Words To Sing
Walt Disney World commercials used to make me cry.
“You just won the Super Bowl!,” the voiceover asked the beaming, sweaty quarterback, “What are you going to do NEXT?”
“I’m going to Disney World!”
And remember the two brothers packing their suitcase, with the older brother – all of about 7 years old -- giving his words of wisdom to the little brother? “The first thing to remember about Disney World is to pace yourself…”
But I confess: after years of living in Orlando, constantly surrounded by the Disney billboards and commercials, and after working at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom for seven years, I do still believe in the Magic, but for a bit of Disney propaganda to reach to the depths of my heart and elicit tears, the bar has been raised.
The other day in the break room at my day job, it happened. A commercial came on the television.
It was the voiceover that got to me. While watching all those beautifully-photographed Disney World scenes, a male voice – a kind “voice of authority” sort of voice – read in a simple, straight-forward tone, calmly, simply stating the ad copy. In this case, the ad copy was a song lyric. We all know the song from Aladdin, and when we hear the song on its own we clearly visualize Aladdin & Jasmine on a flying carpet. Once separated from the emotional cues of the song’s melody, however, the lyric took on new power when coupled with images of the best moments from a Disney vacation: a little girl dressed as Cinderella, twirling in her costume in front of the castle, getting a big hug from Mickey Mouse, fireworks lighting up the sky… The words were no longer about Aladdin’s story; now the words were about me, a story about me and a place I could visit to escape the humdrum reality of processing mortgages at the office.
A dazzling place I never knew
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us no
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming
Let me share this whole new world with you
In addition to making me want to head over to the Magic Kingdom this weekend, the commercial reminded me of the power of lyrics. So, in celebration of lyrics, I’m launching a new feature on Instagram: WORDS TO SING: A Series of Quotes from Lyrics & Lyricists. You’ll find snippets of wisdom, inspiration, and fun. Lyrics by wordsmiths such as Sondheim, Hammerstein, Ahrens, and Harnick. And quite a few Rose quotes thrown into the mix, too. Look for WORDS TO SING, every Thursday on Instagram @ByMargaretRose
Here’s one to get you started:
“Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling
Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling
Through an endless diamond sky
A whole new world”
by Tim Rice, from Aladdin. Music by Alan Menken & Lyric by Tim Rice