Take A Look at Disney

4/22/11

Music Fridays # 5: Reprise Songs

After a 2 week hiatus, Music Fridays is back. That's right folk, one of the most popular segments is back. Now you may be wondering why this one is only # 5. Today's topic is Reprise songs. In the simplest terms, a reprise is a version of a song that was previously sung. It can either be a straight up reprise or the tone of the sogn can be changed to make it unique and different from the first song.


The Setlist

One Jump Ahead Reprise




Our first reprise comes from Aladdin. It is the reprise of One Jump Ahead. Here this reprise takes a competely different turn than the first version of the song. because One Jump Ahead is a fun little introduction that explains Aladdin is a street rat and homeless and in order to survive he has to stel. In the reprise however, it is shown that he wishes people would look past his label to see who he really is. He wishes people would get to know him before they judged him.


Prince Ali Reprise



This reprise in one of my all time villian songs. I love what they did here they took Prince Ali which in its first version was fun song but here they turned it into a great villian song. It works and the funny thing is in the first version of this song, The Genie is building Prince Ali with all these shall we say fabrications about his life but here Jafar reveals who he truly is. When does that he is just cruel, this has to be one of the most twisted reprises I have ever heard.


Mother Knows Best Reprise




Funny story when I first saw Tangled I hated the first version of Mother Knows Best and I still do a little bit. The reprise is the better the villian song in my mind. I say it's better because Mother Gothel actually feels like a threat with this song. She is conscending, pertending to care and talking down to Rapunzel. Some of the best lyrics that show Mother Gothel becomign a villain and talking down o Rapunzel would have to be "Rapunzel knows best/Rapunzel's so mature now/Such a clever grown-up miss". These lyrics add a little bit of with Mother Gothel basically saying Rapunzel is just a naive little girl.  It alsos add a layer of guilt towards Rapunzel for breaking the wishes of Mother Gothel. Honestly, if they had made the first version of this little more like the reprise it would have been a decent villian song.


He Lives In You




Our final reprise of the day comes from The Lion King.... on Broadway.  Truth be told, I find the play is better than the movie. The movie is great but there was jsut something about the play I enjoyed a little bit more.  This song right here is sung by Ratiki (female Rafiki) telling adult Simba that the spirit of Mufasa will always be with him. Now this is a reprise of a sogn called They Live in You which was sung by Mufasa telling young Simba that the spirits of the Great Kings live within him. While that message is nice. I like this idea better because it is a little more personal. It's a nice message telling us look even if a loved one passes on, they will still be with us so long as we remember them. I'm goign out on a limb but I think you could also take it to mean that God lives in you and he watches over us. You don't have to agree with that but just please understand what I'm saying.



So ends, Reprise Songs. Come back next Firday when next Friday we take a look at the music of the greatest Mouseketeers. And I'n not talking Britney. This lady is a little older.




Join me next for Annette Funicello Day





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