Underrated Disney Songs: Part II

1. "Jig" (The Little Mermaid)

This is another one of those songs that I completely forgot existed until today. The funny thing is now I remember enjoying this song a lot when I was a kid. That being said, I haven't seen The Little Mermaid since I was very young, so I also only found out today that this plays when Ariel first sees Eric on the ship. This is a very catchy...well...jig. It's one of those songs you can put on repeat and not get tired of. This is one of those times where I actually like listening to the song without the movie scene. I know this is an instrumental, but it's too good and underrated not to put on this list. The Little Mermaid has some great songs, but this one is probably my favorite (I know I just said I rediscovered it today, but come on). I also think "Daughters of Triton" is hilarious for some reason. 

2. "He Lives in You" (The Lion King)

This song technically belongs to The Lion King II since it's actually featured in that movie, but it was first on The Lion King soundtrack sequel, "Rhythms of the Pridelands." In that case I count it as part of the canon. It's honestly one of my favorites of The Lion King. Too bad nobody remembers it compared to The Lion King hits. It's a very powerful song and I was always confused on why it wasn't in the original movie. Luckily the song is also part of The Lion King Broadway musical so that helps it out, too. In The Lion King II it serves as the opening sequence, which I think works very well. The Lion King II version is slightly different than the "Rhythms of the Pridelands" version, and honestly I like the latter much better. It's just a great song and worthy of being part of The Lion King. 

3. "Listen With Your Heart" (Pocahontas)

I really didn't care for Pocahontas as a child. Not sure why I didn't now, but I think it's one of the better Disney movies today. Well, if not one of the better movies, at least one of the best musicals. Pocahontas has a really good soundtrack with a lot of really solid songs, but a few are forgotten compared to the others. One is Grandmother Willow's song "Listen With Your Heart." It's a very short, but very beautiful song that ultimately leads to Pocahontas discovering the Old World voyagers. There's not much else to say about this song, but it's very good and shouldn't be forgotten as it has. 

4. "Ma Belle Evangeline" (The Princess and the Frog)

I admit that I'm fairly new to The Princess and the Frog. I've seen bits and pieces over the years, but just recently watched the whole thing. The movie is filled with some excellent songs, but the one that I keep going back to is "Ma Belle Evangeline." Sung by the great Jim Cummings, it's a very touching song and it's the part in the movie where Tiana and Naveen start to fall for each other. Ray is also my favorite character from this movie, so it's easy to see why I like this song so much.This is the most current of any of my picks, so don't expect anything from Tangled or Frozen. This song is so low key that it kind of gets pushed to the background of the movie, with "Almost There," "Down in New Orleans," and "Dig a Little Deeper" taking the main focus.They are great songs and all, but I'll take "Ma Bell Evangeline."

5. "Out There" (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

I decided to get rid of my other Hunchback song because I realized that all of the movie's songs are underrated. They are all really good songs, but nobody cares about them. What gives? Part of it probably has to do with the source material. Hunchback is probably one of the most adult of the Disney canon, and it goes for the songs too. I love "Heaven's Light"/"Hellfire," but "Hellfire" is so dark and creepy! Probably the only song that even comes close to being mainstream is "Topsy Turvy", and even that one barely is. My favorite of these underdogs however is "Out There." My wife pointed out that most Disney movies revolve around a character wanting to feel included, and this song proves that this movie is no different. It's a very moving, powerful song about Quasimodo (sung by Tom Hulce) longing to spend one day among the rest of Paris. Hulce has a pretty good voice and makes the song really work. It's definitely the highlight song for me, plus maybe "The Court of Miracles," just because it's morbid and fun. 

6. "The Gospel Truth" (Hercules)

Hercules is by far my favorite Disney movie, so it's hard for me to say that any of these songs are underrated, since I love them all. That being said, if there was any song that doesn't get as much credit as it should, it's "The Gospel Truth." It sets the tone for the rest of the movie and literally lets you in on everything that's going on. I love the gospel sound of this song, which is in three parts by the way (I couldn't find all three together so click each word in the title to watch all of them), which sets it apart from any other Disney song. I just like how unique it is I guess, plus it's tons of fun. You think you're in for a boring Greek story, and then they hit you with this song. I knew I loved this movie from the very beginning. Everybody knows" Zero to Hero" and "I Can Go the Distance," but this is a great hidden gem from a fantastic movie.

7. "Steady as the Beating Drum" (Pocahontas)

I almost had three songs from Pocahontas on this list, but that would be far too much from one movie. My other choice would have been "If I Never Knew You" which is a pretty touching song and all, but it's not as good as the other songs included in the film (it was left on the cutting room floor but eventually they animated a sequence for it for video releases). I really enjoy the opening song "Steady as the Beating Drum." Combined with "Virginia Company (Reprise)" it makes one of the better openings for a Disney movie. The song is great by itself, but it also acts as a contrast to the English settlers's own song. This also happens later in the movie with "Savages." That's one thing I have always liked about this movie is that it doesn't tell just one story, but two complete ones. This is a great opening song, and while it may not be as bombastic or epic as some of Pocahontas' other songs, it's still a solid addition.

