Goofy Guy Disney Music Tournament Round 2

Round 2 is the category semi-finals. From this round going forward until the final matchup I’m only going to explain my choice when I think others might consider it an “upset”.
Here is the Goofy Guy Disney Music Tournament’s 2^nd Round.

Opening Songs

“Down In New Orleans” VS “Arabian Nights”  Winner: “Arabian Nights”

“Circle of Life” VS “When Will My Life Begin”  Winner: “Circle Of Life”

Production Numbers

”Spoonful Of Sugar” VS “Be Our Guest”   Winner: “Be Our Guest”

“Kiss The Girl” VS “Hakuna Matada”   Winner: Kiss The Girl

Hero Songs

“One Jump Ahead” VS “Just Can’t Wait To Be King”    Winner: “Just Can’t Wait To Be King”

“Belle” VS “Part Of Your World 

Although Ariel was the pioneer heroine in the revival of Disney Animation in the late 90’s her character is a bit too passive for me. Belle is a reader, a dreamer, but she’s also brave and stands up to several advisories. She’s better defines the word “Hero”

Winner: “Belle”

Villain Songs

“Trust In Me” VS “Be Prepared”   Winner: “Be Prepared”

“Mother Knows Best” VS “Gaston” 

Gaston is an egotistical bad guy. Mother Gothel is “wolf in sheep’s clothing” evil.

Winner: “Mother Knows Best”

Academy Award Winners

“You’ll Be In My Heart” VS “Zip A Dee Doo Da”  Winner: “ Zip A Dee Doo Da”

“Under The Sea” VS “When You Wish Upon A Star”

This 2^nd Round match up should be much later in the tournament. Both songs are very serious contenders for winning it all. But as fate would have it one of them has to go.

Winner: “When You Wish Upon A Star”  

Theme Songs

“Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me) VS “There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”
Winner: “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)

“Mickey Mouse Club March” VS “It’s A Small World” Winner: “It’s A Small World”

Love Songs

“Belle Notte” VS “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”

This is a matter of an Oscar winner or a song whose accompanying movie moment is on the AFI’s list of top 100 screen kisses. This may be considered an upset.
Winner: “Belle Notte”

“Beauty & The Beast” VS “A Whole New World” Winner: “Beauty & The Beast”

Miscellaneous

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” VS “Heigh Ho” Winner: “Heigh Ho”

“Feed The Birds” VS “He’s A Tramp” Winner: “Feed The Birds”

There you have the Round 2 winners. Next round is the Category Finals. Here are the matchups:

Opening Songs

 “Arabian Nights” VS “Circle Of Life”

Production Numbers

“Be Our Guest” VS “Kiss The Girl”

Hero Songs

“Just Can’t Wait To Be King” VS “Belle”

Villain Songs

“Be Prepared” VS “Mother Knows Best”

Academy Award Winners

“ Zip A Dee Doo Da” VS “When You Wish Upon A Star”

Theme Songs

“Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me) VS “It’s A Small World”

Love Songs

“Belle Notte” VS “Beauty & The Beast”

Miscellaneous

“Heigh Ho” VS “Feed The Birds”

Goofy Guy Disney Music Tournament Round 1 Part 2

Day 2 of the Disney Music Madness Round 1 competition. The last 4 categories are a little more difficult to decide than the first 4. See if you agree with my choices.

Academy Award Winners

“You’ll Be In My Heart” from Tarzan won the Oscar in 1999. It’s a song of love, comfort, and acceptance sung by Kala the ape who became a mother to the infant baby left alone in the jungle. Phil Collins had a hit with this song peaking at #21 on the adult contemporary charts.

Or

“Colors Of The Wind”: Four years before its opponent, this song was honored with the “Best Original Song” award. It’s sung by Pocahontas who is doing her best to show Captain John Smith her view of the world compared his. She points out the beauty of the new world, her native land. Just a bit of trivia I discovered about this song. I found out that lyricist, Stephen Schwartz, made up the phrase “blue corn moon.” There is no such thing in the moon’s cycle or Native American folk lore, but the phrase fit well into the song so he used it.

Both of these songs are very strategically placed in the context of their movies and are very effective. In this category when needing more than just the songs themselves to make a decision I can step outside of the movie and use other perspectives to choose the winner. I have a sentimental connection to “You’ll Be In My Heart” because I used to play it on the air at my last radio job. “Colors Of The Wind” has a between the lines implication blaming the greedy selfish ambitions of white males of European descent for all the injustice in the world. Not something I agree with at all. Those two factors make my choice an easy one.

The Winner is…”You’ll Be In My Heart”

“Zip A Dee Doo Dah” Chances are if you’re under 20 years old you have never seen the movie that this song comes from, Song of the South. It has never been released in its entirety on home video by Disney. The last time it was in the theaters was 1986. It’s considered to have unacceptable racist overtones. Despite the controversy over the movie the song “Zip A Dee Doo Dah” is heard in many places in the world of Disney. It’s used in theme park parades and attractions, TV show introductions, sing-along-videos and more. It’s probably one of the top 10 Disney songs of all time.

Or

“If I Didn’t Have You” won an academy award for Randy Newman. It’s technically a Pixar song but for the sake of this tournament it’s a Disney song. It musically expresses the depth and commitment within the friendship of Mike and Sully in the movie “Monsters Inc.”. They are one of my favorite Disney duos.

