Broadway-style music better than any Disney animated feature song before it. Leave it to Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for that! The catchy, "talking" lyrics, the refrain of "Bonjour!" to open the song, Paige O'Hara as Belle, and so much more make this song simply delightful. Favorite Lyrics: "There goes the baker with his tray, like always/The same old bread and rolls to sell/Every morning just the same/Since the morning that we came/To this poor provincial town/Good morning, Belle!"

51.)   "Topsy Turvy" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
A break from the dark tones of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is this joyful, colorful blast midway through the film. Clopin, the clown gypsy, sings the song with ease and speed. It's so much fun to watch all the wacky things going on in Paris on this Topsy Turvy Day. It also provides a brief moment of happiness for poor Quasimodo... before ripping it away in one of the film's darkest scenes. But still, fun song. Favorite Lyrics: "Once a year, we throw a party here in town/Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down/Every man's a king, and every king's a clown/Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day!"

52.)   "I've Got a Dream" from Tangled
Tangled features one of the few songs in modern-day Disney animated features to be primarily performed by unnamed characters, and it's this riotous ditty "I've Got a Dream." The main singers, voiced by Brad Garrett and Jeffery Tambor, are never given names, but their plights and their dreams are wonderful. It's such a treat to hear incredibly different voices like these performing in a Disney feature. This is perhaps my favorite moment in all of Tangled. Favorite Lyrics: "I've got scars, and lumps, and bruises/And something here that oozes/And let's not even mention my complexion!/But despite my extra toes, and my goiter, and my nose/I really wanna make a love connection!"

53.)   "Proud of Your Boy" from Aladdin (Deleted Song)
The only deleted song included on the whole list is also the fifth Alan Menken song in a row! Of course, "Proud of Your Boy" went on to be a major player in the Broadway version of Aladdin, but originally it was penned by Alan and Howard Ashman for the animated film. It was cut after a sub-plot involving Aladdin's mother was removed. But the song is so important and soft and powerful. It's one of the most resonating Disney songs, period, and I'm so thrilled that it has found a home on Broadway. Favorite Lyrics: "Proud of your boy/I'll make you proud of your boy/Believe me, bad as I've been mom/You're in for a pleasant surprise/I've wasted time/I've wasted me/So say I'm slow for my age/A late bloomer/Okay, I agree!"

54.)   "Winnie-the-Pooh" from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
I just need to hear someone start humming this song, and I immediately have to start singing along. It's so bouncy and catchy and lovely. This Sherman Brothers tune evokes everything that Winnie the Pooh represents: joy and kindness and friendship. Plus, it's a really handy way to remember all of the Pooh characters (except the oddly absent Tigger) in one handy song! Favorite Lyrics: "Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods/Where Christopher Robin plays/You'll find the enchanted neighborhood/Of Christopher's childhood days..."

55.)   "Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp
"Bella Notte" is one of the most wonderful Disney love songs, and one that often gets overlooked in favor of the newer era of songs. Still, its music and lyrics are some of the best to be found in the Disney canon. Performed by Tony, the Italian restauranteur who feeds Lady and the Tramp the famous spaghetti, "Bella Notte" is the perfect accompaniment to any romantic dinner or occasion. Favorite Lyrics: "This is the night/It's a beautiful night/And we call it bella notte/Look at the skies/They have stars in their eyes/On this lovely belle notte."

111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 2

Ryan Dosier - My countdown and review of 111 Awesome Disney Songs continues today with 11 more of my favorites. Check out Part 1 for more!

12.)   "God Help the Outcasts" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
One of the most beautiful Disney songs ever recorded is this breathtaking song from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The song, sung by Esmerelda, has some of the most meaningful lyrics in any Disney song--and the music is great as well. It's a slow song, but as a power ballad with a message, it's almost unparalleled in Disney musical canon. Favorite Lyrics: "I ask for nothing, I can get by/But I know so many less lucky than I/Please help my people, they look to you still/God help the outcasts, when nobody will."

13.)   "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)" from Pinocchio
Pinocchio is one of my favorite Disney animated features, and I love this song from it. Honest John, the sleazy fox who steals Pinocchio away from school with promises of bounties from being an actor, croons this tune with ease. He's such a fun, bouncy, nonsensical song that is really hard not to enjoy. Favorite Lyrics: "Hi-diddle-dee-dee/An actor's life for me/A wax mustache and a beaver coat/A pony cart and a billy goat."

