Music and the Fictive Dream - "Work Song" in "Cinderella" (1950)

 Introduction:

Back when I was around 6 years old, my 4 year old sister used to make me sit down and watch all of her Disney Princess movies with her. She had stacks of VHS tapes that my mom would buy and then my sister and I would watch. At first I thought it was boring and embarrassing, but after some time I began to enjoy watching them. I know it's not a very "masculine" or "manly" thing to like the movie Cinderella, but it brings back a lot of good childhood memories with my sister, so I don't care. I even watched the remake of it back in 2015 with my family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If it wasn't for my sister making me watch all of those Disney movies back then, I probably wouldn't have as much of an appreciation for them as I do right now.

"Cinderella" (1950) Movie Poster

Walt Disney Productions, USA

 Background of the Movie:

Cinderella was released on March 4th, 1950 by Walt Disney Productions. The movie was based off of the original story by the Brothers Grimm in 1697. It's a fairy tale that is about a young girl whose mother dies and her father remarries. The girl's new step mother and step sisters look good on the outside, but have cruel and wicked hearts. They treat her horribly and force her to do all of the dirty work around the house. They even give her the nickname "Aschenputtel" (Ashfool) in the fairy tale or Cinderella in the movies. After a while, the king begins searching for a girl fit to marry his son (the prince). They are invited to the ball, but Cinderella needs to wear nice clothes to fit in. One night, her fairy godmother appears and grants her a beautiful dress, carriage, and glass slippers. Cinderella then goes to the ball, avoiding her step sisters and step mother, and finds the prince. The prince falls in love with her, but then the clock strikes 12 (midnight) and Cinderella is forced to leave because the spell is wearing off. In her hurry, one of the glass slippers falls off on the steps and is left behind for the prince to find. In the following days, the prince searches every household in the kingdom trying to find that mysterious girl (Cinderella) that he fell in love with. Eventually, they go to Cinderella's house, but the step mother and step sisters have caught on and lock her in her room. The prince tries to fit the slipper onto the step sister's feet, but nothing seems to work. Eventually, the prince investigates further to find Cinderella (which he hears singing out of the upstairs window, where she is locked). He puts the shoe on and to his surprise, it fits. Cinderella is brought to the castle where she marries the prince and they live happily ever after!

 Analysis:

 "Work Song" from Cinderella (1950)

Made in the USA by Walt Disney Productions

 Role of the Work + Musical Elements:

"Work Song" is probably one of the most iconic scenes in the whole movie. Cinderella can't seem to get her dress done for the ball, because of how many difficult chores she has to do for her step sisters and step mother. So, her small animal friends (the mice, birds, etc.) decide to do it for her and finish the dress. It seems all of Cinderella's kindness payed off! This song definitely shows that if you're kind to someone, they might repay you back with kindness as well. 

The quick tempo and off-beat notes adds to the playfulness of the song. There's a rhythm to the song that really goes well with doing work (motivates you to work at a faster pace). Thus, the tempo, rhythm, and off-beat notes go well with the playfulness and work being done in this scene. The melody is very high pitched, but floats nicely over the beautiful sounds of the flutes, clarinet, and strings. The trumpets also occasionally come in with a small triplet that sounds almost fanfare-ish. This song almost sounds like a march in some areas, which again, goes really well with the order and work seen in this scene.

 Social Commentary:

"Work Song" isn't just a playful and up-beat song. There is a deeper meaning to the song that most people (including myself) completely miss. According to popmatters.com, "Work Song" is really a representation of the struggles of modern-day feminists. The line, "Leave the sewing to the women!", in the lyrics is a gender role (cliche) that women still unfortunately struggle to get out of. Women should have the right to go to work and not stay home and cook and clean. In the early 20th century (leading up to the release of this movie), women's rights were being brought up more than they ever had before in history. The ability for a woman to work and receive her own paycheck (instead of being dependent on her husband) was slowly starting to be accepted and acts were being made. The woman's right to vote/work happened in 1920, so work was soon to follow. In the modern day, feminists have worked to take out the gender stereotype/ role that women should stay home. Thus, "Work Song" shows the biases that men had in the movie making industry towards women and the oppression that a lot of them still face today. However, something else that I noticed is that Jaq (the male mouse) argues that all of the household chores that Cinderella does are what's holding her back from her fullest potential. This can be seen as a counter to the "housewife role" that women were expected to take for a long time before this movie (popmatters.com). Something to think about.

 Personal Opinion:

I believe that this song does a great job at adding to the story. Cinderella's kindness and heart payed off, because the animals she befriended helped her out! One of the many lessons you can get out of this scene is that being kind can most often be rewarding. Your kindness may cause others to be kind back to you. "Work Song" has a very catchy little tune to it that adds another layer to the story of Cinderella. The up-beat tempo and beautiful background orchestra is honestly my favorite part of this piece (I have always dreamed of playing in movie orchestras). While I may not agree that some of the lyrics are morally correct, I still enjoy this part of the movie and definitely recommend that if you haven't seen this Disney classic, that you do! It's a great movie that you can watch with your younger siblings or kids and still enjoy yourself.

Sources:

 “A Deeper Disney Discourse on Song.” PopMatters, 28 Jan. 2019, www.popmatters.com/deeper-disney-discourse-on-song-2626965362.html.

“Cinderella (1950 Film).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella_(1950_film).

“Cinderella.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 31 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinderella.

DiisneyLyrics, director. Work Song (Cinderelly) Cinderella Lyrics. YouTube, YouTube, 20 July 2011, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOe6Nsf-KGA.