This matchup is a matter of a nice little movie song going against an iconic composition that conveys an important aspect of the Disney spirit. Sorry Sully, but there’s only one choice here.

The Winner is…”Zip A Dee Doo Da”

“Under The Sea” won the Academy Award for best song in 1990. According to a documentary I watched recently, “Waking Sleeping Beauty”, the idea to do this song calypso style was that of song writer, Alan Menken. It is a production song in which Sebastian the crab warns Ariel, the starry eyed dreamer, about the dangers of the world she wants to be a part of. It’s the kind of song that gets stuck in your head every time you hear it.

Or

“Chim Chim Cheree” the Oscar winning song from Mary Poppins tells the story of Burt the chimney sweep and his philosophy of life. Sung by Dick Van Dyke the song shares the idea of contentment with one’s lot in life and how sometimes it’s better to be lucky than rich.

This pair of songs are unique for me in that I have written parodies to both of them. The “Chim Chim Cheree” parody was about my job at a company called “AFNI”. That was about 10 years ago. Most recently I used the music from “Under The Sea” to write a parody about the Bible verse John 3:16. So being so familiar with and really liking both of these two songs makes my decision on this match up most difficult. But I’ve got to make a choice and so…

The Winner is…”Under The Sea”

“We Belong Together” the most recent award winner in this category. Just 2 months ago Randy Newman stood on stage at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood to accept his Oscar for this “Toy Story 3” song. The song played during the closing credits puts a musical seal on the last movie for Woody, Buzz and all of Andy’s Toys. But the spirit of this wonderful song tells us that nothing will ever come between the toys ever again because they’re a family.

Or

“When You Wish Upon A Star” Jiminy Cricket’s tender ballad from Pinocchio not only won the first “best song” Oscar for a Disney movie back in 1940. For more than 60 years it’s been the musical face of the house that Walt built, The Disney Company. What more can be said about this song?
The new kid on the list of the Disney Academy Award winners may be a song that best conveys the conclusion of the Toy Story trilogy but it doesn’t stand a chance against its iconic competitor.

The Winner is…”When You Wish Upon A Star”

Theme Song Bracket

“A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes” The 2^nd song from Cinderella in the tournament. It’s in the “Theme” category because it’s the theme of the 1950 classic. The message of the song and the movie is that you can find discover the desire of your heart by following your dreams. That’s a key factor in Walt Disney’s personal philosophy.

Or

“Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me) This is the first song in the tournament that’s not from an animated movie. It’s from the infamous theme park attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s a musical representation of the last attraction Walt worked on at Disneyland. “Yo Ho” is the song that serves as the theme for all that has to do with Disney pirates.

Cinderella also has a presence in the theme parks. Her castle is the icon of Florida’s Magic Kingdom. Attending the “Cinderella’s Table” character meal is #1 wish of all young “princesses” who visit Walt Disney World. Her theme song has reached beyond the movie.
Over the last 8 years the 3, soon to be 4, “Pirate” movies based on the park attraction have breathed new life into the popularity of pirates in the theme parks. That increases the value of  “Yo Ho”.

A tough choice but when you “crunch” the numbers the result has to be this…

The Winner is…”Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)

“You Can Fly” is the best known song from Peter Pan. It helps transition the Darling children from their home in London to Never Never Land. It infers that with faith and a little bit of pixie dust a person can achieve the impossible. Hanging on a wall in my computer room in my house I have a Peter Pan composite print by Thomas Kinkade that’s a snapshot of what’s happening during this song in the movie. The song really encourages all Disney fans that if they believe they can “fly”.

Or

“There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” is the theme song for the ever popular theme park attraction, Carousel of Progress. There’s a well-known film clip and recording of the song’s composers, Richard and Robert Sherman singing the song during a presentation with Walt Disney. The song also expresses Walt’s optimism about the future. It’s very popular with longtime Disney fans.

Despite having the Thomas Kinkade print hanging on my wall, I’m not a big Peter Pan fan. I do like the Carousel of Progress having visited it in during my first trip to Disney World in 2004.

The Winner is…”There’s A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”

Ballad of Davy Crockett The theme song for the first ever TV miniseries that was shown on the “Disneyland” TV show in 1954.  Because of the show’s popularity the song made the Billboard Top 40 charts 3 times by 3 different artists. The lyrics tell the story of one of America’s most legendary figures. The song represents one of the first examples of the power of television to influence children. In 1954 coonskin caps were everywhere.

Or

The Mickey Mouse Club March is the most popular Disney song that requires spelling. It is the opening song of the Mickey Mouse Club; a popular daily afternoon kids show aired on ABC network in the mid 50’s. Written by one of two adult Mouseketeers, Jimmy Dodd, this song continues to be associated with Disney’s #1 character and corporate icon: M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E.  After all he is the leader of the club that’s made for you and me.

When this bracket was “seeded” there was a 33% chance that this match up would happen. The theme songs of two of the most ground breaking children’s TV shows of the 1950’s. Both were game changers in the world of television. In the context of overall Disney history there’s only one choice to be made here.

The Winner is…”The Mickey Mouse Club March”

“Grim Grinning Ghosts” is a song from a Disney Theme park attraction. The Haunted Mansion is an every popular ever evolving attraction at 4 Disney parks. One of its singers is Thurl Ravenscroft. He was a voice artist who did quite a bit of work for Disney. Fans of the Haunted Mansion are extremely passionate about the attraction. For them “Grim Grinning Ghosts” is the ultimate Disney song.