14.)   "He Lives in You" from The Rhythm of the Pride Lands
This powerful song was featured in The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, but its first appearance was on the sequel album, The Lion King: Rhythm of the Pride Lands, which featured more music inspired by the film performed by the incredible Lebo M. "He Lives in You" was also later used, to incredible effect, in The Lion King on Broadway. This song is resonating and stunning and one of the finest examples of African choral work out there. Favorite Lyrics: "He lives in you/He lives in me/He watches over/Everything we see/Into the water/Into the truth/In your reflection/He lives in you."

15.)   "Jolly Holiday" from Mary Poppins
You're lying if you say you can't immediately here Dick van Dyke's fantastic performance of this song in your head just from reading the name of the song. Dick's performance is this song is magic--bubbly, loving, and delightful. This song is a highlight of Mary Poppins, with the animation of the penguins and the farm animals. A true wonder. Favorite Lyrics: "Ain't it a glorious day?/Right as a mornin' in May/I feel like I could fly/Have you ever seen/The grass so green?/Or a bluer sky?"

16.)   "The Bare Necessities" from The Jungle Book
Thinking about it now, I can't think of a Disney song I adore more than "The Bare Necessities." Phil Harris is one of the finest singers and performers that Disney ever had. The songs he sang always oozed fun and happiness, and none moreso than this classic from The Jungle Book. It's one of the best anthems for fun and relaxation that one can find, Disney or not. It's a kick, baby. Favorite Lyrics: "And don't spend your time lookin' around/For something you want that can't be found/When you find out you can live without it/And go along not thinkin' about it/I'll tell you something true/the Bare Necessities of life will come to you."

17.)   "The Bells of Notre Dame" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Another Hunchback song? Blame iTunes shuffle... this is the stunning opening performance from the film. Performed mostly by the jester Clopin, "The Bells of Notre Dame" is a fine showcase of many voices: Tony Jay as Frollo, David Ogden Stiers as the Archdeacon, and Paul Kandel as Clopin. It's a marvelous, operatic-influenced introduction into this much darker Disney world. It deserves to rank among the best Disney opening songs. Favorite Lyrics: "Now here is a riddle to guess if you can/Sing the bells of Notre Dame/Who is the monster and who is the man/Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells of Notre Dame!"

18.)   "A Star is Born" from Hercules
From one of Alan Menken's greatest opening numbers, to one of his finest closing numbers! "A Star is Born" is one of Hercules' greatest songs, unsurprisingly performed by the Muses. The song's extremely exciting tone and lyrics makes for a true happy ending. It's a rock ballad with gospel influence, and it's so hard not to cheer by the end. Favorite Lyrics: "Within your heart's the power/For making you a hero too/So don't lose hope when you're forlorn/Just keep your eyes upon the skies/Every night a star is/Right in sight a star is/Burning bright a star is born"

19.)   "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King
Ah, the lazy man's anthem! Who else but Disney and Elton John could make a Swahili phrase sung by a meerkat and a warthog an international song sensation? "Hakuna Matata" is incredibly catchy, bouncy, delightful, and most of all FUN. In fact, I can't think of a more fun Disney song, period. It's a pivotal tune for The Lion King, Disney, and anyone born in the late 80s and 90s. Favorite Lyrics: "It means no worries, for the rest of your days/It's our problem free philosophy/Hakuna Matata."

20.)   "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" from Song of the South
Okay, maybe I was wrong... "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" may give "Hakuna Matata" a run for its money as the most fun Disney song. It became an anthem for the fun and freedom that Disney represents for quite awhile. But then when Disney decided to never let Song of the South see the light of day again and the song sort of faded back. But it still remains incredibly delightful and hopeful and just a whole lot of fun. Favorite Lyrics: "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay/My, oh my, what a wonderful day/Plenty of sunshine/Headed my way/Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Zip-A-Dee-Ay."

21.)   "Today is Gonna Be a Great Day" from Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb is one of the most inventive and joyful shows in Disney animated history. Every episode brings the funny and the crazy, and it all starts with the excellent theme song by Bowling for Soup. It showcases the carpe diem attitude of the show incredibly well and shows that literally anything could happen on the show, from giving a monkey a shower to building a time machine. Favorite Lyrics: "There's 104 days of summer vacation/Til school comes along just to end it/So the annual problem for our generation/Is finding a good way to spend it/Like maybe building a rocket or fighting a mummy/Or climbing up the Eiffel Tower/Discovering something that doesn't exist/Or giving a monkey a shower!"

