Mulan is a good Disney movie which certainly addresses breaking barriers. With several good songs, one that has always hit me quite close to home is entitled “Reflection.” Mulan sees her reflection in the highly-polished marble stones of a monument to her ancestors. There is a conscription for the army, and her father must go since there is no son in the family, a matter of great shame in Chinese culture of the day (and still?).
She masquerades as a man to take her father’s place and (of course) wins the day. The movie is poignant and very funny, too.
One song you have to hear is “I’ll make a man out of you,” sung by Donny Osmond (!) You have to hear it, with the all male chorus. Really hot. If you like that sort of thing. And I do.
So, here are some lyrics to ponder, from the “single” version of the song, released for public consumption as sung by Christina Aguilera. The song in the movie, with slightly different lyrics, was beautifully sung by Lea Salonga.
Reflection
From the Disney movie Mulan
Look at me
You may think you see who I really am
But you'll never know me
Ev'ry day
It's as if I play a part
Now I see
If I wear a mask
I can fool the world
But I cannot fool my heart
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
I am now
In a world where I have to hide my heart
And what I believe in
But somehow
I will show the world
What's inside my heart
And be loved for who I am
Who is that girl I see
Staring straight back at me?
Why is my reflection someone
I don't know?
Must I pretend that I'm
Someone else for all time?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
There's a heart that must be free to fly
That burns with a need to know the reason why
Why must we all conceal
What we think
How we feel
Must there be a secret me
I'm forced to hide?
I won't pretend that I'm
Someone else
For all time
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
When will my reflection show
Who I am inside?
Music: Matthew Wilder
Lyrics: David Zippel
PS: will Blogger ever let me post a picture again?
9 comments:
Disney showtunes are pretty much on par with other showtunes...sometimes even better.
A favorite Disney movie of mine was always Hunchback of Notre Dame. It was this strange mix of "we want to honor you, and we dispise you at the same time". Always deep and brooding.
my first career choice was to be a graphic illustrator for Disney Movies, but I did not get that far. But I watched/study Disney closely
Still, it is always the music not the animation that makes the Disney movie.
My favorite (for the music at least) is Pinocchio.
My favorite though is Fantasia.
hey buddy, thats a great song....and yeah, the words have a lot more meaning to us g/m males....and the question of when comes up more and more......decisions, decisions how, when what to do after...my mother always had a neat saying...when coming to decisions..either shit or get off the pot.....i always liked that ,,kinda just summed things up
later ..hugs..dave
Thanks for the Comment. I love Daveincleveland's comment. Sums up what I think I need to do.
Question, Do women realize there are so many of us out there? Do men?
i wish men did, that would make it a whole lot easier brent...hehehe
BearMind:
Yes, Mulan is musically OK, but the one that completely undoes me is "Dumbo", which not only has the phantasmagoria of "Pink Elephants" and the hip banter of the crows with "Did You Ever See..." [who were those black men?], but undoes me every time with "Baby Mine, Don't You Cry."
No wound like an old wound.
Sort of like jokes, I guess.
Hang in there.
yr
Troll
Regarding the Blogger/picture remark: I gave up trying to post pictures using IE on a PC. I now do it through the Firefox browser.
I have a 6 year old niece and know these song oh so well!
While I've yet to actually see Mulan or any of the later Disney movies after "The Lion King" I've always had a special connection with “When You Wish Upon A Star” and “The Colors Of The Wind”, it’s the ever longing artist in me that dreams a little every day I suppose and the thought that nothing should be taken for granted and everything has its own beauty that draw me to those two.
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