Five Inspirational Disney Songs

Disney means a lot to so many of us and to a lot of people, including me, it can prove to be inspiring; whether that’s through the movies, characters or the number of different quotes that Disney present us with.

One big part of Disney that inspires a variety of different emotions and positivity in people are the songs that shape some of our favourite films. For today’s post, I thought I would highlight just five of the Disney songs that I feel are inspiring; in no particular order.

Almost There – The Princess and The Frog

Tiana defines independence and hard-work through her determination and a ‘never give up’ attitude. ‘Almost There’ is a song that highlights this and shows us Tiana’s strong determination to open up her own restaurant, particularly to honour her late father. The song portrays the importance of working hard to achieve your dreams and that no matter what you go through in life, “There’s been trials and tribulations, you know I’ve had my share, But I’ve climbed a mountain, I’ve crossed a river, And I’m almost there”, you can still get to where you want to be in life so long as you remember to put in the hard work. However, as Tiana learns; life isn’t just about working hard but also making sure you enjoy yourself. So, if you’re “almost there” on your journey to reaching your goals – remember that you can have time to dance if you want to, whilst also working hard to chase your dreams.

How Far I’ll Go – Moana

Moana is the epitome of courageousness and the will to experience new things; no matter what lies ahead. She faces a lot of challenges and hardships throughout the film, but despite this she never gives up in continuing to find Maui and restoring the heart of Te Fiti. ‘How Far I’ll Go’ emphasises the idea of having courage and staying true to who you are, even if not everyone agrees with; or is happy about it. In Moana’s case, her calling is to be out on the water and to save her island. However, the song can be relatable to many people for different reasons. “See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me […] One day I’ll know, If I go there’s just no telling how far I’ll go” it sends out that the message that adventure is out there and with some bravery and courage  – we too can chase these adventures and achieve our true calling.

Try Everything – Zootopia

Zootopia follows the adventures of Judy Hopps as she sets out to achieve her goals of working for the Zootopia Police Department and proving to everyone that she can do it – even if she is “just a bunny”. Gazelle is the sensational Zooptopian pop star and is voiced by Shakira and the song ‘Try Everything’ features in the film; highlighting Judy’s determination and emphasising the idea that no matter how many times we may fail at something; it’s always important to keep trying until we achieve our goals. “I won’t give up, no I won’t give in, Until I reach the end, And then I’ll start again” the lyrics of the song, further reiterates the idea to keep fighting no matter what. Whether you’re fighting to reach your goals or fighting an ailment – it’s important to remember to not give up and even if you fall – you can get back up and try again.

I’ll Try (Reprise)  – Return to Never Land

The Peter Pan films are loved by so many people and the sequel follows a grown up Wendy’s young daughter, Jane, who struggles to believe the stories of Peter Pan and the pirates that her mother tells her. At a time of war, Jane is forced to grow up quickly so it’s no surprise it’s hard for her to believe in something. We first see her singing ‘I’ll Try’ where the young girl expresses her belief that there is “no such thing as faith and trust and pixie dust”. This is something that can be relatable for a lot of us: during hard times, it’s often hard to have something good to believe in. However, later in the film, the song starts again when Jane realises her disbelief in fairies was causing Tinker Bell to be sick. “All the world is made of faith, And trust and pixie dust, So I’ll try, Cause I finally believe” the lyrics show that even though bad things are going on around us – there’s still good to be found and there is always something to believe in; no matter what that is to each individual. Like Jane, we could all sometimes to do with discovering that even though we’re going through a hard time; the world is still full of faith, trust and pixie dust – if you only remember to believe.

I See The Light – Tangled

Is anyone actually surprised that I included Tangled on here? Let’s be honest, I couldn’t have a blog post about inspirational songs and not include my girl Rapunzel! For me, apart from being one of the most stunning scenes ever, ‘I See The Light’ is a song that means a lot. Rapunzel represents bravery, courage and remaining a good person whilst trying out things that may at first scare you. “And it’s like the fog has lifted, And at last I see the light” to me, the lyrics show that sometimes you just have to get through the bad times in life and that’s when you’ll “see the light” – that’s when there’s a light in the darkness and you’ve found where you’re meant to be. Whatever it is your ‘light’ is; ‘I See The Light’ shows us that there is always something out there worth fighting for.

Let me know what you think some inspirational Disney songs are and why they inspire you? Did any of them make it onto my list?