8. "I'm Still Here" (Treasure Planet)

I like Treasure Planet a lot, even if it was a box office bomb and was released in the black hole that was the 2000's for Disney. I honestly had completely forgotten about this song until a little while ago, but I think it's perfect for the whole mood of the story. Jim goes through many hardships in this movie and this song clearly shows that side of him that's hurting. John Rzeznik, frontman of The Goo Goo Dolls, provides the vocals, something he was chosen for by Disney because of his "rebel-with-a-cause angst." Rzeznik felt right at home writing the song, claiming that he "felt a lot like Jim when he was his age." The song was a moderate success by itself, but it's largely forgotten, as is the movie. I think most people forget that the non-musicals still have some music in them.

9. Good Company (Oliver & Company)

Maybe I just like songs with only piano. This is a sweet little song sung by Jennifer (Myhanh Tran) to Oliver, the recently rescued kitten. It's honestly kind of a short song, since most of it is an instrumental montage. It's a nice change of pace from the 80's music fest that is Oliver & Company. You've got Billy Joel, Huey Lewis, Ruth Pointer, and Bette Midler's song written by Barry Manilow. How more 80's can you get? I guess I just like simple songs sometimes. Most of the other songs are pretty underrated too, save for "Why Should I Worry." If I had to pick another favorite, it would probably be "Once Upon a Time in New York City." Probably because Huey Lewis is awesome. Anyway, it's a great underdog (no pun intended?) song.

10. Small Wonders (Meet the Robinsons)

I have a small confession: I didn't know that this song had anything to do with this movie. I don't even remember any songs for this movie. I've heard this song, performed by Rob Thomas, on the radio and at work all the time, and I really, really like it, but I assumed it was just another Matchbox-Twenty song. Little did I know that this was made specifically for Meet the Robinsons, another non-musical made in the 2000's, though this movie did much better than Treasure Planet. In fact, I would probably pinpoint Meet the Robinsons as being the turning point of the Disney canon, though many claim it's The Princess and the Frog. The reason that I've included this song on this list is because I'm assuming that most people don't know this is a Disney song, or have long forgotten. It's honestly one of the better songs performed by a professional musician. 

Underrated Disney Songs: Part I

There are many Disney songs that everybody knows, like "When You Wish Upon a Star," "Bare Necessities," and "A Friend Like Me." Then there are other songs that you probably forgot even existed. What I compiled here could be one or the other for you, but I feel like they are more often forgotten by the general public. There are many other forgotten songs, I'm sure, but these are some of my favorite Disney songs, but they'll never make it on someone's top Disney songs list. The are in no particular order, so don't assume I like some of these more than others. I'm separating older Disney from newer, so it's not too much to read at once. All songs are from the Disney Canon. One last note is that I'm excluding all songs that were not exclusively written for the films, so no songs from Fantasia or any of the others like it will be present.

1. "The Three Caballeros" (The Three Caballeros)

Don't get me wrong, I love all the other songs in this movie, along with Saludos Amigos, but "The Three Caballeros" is a classic song. Honestly, I'd heard the song before I'd ever seen the movie, watching it on the "Heigh Ho" Disney Sing-Along VHS. This song is great fun, and best of all it has Donald Duck, who happens to be my favorite Disney character of all time. The song is great all by itself, but this one is best viewed through the movie where you can see all the sight gags. It's nice to every once in a while get a Disney song that doesn't sound like the rest, and this one is definitely unique. Also, you can learn some Spanish!

2. "Nowhere in Particular" (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad)

This song stands as the only one in The Wind of the Willows segment of the package film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. That, along with the fact that Ichabod and Mr. Toad are very rarely brought up account for this song's inclusion. The song and movie are referenced only at Disneyland, where you can go on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. The ride was also at Disneyworld, and I was fortunate enough to have been able to go on it when it was still open, but closed in 1998 and replaced with a Winnie the Pooh ride. Anyway, this is a great song, sung by Mr. Toad and Cyril, his accomplice in all things mania. The duet takes place while Toad is in the throes of his "horse and carriage" mania and the song illustrates very well Toad's character. He's careless and just wants to have fun. What could go wrong?

3. "Never Smile at a Crocodile" (Peter Pan)

OK, so this song just makes a brief appearance, but there is the real version with words and everything. So I'm counting this one and there's nothing you can do about it. This was another one I got from Disney Sing-Alongs, and now that I think of it, I'm pretty glad we had those as kids, because otherwise I would probably not know any of these. One of the best parts of Peter Pan is the relationship between the Crocodile and Captain Hook. The Crocodile taunts Hook incessantly and you can hear this song starting up when he comes around. The song is honestly pretty silly. It's all about forgetting your manners around a crocodile and not smiling at it, bowing, or any of that stuff. It's a simple song, but it's still pretty catchy and funny to boot.

4. "That's What Makes the World Go Round" (The Sword in the Stone)

This is one of those songs that gets forgotten mostly because people forget that The Sword in the Stone actually had some music in it. It actually had quite a few songs, but this is my favorite. It lays out very plainly what Merlyn wants Wart to learn from his tutelage. Don't be a mediocrity, always learn new things. It's a great song and it's hidden inside this Disney gem which people barely take notice of anymore. The song leads right into the pike attack (my wife and I always thought it was a barracuda), which is pretty terrifying, so that kind of puts a damper on the whole song.

