My 11 favourite Disney songs

Fond as I am of sweeping generalisations, I am confident enough to make this statement:- Anyone born in the 80s who says they don't have a favourite Disney movie is lying. There are no exceptions. To be sure, by "Disney movie", I mean the cartoon-y stuff, not the Pixar animation stuff like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and that sort of thing (though that is a list for another day).

The sample size for Disney movies is fairly large, ranging nearly 80 years since "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" in 1937. Since then, we've had stuff like Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Robin Hood, The Fox and the Hound, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, the Lion King, Mulan and most recently, Tangled.

This list lists (see what I did there - not that very clever a thing, but still, see what I did there?) my top 11 favourite Disney songs (not movies), based on all the Disney movies I've watched. Granted, I've not watched the entire sample - I've never watched "The Aristocats", "Oliver and Company", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and rather shamefully, "Hercules".

So, here we go. Why did I choose "11" instead of "10"? No fricking clue. But let's move on. I've taken the liberty of including the scenes from the movies in which the songs were sung.

11. Beauty and the Beast (Tale as Old as Time) from Beauty and the Beast (insert Captain Obvious joke here)



If you read my Broadway post, you'll know I lost my Broadway-watching-ginity with Beauty and the Beast. And you know what, I may have lost my Disney-watching-ginity with Beauty and the Beast as well. And so, we have a classic.

Cool lyricism:
Barely even friends, Then somebody bends, Unexpectedly
Just a little change, Small to say the least
Both a little scared, Neither one prepared
Beauty and the Beast

10. A Whole New World from Aladdin



"Is it safe?" "Sure, do you trust me?" Somehow, I tend to think of those as 'famous last words'. Happily, for Aladdin and Princess Jasmine, it was a happily ever after.

Cool lyricism:
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

9. Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas



I'm generally not a hippie tree-hugger, but I do like nature. Also, nature metaphors are generally a-okay for me.

Cool lyricism:
Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest,
Come taste the sunsweet berries of the Earth,
Come roll in all the riches all around you,
And for once, never wonder what they're worth.

8. Can You Feel the Love Tonight from The Lion King



The classic. When I was in Dorm Crew, this was the song we sang to keep ourselves peppy and positive while lugging around tables and chairs at 11.30pm on a cold, rainy Tuesday night. Was also the first song my bathroom partner and I sang together while cleaning bathrooms during my first Fall Clean Up right before Freshman Year.

Cool lyricism:
Can you feel the love tonight?
You needn't look too far
Stealing through the night's uncertainties
Love is where they are

7. Circle of Life from The Lion King



There has never been a greater beginning to a movie in the history of Disney movies. The hug between Mufasa and Rafiki still gives me chills.

Cool lyricism:
It's the circle of life and it moves us all
Through despair and hope, through faith and love
Till we find our place on the path unwinding
In the circle, the circle of life

6. Phony King of England from Robin Hood



My favourite Disney movie of all-time. Yes, I just gave away the ending to a future blog post but what the hell. Also, the most underrated Disney movie ever. Not enough is mentioned of this classic. One reason why it's so good - This song. Catchy little bit about Prince John, the phony King of England.

Cool lyricism:
Oh the world will sing of an English King
A thousand years from now
And not because he passed some laws
Or had that lofty brow

5. I See the Light from Tangled/Rapunzel



Disney's best love ballad, to me. This comes from the most recent Disney classic, Tangled. Also, aren't the lanterns gorgeous? What a setting.

Cool lyricism:
All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing things, the way they were
Now she's here shining in the starlight
Now she's here, suddenly I know
If she's here it's crystal clear
I'm where I'm meant to go

4. True to your Heart from Mulan



To be honest, this song was the reason I wrote this particular post. I heard it on the radio a couple of days ago and though, "Damn, this is one of my favourite Disney songs ever." The next one or two thoughts follow naturally. Such a happy, positive song. And it's 98 Degrees! My 2nd favourite boy band from the '90s! In a Disney Power Hour, this would be my 9th or 10th song (when everyone already has a little buzz).

Cool lyricism:
Girl, my heart is driving me to where you are
You can take both hands off the wheel and still get far
Be swept away, enjoy the ride
You won't get lost with your heart to guide you

3. I Can't Wait to be King from The Lion King



3 appearances on the list! It's no surprise why The Lion King is the favourite Disney movie for a whole load of people. Am confident there's a strong correlation between the musical awesomeness of a Disney movie and the overall awesomeness of the movie. My favourite song because, well, title says it all. My favourite lyrics are a little biased, though.

Cool lyricism:
If this is where the monarchy is headed
Count me out
Out of service, out of Africa
I wouldn't hang about

2. Whistle Stop (Oo De Lally) from Robin Hood



My favourite song from my favourite Disney movie. The crooning of rooster minstrel Alan O Dale is so smooth. And look how relaxed they are, enjoying the company of one another, just chillin' like a villain (to the rich). Contentment. Until the Sheriff gets there, of course. But still.

Cool lyricism:
Robin Hood and Little John
Walkin' through the forest
Laughin' back and forth
At what the other'ne has to say
Reminiscin', This-'n'-thattin'
Havin' such a good time
Oo-de-lally, Oo-de-lally
Golly, what a day

1. Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book



The catchiest of them all. And perhaps the most poignant and profound. I'll let the lyrics speak for themselves.

Cool lyricism:
Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

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

You can fully expect, at some point in the future, a ranking of my favourite Disney movies. But till then, may the bare necessities of life come to you.