This month, the Mental Jukebox revisits the movie soundtracks of the nineties. The music I’m highlighting are some of my personal favorites. In many cases, the movies themselves were huge for me as well. But the focus will still be on the music – as always. Let’s bring on the throwback classics, the grunge, the gangsta rap, and the indie gems. #31DaysOf90sMovieSongs
Movie: The Lion King
What makes Disney, Disney? Plenty, it turns out. Disney movies have their own unique style of animation. They use only the best voiceovers. They feature really good, sometimes even phenomenal original music. And, above all, they tell great stories. Those last two points are inextricably linked. In a Disney movie, what makes the songs so great is their connection to the story. And vice versa. This is definitely the case with The Lion King – a soundtrack with almost all great originals, including this one by Elton John and Tim Rice.
I’m not the biggest Elton John fan. I’m not even a casual fan, to be honest. Great voice. Great piano player. Great composer. And definitely a great performer. But Elton just isn’t my cup of tea. That said, his collaboration with Tim Rice in “Circle of Life” is nearly flawless. The song is perfect for the movie. The melody starts off in a pedestrian manner in the verses, but things soar and shine in the chorus. The best part is the lyrics. It’s a manifesto for the movie. As the story goes, Tim Rice wrote these brilliant words and handed them over to the Rocket Man to turn into music. He pumped out a spectacular demo in an hour and a half. Now, that’s talent. Maybe I should listen to more Elton John.
“In the circle of life, it's the wheel of fortune. It's the leap of faith. It's the band of hope. 'Til we find our place on the path unwinding, in the circle, the circle of life.”