I can't find the original tweet, but a few weeks ago someone I follow posted a short thread about what they considered to be the best Disney song ever.
I grew up in a classic age of Disney animated films with The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King and others coming out seemingly in rapid succession. All have well-loved music that was written for those films. More recent classics like Frozen, Moana, Encanto, and Coco have continued that Disney musical film legacy.
But this tweet didn't identify any of the songs from any of those movies as the best ever. Instead, they called back to a movie from 1973 and the animated Robin Hood movie. But even then, this individual didn't select some of the memorable upbeat tunes like "Oo-de-lally" or "The Phony King of England". Instead, they chose this:
Once I saw this was their pick, I immediately understood. This song stands out. It stood out to me even as a young kid when I watched this movie. I had these lyrics stuck in my head still as an adult. The song matches the film's mood perfectly. And it sits in lament. It lets even a younger viewer grapple with the stakes of what is going on. The song allows the movie to not cheapen the comeback of Robin Hood and his crew with a quick resolution. It wallows in the darkness.
And while it's not my favorite Disney song ever, it has my enduring respect because of the uniqueness of it's tone and subject matter.
On top of this, that scene also is spiritually instructive too. I used it as a sermon illustration a couple weeks ago because it matches well the instruction in 1 Peter about how God's people should respond to suffering. What do those characters do during the song? They care for each other, help feed and care for other sufferers. And the capper of the Friar and his assistant ringing the church bell "because it might bring those poor people some comfort. And we must do what we can to keep their hopes alive."
I mean, read 1 Peter 4:7-11 and tell me that isn't exactly the point of Peter's letter.
So tip of the cap to Roger Miller, who wrote the music and lyrics. And shoutout to Mumford and Sons for their apparent love for the song as well.
And if you are going through some struggles, let me encourage you to find some grace in an overlooked classic Disney song and God's Word to his people in the letter of 1 Peter.
