Disney

Disney movies are often known for their beautiful, inspiring tales and happy endings that give us hope for our own future.

But beyond their stories, the songs within a lot of Disney movies speak to us, move us— give us the chills and goosebumps because of their powerful lyrics.

Songs are like feelings— each one just happens to move through you in a different, special kind of way, so find out below the top 10 Disney songs that resonate the most with our hearts!

Let it Go

Via Vox

“Let it Go” took the world by storm when Frozen first came out, and to this day, it serves as an anthem for sticking up for what you believe in, embracing yourself and finding the power in you to just let all negativity go. Powerful lines like, “I don’t care what you’re going to say— let the storm rage on” and “It's time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through...I’m free” truly make you feel like you can fly— like you can go and conquer the world. This song helps you find your inner strength.

Colors of the Wind

Via Seventeen

Pocahontas sings this song because colonists came to her land and began to misuse the animals and resources, never realizing they were just as important as themselves. The world around us, Pocahontas explains, is so much more than just monetary worth. We are all connected and it’s important to see nature as an equal. She sings, “If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew” and asks, “Can you paint with all the colors of the wind?” because she aims to show that there’s more to life than human life. We have to respect and love all the lives around us. Chills, here they come!

Circle of Life

Via Sheet Music

The beat, the drums, the voice— this song just beats along with your heart. Because it’s the theme of The Lion King, this song truly embodies the idea that life, love, family, faith, and death are all connected to each other and serve as a circle of life. The lyrics say that “You should never take more than you give” and “Some of us sail through our troubles and some of us live with the scars”— these are lessons everyone not only relates to but also keeps for life. This stuff is powerful!

I See the Light

Via Genius

Even if you’re not a romantic at heart, watching Rapunzel and Flynn finally give into their spark among thousands of beautiful lanterns is just precious. But the lyrics are so wonderfully chill-bringing because they speak to something so rare: finding the light inside yourself. Rapunzel sings “And at last I see the light” because she has been cooped up for so long. Flynn helps her see the spark in herself too, and that’s the best kind of love there is.

When You Wish Upon a Star

Via YouTube

Now how can we not add this classic to the list? Disney’s anthem is “When You Wish Upon a Star” because all these movies revolve around the common theme that magic is indeed real! It’s real when you believe. If you believe in fairies, if you believe you’re a real boy, if you believe in the Fairy God Mother— if you believe in the power of being who you want in this world— then this song is your key to magic because “anything your heart desires will come to you.” You just have to wish upon a star!

Reflection

Via Bustle

Everyone’s heart breaks when they watch Mulan feel like she’ll never bring honor to her family. The slow, melodic and melancholy tune Mulan sings resonates deep inside because a lot of us struggle with our identity and not being able to fully portray who we are to the world. Mulan sings, “When will my reflection show who I am inside?” in such a powerful crescendo, you can’t help but be right there with her, wiping off the make-up, wondering what you could possibly do to prove yourself!

Strangers Like Me

Via Disney Wiki

This upbeat tune will have your body swaying right away, your mind immediately swinging through the vines with Tarzan, seeing society through a new pair of eyes. This song may not be as vocally powerful as the others, but the meaning and breezy notes have a way of making your heart skip a beat. The chorus— “I want to know...can you show me?”— brings to light the theme that we have to connect with each other, in order to grow and learn from one another. To say “something’s familiar about these strangers like me” really shows that none of us are strangers after all, once we see that we all have the same need for love inside.

For the First Time in Forever

Via Frozen Wiki

Yet another Frozen song that gives us those chills we feel when listening to music that makes us feel something. A lot of us have been shut out by someone with no given reason, have been denied the chance to show how much we care because our sister, friend or parent is being closed off. The very beginning lyric of “Don’t shut me out again— please don’t slam the door” pulls at all our heart strings, especially seeing how hard Anna tries to show her devotion to Elsa.

Beauty and the Beast

Via Facebook

This song in itself is a “tale as old as time.” Watching the Beast twirl Belle around in a beautiful yellow dress is like nothing else! Both finally put away the chips on their shoulders and accepted each other for who they are. Mrs. Pott’s strong, solid vocals carry the words through our veins that the song represents the bridge between one seeming stranger to the next. “Finding you can change” and “learning you were wrong”— Disney once again hits us with lyrics that are lessons to remember and hold on to: never judge a book by its cover.

Part of Your World

Via Polygon

Ever feel like you’re missing out? Like you’re left out? Ariel does, and she sings a beautiful song about it. Her words take us step by step through her emotions— that she tries to fill her curiosity with “whozits” and “whatzits galore”, but something still keeps her from being fully happy. When she belts out, “Up where they walk...wanderin’ free, wish I could be, part of that world,” our hearts pang in our chest for Ariel. She’s expressing her vulnerability and that’s when the chills come in!