5. Grim Grinning Ghosts
This song used to scare me as a child. Like, really scare me- I couldn't watch this song on the Disneyland Fun Sing-Along Songs video without having nightmares for about three days afterwards. Now that I've grown older, I see just how amazing this song is. It's extremely versatile, so much so that it's actually the only song you hear in the Mansion. It's the same song, just morphed into a different song style. Another testament to the songwriting talent of X. Atencio and Buddy Baker is the fact that it doesn't really have a beginning or an end, so that guests can pick the song up at any time in the ride.
4. The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room
Ah, the Tiki Room. You either love it (me) or can't stand the thought of sitting through it again (my dad). Much of that opinion depends on whether or not you enjoy the show's theme song, written by the Sherman Brothers of Mary Poppins fame. It's actually one of the first songs written exclusively for the parks, debuting with the show in 1963. This song is extremely catchy, often worming its way into your head on an endless loop that ends somewhere in Fantasyland- but I'm not going to dwell on that OTHER song. It also works extremely well as a map of sorts. Just in case you're confused of where you are, just ask the nearest Cast Member who will most likely tell you that you are in the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room.
3. The Great Outdoors
Here's another song from my almost worn-through Disneyland Fun video. It was the theme song to the Country Bear Vacation Hoedown, a summer camp-themed seasonal variation on the Country Bear Jamboree. This song has all the makings of a great camp song- a simple structure, witty lyrics and great harmonies. In fact, I think that if the Jamboree ever returns to the Disneyland Resort *cough* areyoulisteningDisneylandmanagement *cough*, this song should be put into the setlist, even if the Vacation Hoedown isn't the current show. This song makes it easy for anyone in the audience to "clap your hands and stomp your feet and try to keep right with 'em" at the good old Country Bear Jamboree.
2. One Little Spark
This song is the first one on the list that didn't originate at Disneyland. One Little Spark was written for the Journey Into Imagination ride at EPCOT by the Sherman Brothers. In it, the Dreamfinder creates that lovable purple dragon, Figment, all while introducing the audience to the abstract concept that is the human imagination. The instrumentation in this song is awesome, featuring instruments like a toy piano to create a child-like sound, furthering the idea of childhood imagination being a tool that anyone can use. It'll also be stuck in your head for weeks. The Shermans seem to be good at writing songs like that...
1. There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
In my humble opinion, no other song captures the spirit of Walt Disney better than this one. The Sherman Brothers wrote it as the theme song for the Carousel of Progress at the 1964 World's Fair. There's no way you can frown while listening to this song. It's eternal optimism can bring up even the most depressed of people. In fact, I think that it should be used to treat people suffering from depression- it'll work, trust me! Always remember: there's a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!
Well, that's it. My top five all-time favorite Disney Parks songs. They're all available on the official albums of the various parks- I'd recommend A Musical History of Disneyland. It's a six-CD set that's well worth tracking down. Chime in with your favorite songs in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment