I love nothing better than having a good old sing-a-long to my favourite Disney songs, especially when the nights are growing dark and long. There's just something about bopping along and singing your heart out to a great, catchy tune that instantly lifts spirits. However, I've been told that my choices in favourite songs are rather unusual because, shock horror, I'm not usually a fan of the huge, stand-out hits from each Disney movie. Instead, I prefer the more underrated songs, those ones that take a few listens to get into but that stick with you for life. For the second day of Blogmas, I thought I would share with you all a list of my absolute favourite Disney songs!

HE LIVES IN YOU / MY LULLABY - THE LION KING 2
Without a doubt, The Lion King 2 is my favourite Disney film, and part of that favouritism comes from its soundtrack. It was really hard to only pick two songs, but these two definitely top the list of my favourite Disney tracks. He Lives in You will make anyone cry, because it's difficult to think of it in strictly a cinematic sense. It stirs up a lot of emotion inside, making me feel nostalgic, sad and filled with hope at the same time. Whereas, My Lullaby is probably one of the most sinister Disney villain songs of any film ever, which is exactly why I love it. It's uncharacteristically dark, scary and gets you rooting for the bad guys towards the end. 

STREETS OF GOLD - OLIVER AND COMPANY
Oliver and Company has some classic Motown-inspired songs that make me want to get up and dance whenever I hear them, and Streets of Gold perfectly encapsulates this feeling. Jazzy, snazzy and toe-tappingly irresistible, it captures everything about the 80s and that bustling New York city vibe.

BEST OF FRIENDS - FOX AND THE HOUND
Maybe this says a lot about me being a very sensitive child, but the Fox and the Hound was my favourite Disney film when I was younger, and I would watch it with my nan almost every time I was visiting her. This song is both inspiring and saddening too, as the two protagonists in the film are oblivious to their differences in species - all that matters is their friendship. This song makes me feel happy and cry in equal measures, and I don't think I will ever fall out of love with it. 

THE ENTIRE MOANA SOUNDTRACK
Can we all just take a second to appreciate just HOW good Moana, and its entire soundtrack is before I attempt to explain why it features in my list. When I thought of how much I enjoyed one song, I then remembered another one, and another one, so instead of trying to narrow it down to just one favourite song, I had to put the entire soundtrack on! It is such a beautiful array of traditional Maori music, and catchy classic Disney songs that are up there with the greats that everyone loves. 

ALMOST THERE / DIG A LITTLE DEEPER - THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
I'm a huge fan of blues music, so the music from The Princess and the Frog is right up my street. Both of these songs tell tales of determination, and looking inside of yourself to achieve your dreams - which is as inspiring as any Disney movie can ever be. The latter of course, adding a little bit of comedy to the scene and lyrics, so that the message isn't too obviously didactic, but those types of songs are always the best. 

WHEN WILL MY LIFE BEGIN? - TANGLED
I can definitely relate to a lot of the hidden emotion behind the lyrics of this seemingly light-hearted song. I think we can all agree that at certain times in our lives, we've felt like we're just going through the motions; taking part in various mundane activities that don't really bring us much enjoyment just to get through the day, and never really knowing where our days will take it. Ultimately, like Rapunzel, we will achieve our happy ending one day, and I like to listen to this song most days to help remind me of that fact. That's the power of Disney songs folks - appearances aren't everything!

THE COLOURS OF THE WIND - POCAHONTAS
Pocahontas is a hauntingly beautiful movie that gives audiences a lot to think about in terms of colonialism and the environment, and this song reminds us just how we all fit into the world around us. The lyrics are moving, emotive and powerful, and this is definitely one of my favourite Disney songs to sing-a-long to - if I can make it through to the end without crying!

OUT THERE - THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
This song is full of romantic images of the world around Quasimodo, as he envisions what life outside of the tower is like, and a more sinister tone as his master beguiles him to stay inside. Similarly to Rapunzel in When Will My Life Begin?, our hero longs to explore the world he lives in, but the tone of the song is significantly darker than the former, and needless to say it makes me cry. 

MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU - MULAN
Now, I know I said I wasn't going to feature any majorly big songs on this list, but find me someone who doesn't get their inner warrior on to this song. When I listen to Make a Man Out of You, I feel like I can achieve anything, and it is as powerful as it is humorous, something that I absolutely adore in a Disney song. (Side note: it still amazes me when I see that Donny Osmond sings this, as in THE Donny Osmond that my nan has a crush on singing one of the most motivating songs in Disney history!)

PRINCE ALI / FRIEND LIKE ME - ALADDIN
Genie is probably my favourite Disney character of all time, and Robin Williams' comedic songs in Aladdin make me laugh and want to sing and dance every time I hear them. As good as Aladdin's soundtrack is, it would be nothing without these timeless classic from the Genie. 

I WON'T SAY I'M IN LOVE - HERCULES
I can't really explain where my fascination with this song from Hercules comes from, but I think we've all shared the same emotions as Meg when she belts out the lyrics to this great Disney princess song. Her character marks a change of direction for princesses, as she tries to convince herself that there's more to her than simply falling in love with an irresistible hero, which is probably why I love this song so much. 

THAT'S WHAT MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND- SWORD IN THE STONE
Sword in the Stone is a criminally underrated Disney film, as is this catchy as hell song, which I have obsessed with since I was a kid. I had a sing-a-long video of songs, and this one was one of my absolute favourites, and it still gets stuck in my head today. 

STRANGERS LIKE ME - TARZAN
I only recently rediscovered how much I love Phil Collins' songs that feature in Disney movies, and although I could talk about my love for Brother Bear and its accompanying soundtrack until the cows come home, I never really paid much attention to Tarzan until I recently heard this song - I have not stopped listening to it since. Its sweet and beautiful as Tarzan attempts to uncover the truth about, well, who he actually is, after being raised by gorillas in the jungle for all of his life, as he also explores his new-found feelings for the lovely Jane. 

POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS - THE LITTLE MERMAID
I tried to limit myself to only one villain song, but its so hard not to talk about the evil Ursula's bewitching and insidious song that reveals the extent of how monstrous she can be. She's sassy, manipulative and evil, and expresses this power through every word. This song gives me goosebumps whenever I listen to it, and honestly makes me feel a little bit anxious about the fact that I too, may also get turned into a sea worm. 

EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A CAT - THE ARISTOCATS 
This film combines two of my favourite things in life - cats, and funky jazz music, and this song features the latter in spades. It starts of slow and sensual, eventually building to a maddening explosion of instruments, voices and symphonies that it is impossible (FACT) not to dance and sing 
to.




And there you have it, a mini-playlist of my favourite Disney songs from a whole variety of films! I hope you enjoyed reliving some old classics, and have maybe even found some new favourites. What's your favourite Disney song? 

Thank you so much for reading, and I'll see you tomorrow for my next Blogmas post.
Until then, 
Rachel x