proud of your boy
Wednesday, April 16, 2008… thanks to annie’s survey, i’m currently on disney mode >.<
Did you know that in Disney’s Aladdin, the title character was supposed to have a mom? Then again, it’s just one of those ideas that got scrapped out.
Anyhoo, the composing duo Howard Ashman and Alan Menken wrote a song covering this angle. It’s called Proud of Your Boy. The song is basically about Aladdin’s relationship with his mother and according to Ashman, it was his favorite song in the film. This is one of the last things he (Ashman) worked on before he died of AIDS in 1991 which makes it even more tragic that it didn’t make the cut since they changed the storyline.
PROUD OF YOUR BOY
Proud of your boy
I’ll make you proud of your boy
Believe me, bad as I’ve been, Ma
You’re in for a pleasant surprise
I’ve wasted time
I’ve wasted me
So say I’m slow for my age
A late bloomer, Okay, I agree
That I’ve been one rotten kid
Some son, some pride and some joy
But I’ll get over these lousin’ up
Messin’ up, screwin’ up times
You’ll see, Ma, now comes the better part
Someone’s gonna make good
Cross his stupid heart
Make good and finally make you
Proud of your boy
Tell me that I’ve been a louse and loafer
You won’t get a fight here, no ma’am
Say I’m a goldbrick, a good-off, no good
But that couldn’t be all that I am
Water flows under the bridge
Let it pass, let it go
There’s no good reason that you should believe me
Not yet, I know, but
Someday and soon
I’ll make you proud of your boy
Though I can’t make myself taller
Or smarter or handsome or wise
I’ll do my best, what else can I do ?
Since I wasn’t born perfect like Dad or you
Mom, I will try to
Try hard to make you
Proud of your boy
Here’s the link to the clip of the original demo (sung by Alan Menken) put to storyboards in the two-disc special 10th anniversary edition of the DVD. It also includes commentaries from Ed Gombert (Story Supervisor), John Musker & Ron Clements (Producers/Directors), and of course, Alan Menken.
The DVD also includes Proud of Your Boy sung by the Gaiken, and three other songs in test versions: You Can Count On Me, Humiliate the Boy, and Why Me in the special features section.
part of your world
Tuesday, April 15, 2008Nothing compares to the geniusness brought by the Ashman-Menken tandem. The brilliance that is Howard Ashman does not compare to Tim Rice and Stephen Schwartz.
About a decade ago, Disney released a CD box-set called "Music Behind the Magic" which featured songs from The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin in their work tape version. Since they are work tape versions, some of the songs included in this compilation were scrapped out when the Animated Films went into production - one of which is "Human Again" which they eventually added to the 10th Anniversary edition of Beauty and the Beast.
Anyhoo, I was probably in High School when I first got hold of it. I remember listening to the reprise of Part of Your World performed by Howard Ashman (again, these are just work in progress versions so some songs were sung by either Ashman or Menken themselves). I knew that I already love the Little Mermaid compared to the other Disney films but listening to Ashman singing these words gave me goosebumps and made me love it even more.
What would I give to live where you are?
What would I pay to stay here beside you?
What would I do to see you smiling at me?
Now there’s a dream
Now there’s a goal
Now there’s a need I’ll never control
I won’t get free
Till I can be Part of your world
What would I give if I could live out of these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day holding your hand?
[Instrumental]
I’d give my life
I’d sell my soul
‘Cause I can feel I’ll never be whole
But I can see
I’ll never be
Part of your world
Honestly, I like this version better compared to the one that made the cut. The lyrics have more soul to it and it totally sets up the Faustian angle of the story. However, I think Disney execs did not favor it because, let’s face it, it’s too depressing for children to watch. :p
More than 10 years later, my CDs are gone is currently out-of-print. Even the copies that I made were destroyed. But even until now,as I stare into open space, I can still hear Howard Ashman’s voice in my head making me want to be free and dream of being part of someone’s world. 
That’s the magic behind every Disney music.
10 Random Facts (tagged by Ron Cruz)
Thursday, April 10, 2008Post the rules:
- Each blogger starts with ten random facts/habits about themselves.
- Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their ten things and post these rules.
- At the end of your blog, you need to choose ten people to get tagged and list their names.
- Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
- I’ve watched every single episode of Charmed at least five times
Huge fan! Even had a phase where my email address was halliwell_phoebe@charmedmail.com. and had everyone call me Phoebe or Pheebs (some of my college friends still do). Cute story… my brother found out about it and wrote down "Phoebe" on my Christmas gift tag.
- I was nicknamed Peachy in high school
It all started as joke when someone called me Angelu and I looked back. Henceforth, I was dubbed, Peachy. Actually, I never thought it would catch on but it did. And before I knew it, even some of my teachers would call me Peachy instead of my real name.