Or

“It’s A Small World” Another theme song written by the Sherman Brothers written to convey the universal message of friendship and common ground among all the people of the world. It debuted as part of the UNICEF exhibit sponsored by Pepsi at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. With one of the most hypnotic melodies ever written its message can be heard at versions of this attraction in Disneyland, Walt Disney World and 3 other Disney theme parks worldwide. Yet another iconic Disney song.

While “Grim Grinning Ghosts” is part of one of the most popular Disney theme park attractions outside of that attraction it doesn’t have any main stream popularity. “It’s A Small World” has universal appeal even with those who aren’t familiar with the boat ride.

The Winner is…”It’s A Small World”

Love Songs Bracket

“Nobody Else But You”  is the first song in this bracket but it’s not about romantic love rather the love between a father and son. It’s from “The Goofy Movie”. The song is sung by Goofy (voiced by Bill Farmer) and his son, Max (voiced by Aaron Lohr) as they float down a river while sitting on their half-submerged car. The lyrics speak of the fact that despite their differences they prefer to be together. That’s a commitment that’s the sign of true love; like that between a father and son.

Or

“Belle Notte: Speaking of a romantic song. This one serves as the musical background for one of the most unusual love scenes in movie history. You can’t hear this song without picturing two dogs brought together by a piece of spaghetti.

“Bella Notte” is an infamous song from one of my favorite Disney movies. Believe it or not “Nobody Else But You” always brings a tear to my eye because it reminds me of the relationship I had with my dad. But as far as being the best love song is concerned…

The Winner is…”Bella Notte”

“Now I See The Light”. This song is the love ballad from the latest Disney film, Tangled. It was nominated for an academy award but lost out to “We Belong Together”. It’s the expression of the love between Flynn Rider and Rapunzel brought on by the presence of hundreds of floating lanterns.

Or

“Can You Feel The Love Tonight” could have been in the Academy Award Winners bracket but better belongs in this one. The reunion of two childhood friends, Simba and Nola, leads to romance as they rediscover each other as adults. The Elton John/Tim Rice composition is the perfect musical romantic expression of that discovery.

Although it fits well within the context of the scene in which its featured “Now I see The Light” reminds me too much of the song “A Whole New World.” It sounds too much like other Alan Menken songs. I like it but it doesn’t sound very original. “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” is an Academy Award winner, enough said.

The Winner is…”Can You Feel The Love Tonight”

Beauty & The Beast: Another Academy Award winning song that’s better as a love song. Whether it’s the duet by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson or the solo by Mrs Potts (voiced by Angela Lansbury) it’s a love song that tells a “tale as old as time.” 

Or

Baby Mine: This lullaby is another musical expression of parental love. Dumbo’s mother has been restrained and can barely reach Dumbo who is outside crying and needs her. But the mother elephant finds a way to reach and comfort her child with this tender song. It’s a sweet and sentimental song and accentuates the bond between mother and child.

Not to make a choice of romantic love over any other type but in the 2^nd match up of differnt types of love songs the result is the same: the romance song is the better of the two.

The Winner is…”Beauty & The Beast”

“Ma Belle Evangeline” This song is sung to a figment of the imagination (No not the one from the “Journey into Imagination” attraction at Disney World). The imagination is that of Ray the Cajun firefly in “The Princess and the Frog.” He believes the North Star is a female firefly who’s in love with him. It really serves as the back drop for a bit of romance between the two main characters who are frogs. The song is a double entendre. Ray sings it about a love that doesn’t exist but he believes does while Tiana and Prince Naveen are discovering the love they deny but is obviously there.  It’s not a bad song but there’s really nothing special about it.

Or

“A Whole New World” Speaking a song that has two meanings. This love song does as well. Aladdin takes Princess Jasmine on a carpet ride to places she’s never seen before. All the while the “New World” they sing about actually refers to falling in love for the first time. Yet another Oscar winner by Alan Menken and Tim Rice.

Romance is the common thread in both of these song but one is much better than the other.

The Winner is…”A Whole New World”

Miscellaneous Bracket

“Candle On The Water” is a charming sentimental ballad from “Pete’s Dragon” that deserved to be in this tournament because it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song in 1977. Helen Ready, who played Nora, sings the song. The title refers to a lighthouse. Nora even sings it while standing on the walkway at the top of an actual working lighthouse. I really like the song and it’s metaphor. It may not go far in the tournament but it at least deserved a berth.

Or

“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” is by far the song from Mary Poppins that is the most fun to sing. I learned the words when I was a kid and sang it for my friends all the time. I remember they liked the part about “my achin nose”. Written by the Sherman Brothers the song’s title is the combination of parts of half a dozen different words to create a new 34 letter word.

The only criteria songs in this category have to meet to advance is just be better than its competition. In this first match up the choice is easy.

The Winner is…“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”

“Little April Showers” An orchestral and choral illustration of Bambi’s observation of his first storm in the forest. It begins with notes from a clarinet making the sound of the initial drops. The chorus then adds descriptive lyrics in a rhythm that mimics the course of the storm. Finally the music and the storm slow ending once again as individual drops. It’s one of my favorite narrative Disney songs.

Or

“Heigh Ho” Another song from the Disney’s first full length animated feature, Snow White. The song tells the audience just why the dwarfs are living so deep in the woods and what they do. They go to work all day in their diamond mine. It tells the audience that these are regular hard working blue collar guys. In the midst of The Great Depression they had a steady job. They just happen to be short and live together in an isolated cottage.

