Disney Musical May 15 - Arabian Nights

Oh, I come from a land
From a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where it's flat and immense
And the heat is intense
It's barbaric
But, hey, it's home

When the wind's from the east
And the sun's from the west
And the sand in the glass is right
Come on down, stop on by
Hop a carpet and fly
To another Arabian night

Arabian nights
Like Arabian days
More often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of good ways

Arabian nights
'Neath Arabian moons
A fool off his guard
Could fall and fall hard
Out there on the dunes 

Wanted to do something a little less fiddly today. 

Besides, I like "Arabian Nights." It's simple yet catchy, and my spine still gets pleasant tingles when we follow the camel over that dune and we get our first proper glimpse of the Sultan's huge palace and the city of Agrabah beneath it. Very nicely done.

(All images property of their respective owners.)

Just like The Lion King, despite not being my favorite movie, Aladdin begins with a big bang and keeps a fairly exciting tone until the end credits roll. I can only imagine what that must have been like in the theater.

I can vaguely remember seeing Toy Story in the theater with my family. My first solid memory of going to the movies was The Hunchback of Notre Dame with my mom and sister.

Going to the movies was a rare treat growing up. But for the most part, I liked what I saw. If nothing else, it was a nice little getaway and we made sure to get plenty of snacks.

Disney Musical May 10 - Be Our Guest

Ma chère Mademoiselle, it is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight. And now we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair as the dining room proudly presents: your dinner! 

Be...our...guest!
Be our guest!
Put our service to the test!
Tie your napkin 'round your neck, cherie
And we'll provide the rest

Soup du jour
Hot hors d'oeuvres
Why, we only live to serve
Try the grey stuff, it's delicious!
Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!

They can sing, they can dance
After all, Miss, this is France
And a dinner here is never second best
Go on, unfold your menu
Take a glance and then you'll
Be our guest
Oui, our guest
Be our guest!

Beef ragout, cheese soufflé
Pie and pudding, en flambé
We'll prepare and serve with flair
A culinary cabaret!

You're alone and you're scared
But the banquet's all prepared
No one's gloomy or complaining
While the flatware's entertaining

We tell jokes! I do tricks
With my fellow candlesticks
And it's all in perfect taste
That you can bet

Come on and lift your glass
You've won your own free pass
To be our guest
If you're stressed,
It's fine dining we suggest!

Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Be our guest!

Life is so unnerving
For a servant who's not serving
He's not whole without a soul to wait upon
Ah, those good old days when we were useful
Suddenly those good old days are gone

Ten years we've been rusting
Needing so much more than dusting
Needing exercise, a chance to use our skills
Most days we just lay around the castle
Flabby, fat and lazy
You walked in and oops-a-daisy!

It's a guest!
It's a guest!
Sake's alive, well I'll be blessed!
Wine's been poured
And thank the LordI've had the napkins freshly pressed

With dessert, she'll want tea
And my dear, that's fine with me
While the cups do their soft-shoein'
I'll be bubbling, I'll be brewing

I'll get warm, piping hot
Heaven's sakes! Is that a spot?
Clean it up!
We want the company impressed!

We've got a lot to do
Is it one lump or two
For you, our guest?
Be our guest!
(She's our guest!)
She's our guest!
(Be our guest!)

Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Our command is your request
It's been years since we've had anybody here
And we're obsessed

With your meal, with your ease
Yes, indeed, we aim to please
While the candlelight's still glowing
Let us help you, we'll keep going
Course...by...course!

One by one 'til you shout, "Enough! I'm done!"
Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest
Tonight you'll prop your feet up
But for now, let's eat up
Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Be our guest!
Please, be our guest! 

Here's a little fun fact: they were initially going to sing this song to Maurice, when he first stumbled upon the castle. Then the Beast would have stormed in at the end and locked the poor terrified man up. 

Then a friendly critic suggested on the side, "Wouldn't it be better if they sang this to Belle?"

Since it's a pretty epic number, it kind of makes sense that they'd play it for a character who plays a more significant role in the story. Right?

I certainly think so.

Disney Musical May 5 - Out There

 FROLLO:
The world is cruel
The world is wicked
It's I alone whom you can trust in this whole city
I am your only friend

I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you
I who look upon you without fear
How can I protect you, boy,
Unless you always stay in here
Away in here

Remember what I've taught you, Quasimodo,
You are deformed

 QUASIMODO:
I am deformed 

FROLLO:
And you are ugly 

QUASIMODO:
And I am ugly

 FROLLO:
And these are crimes
For which the world shows little pity
You do not comprehend 

QUASIMODO:
You are my one defender 

FROLLO:
Out there, they'll revile you as a monster 

QUASIMODO:
I am a monster

 FROLLO:
Out there, they will hate and scorn and jeer 

QUASIMODO:
Only a monster 

FROLLO:
Why invite their calumny
And consternation?
Stay in here
Be faithful to me 

QUASIMODO:
I'm faithful 

FROLLO:
Be grateful to me 

QUASIMODO:
I'm grateful 

FROLLO:
Do as I say
Obey 

BOTH:
And stay
In here 

QUASIMODO:
Safe behind these windows and these parapets of stone,
Gazing at the people down below me,
All my life, I watch them as I hide up here alone,
Hungry for the histories they show me

All my life, I memorize their faces,
Knowing them as they will never know me
All my life, I wonder how it feels to pass a day
Not above them
But part of them

And out there
Living in the sun
Give me one day out there
All I ask is one
To hold forever

Out there
Where they all live unaware
What I'd give
What I'd dare
Just to live one day out there

Out there among the millers
And the weavers and their wives
Through the roofs and gables I can see them
Every day, they shout and scold
And go about their lives
Heedless of the gift it is to be them
If I was in their skin
I'd treasure every instant

Out there
Strolling by the Seine
Taste a morning out there
Like ordinary men
Who freely walk about there

Just one day and then
I swear I'll be content
With my share
Won't resent
Won't despair
Old and bent
I won't care
I'll have spent
One day
Out there 

By far my favorite Disney song sung by a male protagonist. Tom Hulce's voice blows me away every time.

I also like how the whole song has a sort of "ringing bell rhythm," which makes it all the more fitting for this song to take place in the bell tower.

And the visual angles are awesome. I always love it when the audience "flies with the camera." They studied that cathedral all over and it shows. That was way back in the early 90s, too, since the movie was officially released in 1996.

(Screencaps courtesy of Animation Screencaps.)

They say the movie is quite helpful in helping to reconstruct the Notre Dame cathedral. Speaking of which, they're just about done with the repairs. That terrible fire in 2019 was nothing more than an unfortunate accident, but thank heaven they were able to contain the flames before there was too much damage. They were really scared the fire might reach the bell tower and then it would have been even more disastrous.

Everyone around the world agrees: whether on a spiritual, artistic, or historical level, Notre Dame is a priceless treasure. I've yet to read Victor Hugo's book (I already know it's a lot grimmer) but I'm glad Disney was able to pay some homage to this magnificent building.

(All images property of their respective owners.)