Currently Listening

"A Whole New World"

With the arrival of such innovations as Apple's iPod, it is safe to say that most of us spend our free time listening to music as opposed to the old ways of reading a book. Being avid music listeners, we have all amassed some rather impressive collections of music, varied by personal preference and spanning several decades. As such, every now and then, we inevitably come across a song we simply cannot resist listening to. And no matter how many times we press the “skip” button, we somehow always find our way back—a constant struggle and a vicious circle. For me, this is a spot-on description of my interaction with Disney's “A Whole New World” from the popular movie Aladdin. Yes, ladies and gentleman, I do listen to Disney songs. In fact, I have a vast collection of them on my iPod and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

Disney's Aladdin links many of us back to our childhoods, when our imaginations were captured by blue genies, flying carpets, magic lamps, and a witty parrot. Aladdin in many ways represented a new direction for Disney—it depicted a new culture with different values, traditions, and beliefs (but we won’t get into the politics of the film). Upon release, Aladdin was well received by the general public and, to some extent, became widely-known for its soundtrack. “A Whole New World” imprinted itself on the minds of its audience not simply because it represented a significant point in the film (the point when Jasmine and Aladdin fall for each other), but because it was a beautifully written piece whose lyrics took us on that magic carpet ride along with Jasmine and Aladdin. As children, we may not have understood the concept of love and what it entailed, but we sure knew that something special was happening between Jasmine and Aladdin as they wove in and out of cloud formations. For me, the magic of the song is not the wonderful imagery or the music or any of that (though all of that is fantastic); the magic of the song is what it represents. And what it represents is a link back to my childhood (and I'm sure, a link back to many of our childhoods). It represents a time when we were innocent and unaware of the troubles of life. It represents a time when our imaginations were free to explore this whole new world with the ensemble cast of Aladdin. For this reason, “A Whole New World” will always hold a special place on my iPod if not in my heart, and will always leave me with the compulsion to hit the repeat button once it has run its course. And, as per tradition, it is now inevitably stuck in my head.

- Sarah Gonsalves

Image Source: http://a.dolimg.com/en-US/disneyfans/media/history/movies/aladdin/mov_aladdin_240x240.jpg
Video Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLsdJlfA23E
Lyrics Source: http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/games/songs/movies/aladdinworldmid.htm

Lyrics

I can show you the world

Shining, shimmering, splendid

Tell me, princess, now when did

You last let your heart decide?


I can open your eyes

Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under
On a magic carpet ride.


A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view

No one to tell us no
Or where to go

Or say we're only dreaming.



A whole new world

A dazzling place I never knew

But when I'm way up here

It's crystal clear

That now I'm in a whole new world with you

Now I'm in a whole new world with you.



Unbelievable sights
Indescribable feeling

Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling

Through an endless diamond sky.

A whole new world

Don't you dare close your eyes

A hundred thousand things to see

Hold your breath - it gets better
I'm like a shooting star
I've come so far

I can't go back to where I used to be.

A whole new world

Every turn a surprise

With new horizons to pursue
Every moment red-letter

I'll chase them anywhere

There's time to spare

Let me share this whole new world with you.



A whole new world

That's where we'll be

A thrilling chase
A wondrous place

For you and me.