I really like “Little April Showers” a lot and did my best to find reasons to justify picking it over “Heigh Ho”. But anything that has to do with the seven dwarfs is iconic. Besides how can you not side with a song that’s sung in by evil creatures in a theater in another movie (see the movie theater scene in “Gremlins”)

The Winner is…”Heigh Ho”

“Feed The Birds” A song that sends the global message that as you go through life you need to take notice of those who need you and it doesn’t take much to help. This is yet another Mary Poppins song but it has significance beyond the movie. In many interviews song writer Richard Sherman has told the story of how he was summoned to Walt Disney’s office every Friday afternoon. He’d sit down at the piano and Walt looking out the window with his back toward Sherman would make a simple request. “Play it” he’d say. Sherman knew that he was referring to “Feed The Birds”.

Or

“Whistle While You Work”. This is a simple little song from Snow White that has become a children’s favorite over the years. I guess it could be considered an ancestor of “Spoonful of Sugar.” Snow White did her best to have a positive outlook while making doing her chores as easy as possible.

If it was good enough to be Walt’s favorite how can I not make it one of mine.

The Winner is…”Feed The Birds”

“Everybody Wants To Be A Cat” from the Aristocats. Thomas O’Malley the alley cat needs a place to crash with Duchess, a damsel in distress, and her kittens. The only place he knows is the hangout of Scat Cat and his jazz band. A song breaks out as the jammin feline musicians make an effort to explain to the kittens that being a cat is where it’s at.

Or

“He’s A Tramp” from Lady and The Tramp” Caught as a stray and placed in the pound Lady meets some of the Tramp’s “associates”. They regale her with stories of the Tramp’s past and his reputation with other lady dogs. Peg, a stray Pekinese (voiced by Peggy Lee) expresses in song how she and most all of the other lady dogs feel about him.

This last matchup of the first round puts the dogs against the cats. I like “The Aristocats” but “Lady and the Tramp” is one of my top Disney movies and I’m a dog person.

The Winner is…”He’s A Tramp”

This completes Round 1. Come back next time for the first part of Round 2, the category semi-finals.

Goofy Guy Disney Music Tournament: Round 1 Part 1

Tournament time is here. Today I'm going to go through the first four categories which are half of round 1. I've got 16 songs to advance to round 2 so let's get to it.

"Opening Song" Bracket

"Down In New Orleans" musically sets the scene for "The Princess and The Frog" It’s the back ground for an update on who Tiana is now that she’s become a young woman with a dream. It's well done.

Or

"Love Is A Song" conveys the romantic nature of the woods in which "Bambi" is set with a reverent tempo. It also expounds on the common commitment inherent in all aspects of love explored throughout the movie.

I want to tell you when I watched each of these song clips on video again I changed my initial decision.  Even though I think "Bambi" is a better movie, based on the guidelines I've set for this bracket,

The Winner is: "Down In New Orleans"

"You've Got A Friend In Me" The "Toy Story" franchise is by far Pixar's most successful. The song can be applied to the relationships between Andy and his toys, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, and within the toys as a group. As an opening song it foreshadows the spirit of loyalty that will be the theme of not only "Toy Story" but its 2 sequels as well.

Or

"Arabian Nights" from Aladdin transports the audience to the land of "Agraba" and lets them know that it's a strange, mysterious, and even dangerous place. When the merchant is finished singing you're filled with excitement and wonder about the possibilities of what might happen.  

This was a tough choice but...The Winner Is: Arabian Nights

"Circle Of Life" Every time I see this opening number from "The Lion King" I think about Noah's ark. The song narrates the presentation of Simba, the next king of Pride Rock. The staging of the song in the stage show is even more majestic than in the movie. Having seen the stage production gives me an additional perspective on the song. It's a Disney musical classic in my favorite Disney film.

Or

"Best Of Friends" from "The Fox and The Hound". While this song serves as the introduction to a charming movie there’s nothing unique here. It does a good job setting the theme for the picture. The extra added bonus is that it’s Pearl Bailey singing it.

There's no contest here...The Winner is: Circle Of Life 

"When Will My Life Begin" from Tangled. Throughout 18 years in stuck in a tower what does a girl do? Well this opening song by Rapunzel tells us. She talks about her daily routine and all the activities she does to keep herself occupied. "Ventriloquism" is one of them. The song then turns to her dream of leaving the tower to see "the lights". That moves us into the story very effectively.

Or
 
"Winnie The Pooh". This song is from the very first full length feature based on A.A Milne’s classic stories. Pooh and his friends are iconic in the stable of Disney characters. This song introduces us to the "residents, places, and things" in the world of the 100 acre wood.

My choice in this match up may be rather controversial. But I'm obsessed with one of these songs and its movie. Ever since I downloaded it from I-Tunes, I listen to this and 3 other songs from the soundtrack at least once a day.  I can't wait until tomorrow to get the movie's Blueray/DVD combo pack. So I'm eliminating one of the most popular characters in Disney history. 

The Winner is..."When Will My Life Begin"

Production Song Bracket

"A Spoonful of Sugar" reveals to the Banks children that this nanny is different from any other they've ever had. She's magical. What happens during this song is a game changer and allows us to enter the world of Mary Poppins where anything is possible.