- I was interviewed on Teysi ng Tahanan and the Inside Story when I was 10
They both did a segment on gifted children and I was one of them… hehehe… kidding. It’s actually one of my childhood friends who’s the gifted one.
- I text using my left hand
Which is funny because I’m right handed.
- I hate reading
Not that I hate literature (don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan) but I just don’t enjoy reading books, which is probably a good thing because the moment I pick one up and finish it, it’s probably worth reading.
- If I were in the States, I’d probably be a Republican
Red states here I come. Yes, I’m a gay republican. I’m all for tradition and family values. And yes, I’m more conservative than liberal.
- I’m homophobic
Yes, I’m a homophobic homo. Weird, huh?! I’m probably one of the very few gay guys who never enjoyed hanging out in Malate (I’ve only been there once or twice and the only reason why I went for the second time was because I didn’t have much of a choice). And you’d barely see me hanging out in the gay scene. The thing this is, there are just certain gay people who (i’m sorry to admit but) scares the bejesus out of me. I don’t know why but they do. - I’m emotionally imbalanced
This fact scares me. I don’t cry when I know I should and cry when I know I shouldn’t. You know how everyone cried when the watched the Notebook? Well, I didn’t. I didn’t even cry when one of my closest friends died. I cried though when I watched the Little Mermaid 2 (when Melody tore the wall down), the Mighty Ducks (when they won), Sister Act 2 (also when they won the competition). Actually, I still do when I watch them again. I also cry when they send someone home on American Idol, when I watch series finales of my favorite shows, and when the overture plays when I watch musicals.
- I don’t swim in public pools
I just don’t.
- I’m a hopeless romantic
No matter how strong my convictions are saying I’m not, don’t ever believe me. I know deep down that I am and there’s no changing that. Funny how my life (and everyone else’s) gets screwed up a whole lot and yet, at the end of the day, I still believe in happy endings.
Now, I’m tagging: anna, ayn, fiona, ghambz, kath, marcy, rhea, rica, shiela, and teri
adrienisms
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Ever since I resigned from my previous job, I have taken the full responsibility of nanny to our little boy. Funny how time flies, I still picture him as that witty little kid running around the house screaming, "Raaawwrr… I’ll eat you!" Yes, he loved dinosaurs as a kid which is probably the reason for the dinosaur teeth he had growing up.
Now, not that I’m gloating (like every parent I know does about their child) but Adrien’s really one of the brightest kids I know. He may not be that good with fractions or division with remainder (i mean, who is… no, wait.. I AM!! *kidding*) but he’s very witty and smart for his age that you start wondering if he’s really a kid or simply a midget.
Anyhoo, next week marks the little brat’s tenth year. He’s officially entering the double-digit years (as my ever-so-corny father would put it, his "ten-ager" year) which means goodbye adorable and hello obnoxious. And as we all welcome the hideousness called pre-teen in our little boy’s life, I’d like to share some his quotable quotes which, until now, is discussed during weekend dinners and reunions. Most of which happened when he was about four or five years old.
[Adrien playing with his action figures]
Adrien: Die you f*ck!ng aliens!
[Mom tells adrien he should not say such words]
[Adrien continues playing]
Adrien: Die you…
[looks at mom]
Adrien: … funny aliens!
Bro-in-law and I talking about on of the spells in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone]
Adrien: [out of nowhere in a British accent] it’s leviOsa.. not leviosah
Adrien: I want to go back to the nice room [pertaining to a hotel that we stayed at during holy week]
[a fat lady was getting off the elevator]
Adrien: Wow, that’s a big butt!! [My sister and I actually raced to cover his mouth]
[During his Moving Up ceremony at his pre-school]
Adrien: When I grow up, I want to be a scuba diver!
{On riding the tricycle]
Adrien: I miss riding the tricycle. It has been a long time and I forgot how relaxing it was.
[On lola’s text message]
Adrien: Feel na feel ni Lola that she’s still young.
Ardee: What made you say that?
Adrien: Kasi, I texted her if they’re going out tomorrow. Then she replied, "Dono yet." As in D-O-N-O. Dono!
Waiting for my sister, we sat down one of the benches in Ateneo and talked]
Ardee: What did you do last night?
Adrien: The usual. (which means, he watched Friends with his mom)
Ardee: What episode did you watch?
Adrien: The one with Rhonda.
Ardee: Who’s Rhonda?
Adrien: [in an African American tone] Yo, Peter! Peter! It’s me, Rhonda! From PS 129. I used to share my pudding with you, man! I gave you my snack pack!
Truth is, there are actually even more moments that I just can’t remember and for sure, there are more to come. Over all, I think we did a good job raising the very first kin our immediate family’s third generation. But then again, this is just the beginning of his journey.
Meticulous to the bone paying attention to the nitty-gritty details of anything (or anyone) that piques his interest. He's terribly O.C. when he feels like it and other times he just leaves the mess as it is.
thanks for dropping by.