22.)   "Be Our Guest" from Beauty and the Beast
This week's list is jam-packed with my favorite Disney songs ever. "Be Our Guest" is one of the most brilliantly performed and written songs in Disney history. Howard Ashman's lyrics are stunning, Alan Menken's music is magic, Jerry Orbach's vocals as Lumiere and Angela Lansbury's vocals as Mrs. Potts are unbelievable--it's a perfect song. I could listen to it forever and ever. Favorite Lyrics: "Be our guest, be our guest/Put our service to the test/Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie/And we provide the rest/Soup du jour, hot hors devours/Why, we only lie to serve/Try the grey stuff, it's delicious/Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!"

Disney Animation Reviews #2 - Pinocchio

Disney Animation Review - 2/52: Pinocchio

Ryan Dosier - It’s amazing to me that I am only two films into my review countdown of Disney animated features and I’ve just watched Walt Disney’s masterpiece. That film is Pinocchio, Walt Disney’s 1940 piece of brilliance, his magnum opus (words I don’t often use lightly) (because I don’t really know what they mean).

From the opening credits and the chords of “When You Wish Upon a Star,” Pinocchio sets itself apart from the rest. It is clear almost immediately that this film is brimming with heart, charm, and unflinching artistry. Jiminy Cricket steals the picture right away and never gives it back. Jiminy’s voice (provided by radio man Cliff Edwards) is so distinct and his mannerisms are so funny that he shoots to the top of my list of favorite Disney characters. Jiminy also benefits from being animated by a Disney master: Ward Kimball. Jiminy dances and jumps and flirts hysterically all through the film with some of the finest character animation of all-time. He quips and insults and solidifies himself as the movie’s moral compass, driving force, and most entertaining character.

That isn’t to say that Pinocchio himself does not make for a wonderful protagonist and a true hero. As soon as the Blue Fairy brings him to life, Pinocchio is funny, sweet, and adorable. Unlike his forebear (I can’t believe I used that word either), Snow White, Pinocchio is interesting, entertaining, and adorably flawed. The little wooden boy is innocent and ridiculously naive, but this never works against him. If anything, it makes him more lovable and fun to cheer for. Just look at the lively “I’ve Got No Strings” song for Pinocchio’s most charming moment as a character. There are moments where Pinocchio fears and we fear with him, where he laughs and we laugh with him, where he is heroic and we root for him. That is the making of a great character, and that is what Pinocchio is.

The other characters in the film are truly wonderful as well. The Blue Fairy is a stunning animated feat—she’s so realistic it’s incredible. Gepetto is the film’s most sympathetic and lovely character. Figaro, the cat, and Cleo, the goldfish, serve their purposes as comic reliefs well. Each character has a sense of purpose, fun, and magic, something that was painfully lacking in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Disney’s story department had evolved immeasurably for Pinocchio.

Through it all, there are an incredible five villains in Pinocchio. Honest John, his sidekick Gideon, Stromboli the puppet master, the Pleasure Island Coachman, and Monstro the whale. Unbelievably, all of these villains work to enhance the movie. They are all unique, whether they are sly and silly (Honest John and Gideon), a cruel blowhard (Stromboli), pure evil (the Coachman), or just an unstoppable force of nature (Monstro), all of the many villains filter in and out of the film and provide a new sense of danger or comedy, working wonders for the fantastical plot.

The movie is clearly a fantasy, with the wild Pleasure Island, the fact that Honest John is a fox and Gideon is a cat... oh, and it stars a talking puppet and a talking cricket. But Pinocchio possesses a sense of fun and joy that elevates it from the weird plot points. Viewers simply pass off the outrageousness of an island where little boys turn into jackasses because they are having so much fun with Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket. It is remarkable that a film with so many crazy things can work so wonderfully.

Everything about Pinocchio is masterful. The animation is perfect, the backgrounds and layouts are remarkably gorgeous, and the colors burst from the screen. But the true wonder of the film is its characters. Pinocchio, most of all, wins by fighting for his happy ending himself. He saves the life of Gepetto, sacrificing himself in the process, and so becomes a real boy. But unlike Snow White, Pinocchio grabs his happy ending himself. He earns it and he deserves it, and Walt Disney and his team of animators and filmmakers earned this film and deserve the label of masterpiece.

5/5 Russian Puppets

The Mickey Mindset, mickeymindset@gmail.com