Or

“Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo” is a song that changes Cinderella’s worst day into an unforgettable night right before her eyes. Fairy Godmother pauses just a moment to remember “the magic words”. Then she waves her wand and transforms a pumpkin, the mice and the horse into a magnificent means of transport to the Prince’s ball. Then she transforms Cindy into a beautiful princess. A word of warning about midnight and Cinderella is off to meet the prince. It’s all possible with the utterance of 3 conjured words.

While the fairy Godmother’s use of her magic words literally creates a vehicle that helps Cinderella change her life; Mary Poppins’ lesson to the children about how to make work seem like play with a bit of magic is by far the better production song.

The Winner is…”Spoonful of Sugar”


“A Friend Like Me” is a production song that’s vintage Robin Williams. From the moment the genie character emerges from the lamp, Williams does what he does best make funny, “over the top” comments and reactions to all situations. His big number is a Broadway style explanation of how Aladdin’s relationship with him is going to change his life.  The song tells not only Aladdin and Abu but everyone listening to hang on they’re going for a ride.

Or

"Be Our Guest" does not meet the criteria as far as this category's guidelines are concerned. It doesn’t advance the plot. But it is the quintessential Disney production number. It is a musical effort on behalf of the enchanted castle residents to convince, Belle, their only hope to save themselves, to stay. It's the marquee song of both the movie and stage versions of "Beauty & The Beast." A celebration set to music.

I was a bit upset when I drew this match up while filling out this bracket. I really like both of these songs and I’m forced to eliminate one of them. But in its execution and its value in the context of the whole movie, I have to choose. Lemiere and company.

The Winner is..."Be Our Guest"

“Kiss The Girl” is not your typical production number is has a slow relaxing tempo. But it helps create ideal setting for Prince Eric to share his affections with Ariel. That would help her get her voice back from Ursula. Sebastian does his best to facilitate the event. He comes close but Eric doesn’t quite seal the deal. The story goes on from there.

Or

“I’ve Got A Dream” reveals that a tavern full of ruffians and thugs are really a bunch of sensitive guys with aspirations of their own. Inside they’re kindred spirits sympathetic to Rapunzel. That proves to be a true asset later in the movie.

This matchup is also a difficult one for me to decide. “I’ve Got A Dream” is one of the Tangled songs I really like a lot. But “Kiss The Girl” is an academy award nominated song from one of Disney animation’s renaissance films of the mid 90’s. They both qualify as excellent production numbers. But if I must make a choice…

The Winner is…Kiss The Girl

“Hakuna Matada” explains the attitude and philosophy of one of the most popular Disney duos of all time. Timon and Pumba musically share their views on life to the lost and confused young Simba. It also reveals Pumba’s backstory and the duo’s daily menu.

Or

“I Wanna Be Like You” King Louis is the “boss” of a gang of monkeys but he’s still playing “2^nd banana” in the jungle. Shere Kahn, the tiger, wields the power in this world. The key to gaining the advantage over this supreme jungle cat is getting the secret of “man’s red fire” from Mowgli. In this song he offers the young boy the ultimate “prid pro quo” deal. It muddies the waters of Mowgli’s effort to stay in the jungle.

Both of these songs do their job of advancing the plot in a fun and entertaining way. What it comes down to in making my choice are my personal preferences. I like Timon. He is one of my all-time favorite Disney characters. King Louis is among my least. So on that basis…

The Winner is…Hakuna Matada

Hero Songs Bracket

“Someday My Prince Will Come” reveals the dream and wish of Snow White; the heroine in the very first full length animated feature. The young innocent maiden shares with the seven dwarfs her longing for the return of the charming prince she briefly encountered before she was forced to flee for her life.

Or

“One Jump” is the audience’s introduction to the character of Aladdin. It takes the audience through a chase that’s typical of his life on the street and what he has to do just to survive. Later in the song’s reprise we learn of his hopes and dreams and that he considers himself a “diamond in the ruff”. All this is presented as one character defining hero song.

These two songs present a portrait of the hopes and dreams of two of Disney heroes. Snow White was the first but she was very passive; waiting to be rescued by her prince. Aladdin had the deck stacked against him yet never stopped believing in his own potential. Both were dreamers. Walt Disney was a dreamer. One of his most famous quotes was: “If you can dream it you can to it”. That quote infers action. Aladdin believed in taking action. Walt encouraged it.

The Winner is…One Jump Ahead

“Go The Distance” I must admit I had to watch the video clip refresh myself of its context. I don’t remember much about the Disney version of “Hercules.” The song is about a young man who feels like and outsider setting out seeking where he really belongs. He vows to go through whatever it takes to get there.

Or

“Just Can’t Wait To Be King” is a dual purpose song. It could very well be considered a production song because it advances the story by allowing the lion cubs to escape from their guardian bird, Zazoo. But overall it explains to the audience who Simba is and what he’s counting on for his future. He imagines that his realm will be at his beckon call. He is yet to learn or understand the responsibilities of being ruler. 

Once again this is an easy choice for me. The strength of these hero songs are directly corresponds with the strength of the movies in which they are featured.

The Winner is…Just Can’t Wait To Be King

“Belle” could also have been placed into either of 2 categories. It’s an opening song but is at its best when considered a hero song. It introduces and defines the crazy inventor’s young daughter, who the town’s people describe as “strange” and “peculiar.” She’s a veracious reader who understands the limitations of the providence in which she lives. Belle dreams of one day leaving her village and having an adventure like those of which she reads. She’s a dreamer. She possesses the heart of a heroine even before she is forced to display her inner courage and stand up to the beast. “Belle” the song tells us all of this in addition to introducing us to the villain of the story, Gaston.

