Once Upon a Dream (Sleeping Beauty song)

Last updated
"Once Upon a Dream"
Song by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley
from the album Sleeping Beauty
Published Walt Disney Music Company
ReleasedJanuary 29, 1959 (1959-01-29)
Recorded1958
Genre Soundtrack
Label Walt Disney [ citation needed ]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) George Bruns [ citation needed ]
Scene
"An Unusual Prince/Once Upon a Dream (From 'Sleeping Beauty')" from DisneyMusicVEVO on YouTube

"Once Upon a Dream" is a song written for the 1959 animated musical fantasy film Sleeping Beauty produced by Walt Disney. Its lyrics were written by Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain while the music is adapted by George Bruns. The song's melody is based on the "Grande valse villageoise" (nicknamed "The Garland Waltz"), from the 1890 ballet The Sleeping Beauty by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Contents

"Once Upon a Dream" serves as the film's main theme, and as the love theme of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. It is performed in the film by a chorus as an overture and third-reprise finale, as well by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley, who voiced the roles of Aurora and Phillip, respectively. [2] [3] [4]

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [5] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notable covers

American girl group No Secrets recorded the song "Once Upon (Another) Dream", whose chorus is based on "Once Upon a Dream", in 2003 for the two-disc DVD release of Sleeping Beauty. [6] The song was then included in the 2004 compilation album Disneymania 2 .

"Once Upon a Dream" was covered by Emily Osment in October 2008 for the Platinum Edition release of the film. [7] Osment's rendition was included in the 2008 compilation album Princess Disneymania .

Seth MacFarlane covered the song for his 2020 show tunes album Great Songs from Stage & Screen .

Lana Del Rey version

"Once Upon a Dream"
Lana Del Rey - Once Upon a Dream (Single Cover).png
Single by Lana Del Rey
from the album Maleficent (soundtrack)
ReleasedJanuary 26, 2014 (2014-01-26)
Recorded2013
Genre Orchestral pop
Length3:23 [8]
Label Walt Disney [8]
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Dan Heath [10]
Lana Del Rey singles chronology
"Young and Beautiful"
(2013)
"Once Upon a Dream"
(2014)
"West Coast"
(2014)
Licensed audio
"Once Upon a Dream" on YouTube

"Once Upon a Dream" was covered by American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey for the dark fantasy film Maleficent (2014), which serves as a re-imagining of the original 1959 film. The song was released on January 26, 2014; it was made available as a free digital download during its first week of availability by the Google Play Store. [11] On February 4, the digital download was made available for purchase. [12]

Critical reception

The cover received generally positive reception. Forbes called the cover "moody and low-key" [13] while Stereogum described it as "swoony" and "spaced-out". [14] Hypable said the cover was "much darker" than the original and pointed out the "slight radio effect" over Del Rey's and called her performance of the song "haunting": [15] Spin said of the song snippet from the trailer: "Smoky vocals, a bewitching come-hither delivery, and delicate piano turn the 1959 fairytale song into a haunting lullaby." [16] Complex remarked that Del Rey's cover had a "somber and sinister" feel in comparison to the original. [17]

Chart positions

Chart (2014)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [18] 96
France (SNEP) [19] 122
Ireland (IRMA) [20] 71
UK Singles (Official Charts Company) [21] 60
US Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles ( Billboard ) [22] 5

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [23] Gold35,000
United States (RIAA) [24] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maleficent</span> Disney villain character

Maleficent is a fictional character who first appears in Walt Disney Productions' animated film, Sleeping Beauty (1959). Maleficent is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" based on the evil fairy godmother character in Charles Perrault's fairy tale Sleeping Beauty, as well as the villainess who appears in the Brothers Grimm's retelling of the story, Little Briar Rose. Maleficent was originally animated by Marc Davis.

"Colors of the Wind" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney Pictures' 33rd animated feature film, Pocahontas (1995). The film's theme song, "Colors of the Wind" was originally recorded by American singer and actress Judy Kuhn in her role as the singing voice of Pocahontas. A pop ballad, the song's lyrics are about animism and respecting nature, finding its roots in indigenous Native American culture, perspectives which have later been adopted in both transcendentalist literature and New Age spirituality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emily Osment</span> American actress, singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Emily Jordan Osment is an American actress, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Osment began her career as a child actress, appearing in numerous television shows and films, before co-starring as Gerti Giggles in Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams (2002) and Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003). She played Lilly Truscott on the Disney Channel television series Hannah Montana (2006–2011) and its film spinoff Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009).