5. "That's What Friends Are For" (The Jungle Book)

This song takes place at the tail end of the movie, so it's easy to see how it is usually overlooked. Plus, this movie boasts the likes of "Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You," which are among the most popular Disney songs of all time. The song is sung in the style of a Barbershop Quartet, something that the filmmakers wanted so they could lighten up the dark mood. The four vultures who sing to Mowgli were originally intended to be none other than the Beatles, but the deal fell through. What remains is four mop-topped crooners with Liverpool accents, but not the iconic Beatles. That's alright, the Beatles probably would have stolen the focus away from the movie. The song works for me on a lot of different levels. The song is pretty upbeat, but its being sung in the middle of a barren wasteland of the jungle with a storm looming. There are also double entendres alluding to how vultures devour other animals, so that's always fun. I think I may just like Barbershop Quartets, so that may explain this choice.

6. "Oo-De-Lally"/"Whistle Stop" (Robin Hood)

I've decided to put these together since they take place right next to each other, and they're both awesome. I know, "Whistle Stop" isn't technically a lyrical song, but it's too good to leave off. "Oo-De-Lally" is basically a folksy intro to Robin Hood and Little John. There's nothing spectacular about the song, but its just very chill and a great intro to the story. Speaking of intros, "Whistle Stop" is what plays over the opening credits, and when I say credits, I mean it. For whatever reason, they decided to put most of the credits at the beginning of the movie along with the song and a parade of the characters. I guess they had to make it a little interesting. This is one of my favorite openings to a Disney movie, all because of this song. It's so catchy that it's annoying, but then it isn't again. If you think you've heard this song somewhere, it's because it's also "The Hamster Dance Song." I personally like this version better. Both songs were written and performed by Roger Miller.

7. "Little April Shower" (Bambi)

Bambi is one of those movies that I really didn't care for when I was a kid. I thought Bambi was a girl, and it wasn't cool to watch a movie about a girl deer apparently. Of course Bambi is a boy and I was an idiot. Upon viewing Bambi now, I see what a masterpiece the whole movie is. It has probably some of the best animation Disney has ever produced, plus it's a great coming of age story. The songs, though you miss them the first couple times around, are actually one of the highlights for me. "Love is a Song That Never Ends" is a beautiful opening, but for the best song in this movie that nobody knows, I'd have to go with "Little April Shower." The song takes place early in the movie when Bambi is still young and hasn't been crushed by the weight of the world. It's a simple song sung by a choir, but it fits the mood perfectly. What is especially good about the song is it goes in stages. It starts out nice and cheerful with a little bit of rain, then as the light rain turns into a legitimate storm, the music becomes chaotic, punctuated by cymbal crashes. Just when we think it'll never end, the storm breaks and all goes calm again. It mirrors the movie pretty well, foreshadowing the storms Bambi will face later in life. It also reminds me a lot of the Silly Symphony The Old Mill.

8. "Casey Junior" (Dumbo)

It's mostly an instrumental, but this song and sequence were my favorite part of Dumbo as a child, and I still like it a ton. It's a big song that sounds more like the opening of a Disney cartoon, but it works really well in Dumbo. I can't hear this song and not think of trains or the circus. It helps that the song is pretty catchy. I had actually completely forgotten about this song until I did research for this post. "Everybody knows Baby Mine" and "When I See An Elephant Fly," but this song is easily missed. It shouldn't be that way, since this song isn't depressing or filled with racist caricatures. While the song may be largely forgotten, the character is not. Casey Jr. operates as the children's train at Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

9. "The Headless Horseman" (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad)

This song is great for many reasons. First and foremost, because Bing Crosby provides the vocals. I mean, who can argue with Bing Crosby? Second, it's a Halloween song, and I love Halloween. Third, it's just a fun and spooky song. I know that this is more of a seasonal song, but to me, it can be listened to anytime. Same goes for the movie. You can't just watch The Legend of Sleepy Hollow during October! I think part of the reason it's overlooked is simply because this is seen as a Halloween only movie. The other songs in the movie, "Ichabod Crane,"and "Katrina" are also great tunes, if only because of Bing Crosby. The song serves as the way Ichabod learns of the Headless Horseman, with Brom Bones trying to scare him more and more. It's really where the movie takes off, because before this everything has been pretty light and quiet. This song marks when things get spooky.

10. "Scales and Arpeggios" (The Aristocats)

I'm honestly not a huge fan of The Aristocats, but I like this song. The song is actually much better in context, so I would definitely rather watch the scene than listen to it, but it's still a cute song. The image of a paint splattered cat playing piano never gets old. This song kind of molds into the rest of the movie and isn't as stand out as "Ev'rybody Wants To Be a Cat" or even "Thomas O'Malley Cat."It's just a simple little song that shows the lives of Duchess and her kittens. Disney doesn't have very many songs with just piano, so it's just kind of different.