Or

“I Got No Strings” is actually an anti-hero song. Pinocchio sings it as part of his performance in Stromboli’s puppet show. He flaunts the fact that he is not limited by cords or the will of a puppeteer; like others of his kind. He’s very proud that he has total freedom. Ironically it is this freedom combined with his rebellious nature that consistently gets him into trouble. The song really defines the puppet’s uniqueness but also points to his greatest flaw. 

These two main characters are very different. Every time I watch Pinocchio I root for” the real boy wannabe” to be a hero and make the right choices. “Listen to the cricket” shout at the screen. But he never does and has to be rescued over and over again. He’s got the potential to be a hero by proving himself “brave, true and unselfish” but never does so convincingly.  I believe the Blue Fairy turns him into a real boy out of sympathy for a heartbroken Geppetto. As a hero song “I’ve Got No Strings” doesn’t make it.

“Belle” on the other hand is a true hero song in that its subject becomes a hero in every sense of the word. She overcomes her fears and displays the courage and love it takes to transform the beast and remove the curse. 

The Winner is…”Belle”

“Part Of Your World” is the defining moment for the main character in the movie that started the 2^nd golden age of Disney animation.  Although she starts off bragging about her collection of “stuff”, Ariel quickly exposes her soul to the audience. She passionately expresses her longing to live in the world beyond the sea. Her dream to be a part of a world that is so far out of her reach is something everyone can identify with.

Or

“Bare Necessities” is a lot like “Hakuna Matada” in that it conveys a character’s personal outlook on life in the jungle. Because of that, it may be a bit out of place as a hero song. But Balloo does become the hero of “The Jungle Book” by taking on Shere Kahn, the tiger. The song explains the blue bear’s philosophy about enjoying a stress free life and having faith that all you need will come your way.

Balloo is one of my favorite Disney characters and “Bare Necessities” is one of the first Disney songs I memorized. But “Part of Your World” is a marquee song, not just in the “Little Mermaid” but in Disney history. It’s the best of these two hero songs.

The Winner is…”Part of Your World”

Villain Songs Bracket

“Friends On The Other Side” is the song by Dr. Facilier of “The Princess and The Frog.” It is a look into the villain’s practice of the occult rituals including voodoo and tarot cards. “Other Wordly” shadows surround him during as he offers and seals the deal with Prince Naveen. The song is scary and, in my opinion a bit too intense, for its young target audience. Nevertheless it truly defines the character of the diabolical Dr. Facilier.

Or

“Trust In Me” is a soothing and seductive song that is performed by the villainous/comedic character Kaa the snake in “The Jungle Book.” It is pure irony given what is occurring on screen during its performance. Kaa sings the song while preparing the hypnotized man cub, Mowgli, for consumption. Kaa has the heart of an evil villain, and wants to be feared by all in the jungle. But fate has a way of keeping him from that status and subject to the dominance of Shere Kahn. “Trust In Me” is sung by a villain who is confidently proceeding in an activity that truly demonstrates his evil nature. For most of the song we’re convinced Mowgli is a gonner.

“Friends On The Other side” is a bit over the top and tries a little too hard to convince the audience that Dr. Facilier should be taken seriously. Because it’s not so in-your-face “Trust In Me” is my pick in this match up.

The Winner is…”Trust In Me”

“Out There” is from the Hunchback of Notre Dame, one of the movies on the “B” list of Disney animated films. Judge Frollo is not a character who comes to mind when you mention Disney villains. However this song, “Out There”, conveys Frollo’s passive aggressive control of Quasimoto. It’s really very similar to another song in this category but not as effective. Still it works for its character.

Or

“Be Prepared” is a musical monologue from Scar, the brother of Mufasa. In one of the best villain songs ever, his devious plans for the murder of the king and his heir are revealed. As is his plot to take over rule of the pride. They are explained to his accomplices, the hyenas. Again, this song could be included in the “production” bracket but it really reveals the darkness of Scar’s soul and his ambitions to betray members of his own family.

Anyone who knows me and has heard me talk about Disney music can probably guess what my choice in this matchup. I absolutely love Jeremy Iron’s performance in the Lion King and specifically in “Be Prepared”. That’s my choice.

The Winner…”Be Prepared”

“Mother Knows Best” is another song that demonstrates a villain’s passive aggressive control of a Disney hero. Mother Gothel is a vile selfish woman who needs to keep her personal fountain of youth secluded and away from the rest of the world. Under the guise that it’s what’s best for her daughter Gothel exaggerates the dangers of the outside world to a curious yet naïve Rapunzel.

Or

“Cruella Deville” is presented in “101 Dalmations” as the composition of Roger, a struggling song writer, in effort to write a hit. The subject of the song is one of Disney’s most infamous evil characters. Cruella does not sing the song but it accurately describes the dog knapper and her evil nature.

Cruella Deville was ranked as the 39^th on the American Film Institute’s list of top 100 movie villians. The character is truly one of the most diabolical in Disney animation. The song, however, while “catchy” is not a really powerful villain songs. “Mother Knows Best” is an effective portrayal of the veiled controlling nature of a desperate evil woman. After the song is finished the viewer knows just how evil she really is. In addition to that it’s part of my current favorite Disney soundtrack.