<i>Sleeping Beauty</i> (1959 film) Animated Disney film

Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution. Based on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale, the production was supervised by Clyde Geronimi, and was directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Eric Larson, and Les Clark. With the voices of Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen, Taylor Holmes, and Bill Thompson, the film follows Princess Aurora, who was cursed by the evil fairy Maleficent to die from a prick from the spindle of a spinning wheel. She is saved by three good fairies, who alter the curse so that the princess falls into a deep sleep and is awakened by true love's kiss.

"Blue Velvet" is a popular song written and composed in 1950 by Bernie Wayne and Lee Morris. A top 20 hit for Tony Bennett in its original 1951 version, the song has since been re-recorded many times, with a 1963 version by Bobby Vinton reaching No. 1.

<i>Ultimate Disney Princess</i> 2006 compilation album by Various artists

Ultimate Disney Princess is a three-disc compilation album set consisting of a wide range of popular Disney songs, mainly those sung by or related to the Disney Princesses.

<i>Disneys Princess Favorites</i> 2002 compilation album by Various Artists

Disney's Princess Favorites is a 2002 album released by Walt Disney Records that serves partially as a soundtrack to the direct-to-video animated film Cinderella II: Dreams Come True, but also as a standard compilation of classic Princess-related Disney songs. It was released on February 5, 2002, and went on to peak at #3 on Billboard's Top Kid Audio chart.

Aurora (<i>Sleeping Beauty</i>) Title character from Disneys 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty

Aurora, also known as Sleeping Beauty or Briar Rose, is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Productions' animated film Sleeping Beauty (1959). Originally voiced by singer Mary Costa, Aurora is the only child of King Stefan and Queen Leah. An evil fairy named Maleficent seeks revenge for not being invited to Aurora's christening and curses the newborn princess, foretelling that she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel's spindle and die before sunset on her sixteenth birthday. Merryweather, one of the three good fairies, weakened the curse so Aurora would only sleep. Determined to prevent this, three good fairies raise Aurora as a peasant in order to protect her, patiently awaiting her sixteenth birthday—the day the spell can only be broken by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip.

<i>Princess Disneymania</i> 2008 compilation album by Various artists

Princess Disneymania is Disney's first compilation album in the Disneymania series. It was released on September 30, 2008. The album features various artists renditions of classic songs originally from the Disney Princess films. Emily Osment's cover of "Once Upon a Dream", is the only previously unreleased song on the compilation, the song was also used to promote Sleeping Beauty's Platinum Edition home video release, which was released the following month. Kari Kimmel, Amy Adams, and Sierra Boggess' contributions on the compilation were all taken from their respective soundtrack albums Ella Enchanted, Enchanted, and The Little Mermaid: Original Broadway Cast Recording, all the other songs on the compilation were previously released on a Disneymania album and are mainly sung by female artists. The album became the lowest-peaking of the series, peaking at #191 on the Billboard 200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lana Del Rey</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1985)

Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent references to contemporary pop culture and 1950s–70s Americana. Her vintage Hollywood glamour aesthetic is presented not only in her music, but also in her music videos. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an MTV Video Music Award, three MTV Europe Music Awards, two Brit Awards, two Billboard Women in Music, and a Satellite Award, in addition to nominations for eleven Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. Variety honored her at their Hitmakers Awards for being "one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the 21st century". Rolling Stone placed Del Rey on their list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time (2023), and Rolling Stone UK named her The Greatest American Songwriter of the 21st century (2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lana Del Rey discography</span>

American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey has nine studio albums, three extended plays, 38 singles, 18 promotional singles and one box set. She also has one leaked demo album, which was not released officially. According to Universal Music Group (UMG), Del Rey has sold over 41 million albums worldwide and has garnered over 58 billion streams worldwide. In the United States, Del Rey has sold over 48 million certified singles according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Billboard ranked her as the 37th Top Rock Artist of the 2010s. Del Rey has also sold 7.1 million singles units, and 4 million albums in United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Jeans (Lana Del Rey song)</span> 2012 single by Lana Del Rey

"Blue Jeans" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey and the third single from her second studio album, Born to Die (2012). Interscope Records released the track to Italian radios on March 30, 2012. Del Rey wrote it with Dan Heath and producer Emile Haynie. The song combines sadcore, trip hop, and gothic pop over a balladic production.

