Go the Distance facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Go the Distance" |
|
|---|---|
| Song by Roger Bart | |
| from the album Hercules: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack | |
| Released | May 27, 1997 |
| Recorded | January 1997 |
| Genre | Pop, show tune |
| Length | 3:14 |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Composer(s) | Alan Menken |
| Lyricist(s) | David Zippel |
| Producer(s) | Alan Menken |
"Go the Distance" is a famous song from Disney's 1997 animated movie, Hercules. It was created by the talented composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel. The original version in the film is sung by American actor Roger Bart, who was the singing voice for the hero Hercules.
A popular version of the song was recorded by American singer-songwriter Michael Bolton. This version played during the movie's end credits. It was also featured on his 1997 album All That Matters. In the Spanish version of the movie, the song is sung by Ricky Martin, who also voiced Hercules. This Spanish version is on Martin's album Vuelve. The song has even been performed live in a stage show of Hercules on the Disney Wonder cruise ship.
Contents
Making the Song
"Go the Distance" was one of two songs written for the character Hercules in the movie. The other song, "Shooting Star", didn't make it into the final film. However, "Shooting Star" can still be found on the Hercules soundtrack CD, sung by the group Boyzone.
Awards and Charts
"Go the Distance" was a very popular song. It was nominated for two big awards: the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. However, both awards went to "My Heart Will Go On", a song by Celine Dion from the movie Titanic.
Even though it didn't win those awards, "Go the Distance" did very well on music charts. Michael Bolton's version reached number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also hit number 1 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. This was Michael Bolton's ninth song to reach the top spot on that chart!
Different Versions
The Movie Version
The version of "Go the Distance" heard in the movie was sung by Roger Bart. He was the singing voice for the main character, Hercules.
In the film, Hercules is 15 years old and has amazing strength. He feels different from everyone else and struggles to fit in. The song is like a prayer from Hercules to the Gods. He asks them to help him find where he truly belongs. His prayers are answered when he learns he is the long-lost son of Zeus, the king of the gods. Hercules is told he must become a true hero to join his father on Mount Olympus. The song is sung again later when Hercules starts his journey to become a hero. He declares that he wants to "go the distance" to prove himself.
Chart Performance
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Hot 100 | 24 |
Ricky Martin's Version
Ricky Martin recorded a Spanish version of "Go the Distance". It is called "No Importa la Distancia", which means "No Matter the Distance" in English. This version was released as a single on July 1, 1997. Later, it was included on Martin's 1998 album Vuelve. A music video was also made for this song. It reached number ten on the Latin Pop Songs chart in the United States.
Chart Performance
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Latin Pop Airplay (Billboard) | 10 |
We Love Disney Covers
The song "Go the Distance" has been covered in many different languages for the We Love Disney album series. Some of the artists who sang it include:
- Harrison Craig for We Love Disney, Australia in 2014.
- Jean-Baptiste Maunier for We Love Disney, France 2 in 2014.
- Andrea Nardinocchi for We Love Disney, Italy in 2015.
- David Bisbal for We Love Disney, Latin America in 2016.
Other Places the Song Appears
"Go the Distance" has been used in various other ways:
- In 1998, the song was part of a special video. This video honored New York Knicks basketball player Patrick Ewing at Madison Square Garden.
- The music group The Lettermen covered the song in 2000 on their album Greatest Movie Hits.
- The barbershop quartet Vocal Spectrum recorded their own version in 2008 for their album Vocal Spectrum II.
- You can hear "Go the Distance" in the "Triumph" part of the Happily Ever After fireworks show at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.
- In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney Broadway Stars performed "Go the Distance" while they were self-isolating.
- An a capella version of the song is featured in the stage musical based on the Disney Channel's Descendants franchise. It is sung by the "Auradonian Choir".
See also
In Spanish: Go the Distance para niños