The Winner is…”Mother Knows Best”

“Gaston” is a song about a self-absorbed egotist who later on turns into a real villain. He’s a true example of might over right. He’s the brute force of the village. He excels in all that he does and is a real ladies man as well. He’s in love but only with himself. This song fully explains how Gaston sees the world as something that revolves around him.

Or

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” tells the story of Ursula’s history of taking unfair advantage of naive creatures from under the sea prior to her deal with Ariel. It explains that she’s only looking to get what she wants. She doesn’t care how she gets it. She refers to her previous victims as “unfortunate” but in her heart she’s laughingly calling them “fools.”

Ursula is truly evil given the fact that she is willing to take advantage of Ariel’s innocent desire and has done the same to countless others. “Poor Unfortunate Souls” explains that very well. “Gaston” introduces us to the town bully and that’s a stereotype nearly everyone can identify with. Gaston is easy to dislike from the start. In addition, how can you not like a song that uses the word “expectorating” effectively?

The Winner is…”Gaston”

So there you have the winners in the first 4 categories of the first round. You may or may not agree with my evaluations or choices. Let the debate begin. Just remember, I make the calls.  

Tomorrow I’ll go through the 2^nd half of Round 1: Academy Award Winners, Theme Songs, Love Songs, and Miscellaneous brackets. There are some interesting matchup there as well.    

Goofy Guy Disney Music Madness

Unless you've been living under a rock you know that college basketball fans everywhere and especially here in Kentucky are caught up in what's known as "March Madness". It's better known as the Men's NCAA basketball tournament.

Filling out your 64 team to look anything like what really happens in actual competition is next to impossible. But the "madness" has inspired a couple of the hosts of the Disney Podcasts I subscribe to to hold a competition of their own. They all involve Disney characters.

I've always liked elimination tournaments and also have been inspired by the "Madness". I'm going to have a bracket competition myself and the participants are all going to be associated with Disney. My competition is not going to involve characters though. It's going to be about Disney songs.
The first ever Goofy Guy Disney Music Tournament will seek to find the most popular Disney song of all time. Well actually it's going to find MY favorite Disney song of all time.

I've gone through my personal music collection and reviewed the soundtracks of all the animated features. I've selected 64 songs, 8 songs in each of 8 specific categories. By luck of the draw I seeded them into the tournament brackets. All but 6 of the songs are from the 50 Disney animated features. Four infamous songs are from the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. Two are from Disney TV shows from the 50's.

Since this is my Disney blog, I'm going to be the one and only judge. I will set up some criteria for choosing the winners in each of the categories and go by those guidelines for the first 3 rounds. I'll use a different set of standards when intercatagory competition begins in round 4. 
Now Here are the categories and the standards in which a song must be better than it's competitor to move on.

Opening Songs: These are taken from movies that begin with a song. To move on the song must be best at pulling the audience into the movie from the start.
Production Numbers: These are the songs that advance the story with pizazz and flare. The develop either the plot, a character, or gives back story. 

Hero Songs:There's nothing like a song that shares the heart or dream of one of the good guys. The winner of this category will to it the best.  

Villain Songs: All Disney villains are evil and have something vicious up their sleeve. These songs tell us what those plans are. The best one will emerge to round 4.

Academy Award Winners: The best of the best. These most honored Disney songs are all Oscar winners. But which one serves the overall spirit of it's movie the best. That will be the winner.

Theme Songs: This is the most diverse of all the categories. The songs convey the theme of the vehicle they are part of. There are theme songs from Disney World attractions, Disney TV shows, and classic Disney features. The best theme of them all will take on the rest of the category winners.

Love Songs: This category is about love. While romantic love songs are prominent; there are songs that express the bond between parent and child as well. This category champion will be the song that shares the emotion in a relationship best with the audience.

Miscellaneous: This category is the landing place for songs that I wanted in the tournament but didn' fit into any other bracket. It's also serves as the overflow basin for categories with more than 8 entries. Unlike the other 7 the winner of this 8th category is simply going to be the one I can reasonably choose as the best of the group.

I won't be publishing an actual bracket with the results but I do have one to keep track of the competition. If you by any chance have a blank bracket left over from Selection Sunday, feel free to make your own.

Tomorrow I'll kick off the tournament and announce the winners of the 32 songs that are moving on to round 2. Here are what I consider the most difficult decisions for me in the first round:

Opening Songs: Toy Story's "You Got A Friend In Me" VS "Arabian Nights" from Aladdin 

Production Numbers: "Spoonful of Sugar" VS "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" 

Academy Award Winner: "Chim Chim Cheree" VS "Under the Sea"

Theme Songs: "Ballad Of Davy Crockett" VS "Mickey Mouse Club March"

Miscellaneous: "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White VS "Feed The Birds" from  Mary Poppins

So there you have the announcement and details of the first ever Goofy Guy Disney Music Tournament. Come back tomorrow to find out the titles of all 64 selected participants and find out which of them will make it to the next round.

Disney Music: A Universal Language

Last Saturday Night I attended a concert by a local orchestra (See March 23 post on http://www.rhfactors.blogspot.com/) that featured Disney music. I won't go into the details of the event but I do want to talk about what the event showed me about Disney music.

The concert included some of the most popular songs from classic Disney animated features. The works of songwriters like Richard and Robert Sherman, Howard Ashman, Alan Menken, Time Rice, and Elton John were performed. 