<i>Maleficent</i> (film) 2014 American fantasy film by Robert Stromberg

Maleficent is a 2014 American fantasy film directed by Robert Stromberg from a screenplay by Linda Woolverton. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Roth Films, the film is a live-action reimagining of the character Maleficent, played by Angelina Jolie, from Walt Disney's 1959 animated film Sleeping Beauty, itself an adaptation of Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale. Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville have supporting roles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summertime Sadness</span> 2012 single by Lana Del Rey

"Summertime Sadness" is a song by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey from her second studio album, Born to Die (2012). The pop ballad was released on June 22, 2012, by Interscope Records as the fourth single of the album. In the spring of 2013, "Summertime Sadness" reached number one in Poland, Ukraine and Armenia. Charting across Europe, the single reached the top 10 in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Trap and house remixes of "Summertime Sadness" helped Del Rey break into the US Hot Dance Club Songs chart. That chart is where Del Rey's song became a modest hit and marked her first foray into the chart. On the accompanied Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart, the single gave Del Rey her first US number-one single in August 2013. In September 2021, the song was ranked number 456 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

<i>Ultraviolence</i> (album) 2014 studio album by Lana Del Rey

Ultraviolence is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey, released on June 13, 2014, by Polydor and Interscope Records. Originally dismissing the possibility of releasing another record after her major-label debut Born to Die (2012), Del Rey began planning its follow-up in 2013. Production continued into 2014, at which time she heavily collaborated with Dan Auerbach to revamp what she initially considered to be the completed record. The album saw additional contributions from producers such as Paul Epworth, Greg Kurstin, Daniel Heath, and Rick Nowels, and features a more guitar-based sound than Del Rey's previous releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Coast (Lana Del Rey song)</span> 2014 single by Lana Del Rey

"West Coast" is a song recorded by American singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey for her third studio album, Ultraviolence (2014). Written by Del Rey and Rick Nowels, it is a melancholy love song about a woman torn between love and ambition, and as a dedication to the West Coast of the United States.

<i>Sleeping Beauty</i> (franchise) Disney media franchise

Sleeping Beauty is a Disney media franchise that began in 1959 with the theatrical release of the animated film Sleeping Beauty, based on the homonymous fairy tale.

Maleficent is a Disney media franchise that began in 2014 with the theatrical release of Maleficent.

<i>Maleficent</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by James Newton Howard

Maleficent (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album composed by James Newton Howard for the 2014 film Maleficent, based on the Disney villain character Maleficent from the animated film Sleeping Beauty (1959). The film is a live-action spin-off of Sleeping Beauty, and is loosely inspired from Charles Perrault's original fairy tale. Directed by Robert Stromberg, the film stars Angelina Jolie in the titular character.

References

  1. Disney: Once Upon a Dream at AllMusic
  2. DisneyMusicVEVO (2014-10-21), An Unusual Prince/Once Upon a Dream (From "Sleeping Beauty") , retrieved 2016-02-14
  3. "Once Upon a Dream by Mary Costa and Bill Shirley". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  4. "Sleeping Beauty (1959)". IMDb . Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  5. "American single certifications – Bill Shirley, Chorus - Sleeping Beauty, Disney, Mary Costa – An Unusual Prince/Once Upon a Dream". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  6. "Once Upon Another Dream by No Secrets on WhoSampled". WhoSampled.com. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  7. "Emily Osment 'Once Upon a Dream'". Crushable . Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  8. 1 2 Once Upon a Dream (From Maleficent) – Single by Lana Del Rey , retrieved 2019-11-02
  9. Phares, Heather. Maleficent (Original Soundtrack) – James Newton Howard at AllMusic
  10. "James Newton Howard – Maleficent". Discogs. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 2019-11-02.
  11. "Lana Del Rey's Maleficent Track to Debut During Grammys - Disney News". Stitchkingdom.com. January 23, 2014. Archived from the original on January 25, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  12. "Once Upon a Dream". Amazon.com . Archived from the original on February 23, 2014. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  13. Mendelson, Scott (January 26, 2014). "Lana Del Rey Covers 'Once Upon A Dream' For Angelina Jolie's Maleficent". Forbes . Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  14. Nelson, Michael (January 26, 2014). "Lana Del Rey – "Once Upon A Dream"". Stereogum . Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  15. Sims, Andrew (January 26, 2014). "Lana Del Rey's 'Once Upon A Dream' released – listen!". Hypable.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  16. McGovern, Kyle. "Hear Lana Del Rey's Creepy 'Once Upon a Dream' Cover in Maleficent Trailer". Spin . Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  17. X, Dharmic (January 26, 2014). "Listen to Lana Del Rey's Cover of "Once Upon A Dream" as The Maleficent Theme Song". Complex . Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  18. "Australian Web Archive: Week Commencing 26 May 2014 – ARIA Chartifacts" (PDF). Pandora Archive . Australian Recording Industry Association (1265): 2. May 26, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-20. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  19. "Lana Del Rey – Once Upon A Dream" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  20. "Chart Track: Week 24, 2014". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  21. "Official Singles Chart UK Top 100 – 7th June 2014". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on June 3, 2014.
  22. "Lana Del Rey Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  23. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association . Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  24. "American single certifications – Lana Del Rey – Once Upon A Dream". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved November 24, 2021.