"Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

's 1937 animated movie ''

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as Ta ...

''. It was written by

Larry Morey Lawrence L. Morey (March 26, 1905 – May 8, 1971) was an American lyricist and screenwriter. He co-wrote some of the most successful songs in Disney films of the 1930s and 1940s, including "Heigh-Ho", "Some Day My Prince Will Come", and "Whis ...

(lyrics) &

Frank Churchill Frank Edwin Churchill (October 20, 1901 – May 14, 1942) was an American film composer and songwriter. He wrote most of the music for films directed by Walt Disney, such as ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', ''Dumbo'', ''Bambi'', '' The Adve ...

(music), and performed by

Adriana Caselotti Adriana Elena Loreta Caselotti (May 6, 1916 – January 18, 1997) was an American actress and singer. Caselotti was the voice of the title character of the first Walt Disney animated feature, ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'', for which she w ...

(Snow White's voice in the movie). It was also featured in the 1979 stage adaptation of the 1937 animated musical movie. In

AFI AFI may refer to: * ''Address-family identifier'', a 16 bit field of the Routing Information Protocol * Ashton Fletcher Irwin, an Australian drummer * AFI (band), an American rock band ** ''AFI'' (2004 album), a retrospective album by AFI rele ...

's 100 Years...100 Songs, it was ranked the 19th greatest film song of all time.

Production

Conception

Adriana Caselotti was cast in the 1937 film ''

'' after interrupting a phone conversation her father – a voice coach – was having on the phone with a talent scout. The scout was casting the upcoming film and noted that a previous candidate had sounded like a 30-year-old so was let go; Caselotti picked up the extension and recommended herself. Only 18 at the time, Disney thought she sounded like a 14-year-old, which is what he wanted, and he offered her the part. She worked on the film for a nominal fee for three years while the film was in production.

Composition

Meanwhile, Frank Churchill was chosen as the film's composer, who was instructed by Walt Disney to write something "quaint" in order to "appeal more than the hot stuff". The song sees Caselotti perform with "piercing top notes" and "mushy vibrato". The chord structure that underpins the melody has an atypical quality, that led it to become popular within jazz circles. A long-time partner of Disney, after hearing that his work on Bambi was monotonous and uninteresting, he died at a piano from a gunshot wound in 1942. The song is typically played in the key of B-flat major.

Context

This song first appears 57:40 into the movie, when Princess Snow White sings a bedtime song about how the prince she met at the castle will someday return for her. Later in the film, Snow White sings a reprise while making a pie and a more formal version with a chorus is heard when the prince and Snow White leave for his castle at the film's end.

Release

Aftermath

After the film's release, the song became popular outside the context of the narrative as a jazz standard. The first performance was within the

Theresienstadt Theresienstadt Ghetto was established by the Schutzstaffel, SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German occupation of Czechoslovakia, German-occupied Czechoslovakia). Theresienstad ...

concentration camp in 1943, played by band known as the Ghetto Swingers. After World War II, it was performed by jazz musicians such as Dave Brubeck, who included it on his 1957 album ''Dave Digs Disney''. Another popular recording came from Miles Davis in 1961, who named his album after the song.

Critical reception

The ''Financial Times'' wrote that the song "spelt out the tantalising promise of love and nurture".

Legacy

The

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

listed this song at No. 19 on their list of the 100 greatest songs in movie history. Following " When You Wish Upon A Star" from ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'' at No. 7, this is the second highest ranked song from a Disney movie out of four, with the other two being "

Beauty and the Beast ''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve, Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' ( ...

" from ''

'' at No. 62 and " Hakuna Matata" from ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...

'' at No. 99. The song was then briefly sung on the 1971 sitcom ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series '' Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'' by

Edith Bunker Edith Bunker is a fictional character on the 1970s sitcom ''All in the Family'' (and occasionally ''Archie Bunker's Place''), played by Jean Stapleton. She is the wife of Archie Bunker, mother of Gloria Stivic, mother-in-law of Michael "Meathead" ...

in the episode "Archie's Weighty Problem".

Selected covers

Jazz covers

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

– ''

Dave Digs Disney ''Dave Digs Disney'' is a 1957 studio album by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. It features jazz renditions of songs from the animated Disney films ''Alice in Wonderland'', ''Pinocchio'' and ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It is one of Brubeck's mos ...

'' (1957) *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

– ''

Portrait in Jazz ''Portrait in Jazz'' is an album by American jazz pianist Bill Evans, released in 1960. It is the first of only two studio albums to be recorded with his famous trio featuring bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. History Eight months aft ...

'' (1960) *

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...

– ''

Someday My Prince Will Come "Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was written by Larry Morey (lyrics) & Frank Churchill (music), and performed by Adriana Caselotti (Snow White's voice in the ...

'' (1961) *

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of ...

– ''

'' (1961) *

Oscar Peterson Oscar Emmanuel Peterson (August 15, 1925 – December 23, 2007) was a Canadian virtuoso jazz pianist and composer. Considered one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, Peterson released more than 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards, ...

and

Milt Jackson Milton Jackson (January 1, 1923 – October 9, 1999), nicknamed "Bags", was an American jazz vibraphonist, usually thought of as a bebop player, although he performed in several jazz idioms. He is especially remembered for his cool swinging solo ...

