I fully admit that I’m 100% bias as I adore Don Bluth 1994 version of Thumbelina. This the movie where he just go full-on peak Disney Renaissance. It’s a Hans Christian Anderson story that is musical but a prominent song write with a red head who is known for having a gorgeous voice. Even voiced by the same actress. And it’s worked for me.
I do think some of the songs are genuinely great so are rough. So since it’s autumn and this movie is set in autumn to winter to spring why not Thumbelina going into the colder months?
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Quick Note I’m not counting songs as part. Like the intro song is actually a part “Follow Your Heart” but I’ll count as one song whereas reprises are separate.
So there are 9 Songs in total. They were written by Barry Manilow.
9. “Soon Reprise”
Honestly I forget about this song. While the singer’s voice is very lovely and moving, I do think it’s slows the pace of the movie way down.
8. “Thumbelina”
While this the opening music number of the story proper, its vocals, melody and the lyrics just skirt a little too close to annoying for me. Plus it’s played for comedy that Thumbelina was nearly baked into a pie…just an odd choice for humor in for the first proper song in the movie.
I will say that the instrumentation is nice.
7. “On The Road”
Thumbelina technically speaking has no one by three villain songs. Most of the villains just want to use Thumbelina in the pursuit of money and try to talk her out of her desire to marry for love.
“On the Road,” sung by the toad family, want Thumbelina to join the band so they can make more money. While it’s a very fast-paced frenetic song it don’t make a lot of sense trying to convince Thumbelina that marring a Prince will bring a life of drudgery. Though Mrs.Toad is trying to convince her to not marry the prince for love but to join her and marry her song for fame and money. It is a chaos song maybe it feels a little too disjointed for my taste.
It is a fun song with some dark subtext. And the difference in musical style is also positive.
6. “Follow Your Heart”
“Follow Your Heart” is the big number of the movie think “Under the Sea,” “Be Our Guest” and “Friend Like me” type of song. Defiantly a fun uplifting song that meant to pump Thumbelina up for her journey home.
Though it’s anyone’s guess why the bird didn’t offer her a ride maybe because then the movie would be done. It’s a weird out thought.
Still it’s a cute song, I do like it.
5. “ Marry The Mole”
Yes this song DID win the Razzie for Worst Original Song but I think they forgot that it was villain song. Maybe the villain songs go under the radar for this movie being the villains are not nefarious just greedy and that is very Hollywood.
Anyway I think it a fun enough song, plus Carol Channing. I just like it.
4. “Let me Be your Wings Sun Reprise”
This song is a short sad song that Thumbelina sings when she is asked to sings a ”lovely, sad story.” She is mourning Cornelius so she equates the lack of sun in winter with the lack of Cornelius.
It is a very lovely sad song. I wish it was longer.
3. “Yer Beautiful, Baby”
I tend to random sing lines from the song. It’s a fun weird villain song. I just can’t help liking it though it does get mean spirted and to that I would say yeah, It’s a villain song.
Side note – For the longest time I thought this song was also “The Beetle Ball” and I LOVE Thumbelina’s beetle costume, it’s so great and over the top.
2. “Soon”
This is Thumbelina’s “I want” song. While this song is lovely Thumbelina just wants love in that context it’s a romantic romance song. She just wants love and not necessarily someone who understands her though Thumbelina herself isn’t presented with much complexity aside for some sass. She wants a companion that is the same size and pairs that with love. She wants love.
Jodie Benson’s vocal performance and the music itself are doing a lot for this song as one just forgets the subject and keys into the utter beauty of the song.
1. “Let Me Be Your Wings”
While some call “Let Me Be Your Wings” a discounted version of a “A Whole New World” I do not. I do get the comparison as the both uses flying as metaphor for freedom as well as love. However I do not count the similarity against this song.
I adore this song, I think it’s lovely and romantic with some lovely imagery Do Thumbelina and Cornelius go from 0% to 100% on the love courtship meter? Yes! Is that part of the vibe and mood of the movie also yes. I don’t think we aught need apply real-life aspects of courtship to a romance between a fairy prince and a girl the size of a petite thumb. You can just enjoy the romantic autumnal vibes and this lovely naive idealistic love song.
Lovely songs and east choice for number #1.