As the orchestra played the music and the special guest vocalist sang (all 5 have actually worked as singers for Disney) you could feel the crowd's love and appreciation for the songs and the movies being shown on the auditorium's video screen.

The excitement and pleasure being experienced by everyone in the audience was very similar the atmosphere you would feel at an attraction or show in a Disney theme park. And this was in a small arts building on a college campus nearly 800 miles away from Orlando.

I could feel that each person in the auditorium had a personal history and felt a direct connection to the classic Disney animation up on the screen. The vehicle that facilitated that connection was the music.

What I also found remarkable was the age range of those in attendance. It was a multi-generational group. I saw toddlers, senor citizens, and every age group in between. From my seat I could see: a little girl dressed up in her Disney princess gown sitting next to her mommy & daddy, a school age little boy waiting to hear Simba sing about his plan for when he one day becomes king, a group of college age girls reliving their not too distant childhood dreams of meeting Prince Charming, and a grandmother and grandfather holding hands as they remember the first time they saw the Jungle Book with their young children while watching their grandchildren dance in the aisle to "Under The Sea."

I can't think of very many things in the world today that touches so many people as individuals yet brings them together as a group. Disney music touches our lives and helps us remember the happy times.

The last song played at the concert, the encore selection, was the Sherman brothers' theme park anthem, "It's A Small World". The lyrics that go with this ubiquitous simple melody convey the message that even though geographically the people of the world live far apart there are some things about us that are the same and should draw us together. Saturday night's concert helped illustrate for me once again the fact that one of those things just happens to be Disney music.  

Finding Walt At the End of The Rainbow

Because St. Patrick's day is Thursday this past weekend my wife and I watched the DVD of the Disney movie, Darby O'Gill and The Little People. It's about Leprechauns. The most notable thing about it is that is stars a very young Sean Connery who actually sings. 

After the movie was over I remembered having something about the movie on a special DVD set called "Your Host: Walt Disney". It's part of the Disney Treasures series they put out a few years ago. 

I looked on the menu of the "Your Host" DVD and found a Disneyland TV show called "I captured the King of the Leprechauns." It was a show about Walt, who was part Irish himself, going to Ireland in search of authentic "little people" to star in his new movie about Ireland. He ends up bringing back the Leprechaun king and many of his subjects.

As I looked through the material included in the DVD set I found the picture you see at the top of this post. It was a special gift inside the DVD set. The back of the picture says that is was taken in 1956 at the time Walt was taping some of his introductions for his Disneyland TV show. 

It's a very good picture (even if it's black & white) and shows Walt Disney at the pinnacle of his career. He'd just opened Disneyland and was busy making more classic animated features and live action ones as well. 

So now I have this picture on display along with the rest of my Disney stuff in the computer room of my house. I'm glad I found it. I guess it was a bit of the luck of the Irish.

The Oscar Goes To "Dory"

This morning I turned on the Disney Channel trying to catch a few of the new shows that are part of the programming block known at "Disney Jr." But it was after 10 o'clock, and too late to see them. But I was happy to see that the movie "Finding Nemo" was coming on.

I really like "Finding Nemo" it's my favorite Pixar movie and in my top10 of all Disney animated features. I know it's Pixar but since Disney now owns the CG animation studio I consider all it's features Disney movies.

Every time I watch "Nemo" its for one reason: Ellen Degeneres' performance as "Dory". The memory challenged Blue Tang is my all time favorite Disney character. Now that's a "news bulletin" because I've never stated that until this post. Not a surprise though. I mean I named my dog after her. My previously announced favorite Disney character was Timon from the Lion King. After much consideration I've decided he's 2nd. Dory is definitely first. Of course Goofy is my favorite Disney icon.

Without Dory, "Finding Nemo" would not be anywhere near the terrific movie that it is. Her innocence, loyalty, and optimism all combine to make a character you can't help but love and want as a friend of your own.

Ellen Degeneres' vocal inflections, comedic timing, and overall performance is, in my opinon, absolutely the best ever by a voice actor. Even after seeing "Finding Nemo" dozens of times since 2003 I still get touched and tickled by Dory.

When she speaks "whale" it cracks me up every time. Her hurtful reaction when she realizes that Marlin is telling her to "go away" always chokes me up.
Because of the strength of her performance I've always contended that Ellen Degeneres should have been nominated for an the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2004. Renee Zelwiger won that award at the 75th Oscar ceremonies that year. Her performance in "Cold Mountain" was good but I'll bet it's not as strong as Ellen's.

I know that it's been nearly 7 years since the 2004 Oscars. I probably should learn to let things go. But strong performances in animated features are rather rare and this one is very close to my heart. I mean in January 2004 I named my dog "Dory".

So the next time you see "Finding Nemo" try and pay special attention to Dory's lines and consider the degree to which they support and effect the story. That's what the Oscar winning "Best Supporting Actress" should do. I mean, if Marisa Tome can win for her role in "My Cousin Vinny" why not Ellen Degeneres for "Finding Nemo"?

I hope you agree with me because at this point that's the only satisfaction I'll ever get about the situation.

But I really can't blame the Motion Picture Academy. I mean it's members often miss the obvious pick for the awards. Take this year for instance. They really missed the boat by not picking Pixar's "Day & Night" as best animated short. But that's a subject for a different post.

Now go put in the DVD and watch my favorite fish help with "Finding Nemo".  It's an award winning performance...or at least it should have been.