– ''

Reunion Blues ''Reunion Blues'' is a 1971 album by Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson. Track listing # " (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 4:04 # "Dream of You" (Benny Carter, Irving Mills) – 4:17 # "Some Day My Prince Will Com ...

'' (1971) *

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

– ''

The Piano ''The Piano'' is a 1993 period drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. Starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, and Anna Paquin in her first major acting role, the film focuses on a mute Scottish woman who travels to a remote p ...

'' (1978) *

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

- '' Akoustic Band'' (1989) *

Enrico Pieranunzi Enrico Pieranunzi (born 5 December 1949) is an Italian jazz pianist. He combines classical technique with jazz. Biography The son of Renata Brillantini and Alvaro Pieranunzi, Enrico Pieranunzi was encouraged to study music at a young age. Hi ...

– ''Live in Paris'' (2001) *

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American jazz and classical music pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also been a ...

- ''Up for It'' (2002) *

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jaz ...

– '' Jazz in the Garden'' (2009) *

Melody Gardot Melody Gardot (; born February 2, 1985) is an American jazz singer. At the age of 19, Gardot was involved in a bicycle accident and sustained a head injury. Music played a critical role in her recovery. She became an advocate of music therapy, ...

Bye Bye Blackbird EP ''My One and Only Thrill'' is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Melody Gardot. It was released on March 16, 2009, by Verve Records. Three singles were released from the album: "Who Will Comfort Me", "Baby I'm a Fool", and " ...

(2009)

Pop covers

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

– ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Platinum Edition DVD/VHS'' (2001) *

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevanc ...

– (2002) Never for sale, the song was used by

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

in a promotional video for the re-release of ''

'' in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

.Ayu-Vogue.net - a tribute to Ayumi Hamasaki
*

Anastacia Anastacia Lyn Newkirk ( ; born September 17, 1968) is an American singer, songwriter and former dancer. Her first two albums '' Not That Kind'' (2000) and '' Freak of Nature'' (2001) were released in quick succession to major success. Spurred o ...

– ''

Disneymania ''Disneymania'', also known as ''Disneymania 1'', is the first installment in the Disneymania album series presenting songs from Disney films, performed by various musical artists. Released on September 17, 2002, the album was considered a commer ...

'' (2002) *

Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...

and

Drew Seeley Andrew Michael Edgar Seeley (born April 30, 1982) is a Canadian actor, singer, songwriter and dancer. He has recorded many songs for the Walt Disney Company. He danced as a child in Ontario until he was about preteen age and then moved to Florida ...

– ''

Disneymania 4 ''Disneymania 4'' is the fourth in the '' Disneymania'' series. This is the second ''Disneymania'' album with the Disney Channel Circle of Stars (though the album just calls them "Disney Channel Stars"), with a few additions, such as Dylan and Col ...

'' (2006) *

The Cheetah Girls The Cheetah Girls may refer to: * The Cheetah Girls (franchise), a series of young adult novels by Deborah Gregory and the spin-offs made from the novels, including a film series ** ''The Cheetah Girls'' (film), a 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie ...

– '' Disneymania 6'' (2008) *

Tiffany Thornton Tiffany Dawn Thornton (born February 14, 1986) is an American former actress, radio personality and singer best known for her co-starring role as Tawni Hart on the Disney Channel Original Series, ''Sonny with a Chance'' and the spinoff, ''So Ran ...

- ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition DVD/Blu-ray'' (2009) *

Patricia Paay Patricia Anglaia Margareth Paaij (born 7 April 1949), best known as Patricia Paay, is a Dutch singer, radio host, glamour model and television personality. In the Netherlands, she is well known for her musical career, which spans over four decade ...

- Patricia Zingt (1966) *

Mireille Mathieu Mireille Mathieu (; born 22 July 1946) is a French singer. She has recorded over 1200 songs in eleven languages, with more than 122 million records sold worldwide. Biography and career Early years Mireille Mathieu was born on 22 July 1946 in A ...

and

Peter Alexander Peter Alexander may refer to: * Pete Alexander (born Grover Cleveland Alexander; 1887–1950), American baseball player * Peter Alexander (Shakespearean scholar) (1893–1969), professor of English language and literature at the University of Glasgo ...

- Peter Alexander präsentiert Walt Disney's Welt (1976, in German)

References

External links

* (on Disney's official channel)
Music Copyright Infringement Resource
- 1941 plagiarism case. {{The Cheetah Girls Songs about princes 1930s jazz standards 1937 songs 2002 singles Jazz compositions in G major Love themes Music published by Bourne Co. Music Publishers Pop ballads Songs from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film) Songs with lyrics by Larry Morey Songs with music by Frank Churchill Walt Disney Records singles

Production

Conception

Composition

Context

Release

Aftermath

Critical reception

Legacy

Selected covers

Jazz covers

Pop covers

See also

References

External links