Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People facts for kids
"Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" is a short song from the 2013 Disney animated movie Frozen. It's only 50 seconds long! The song is sung by actor Jonathan Groff, who voices the character Kristoff. Groff also sang a shorter version of the song in the 2019 movie Frozen II.
Quick facts for kids "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" |
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|---|---|
| Song | |
| from the album Frozen | |
| Published | Wonderland Music Company |
| Released | November 25, 2013 |
| Recorded | 2012 |
| Genre | Folk music, Show tune |
| Length | 0:50 |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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Contents
What Happens in the Song?
This song takes place after Kristoff visits Oaken's shop. Kristoff tries to buy carrots for his reindeer, Sven, along with a pickaxe and rope. However, he doesn't have enough money for everything. When Kristoff calls Oaken a "crook," Oaken gets upset and throws him out into the cold snow!
Kristoff then finds shelter with Sven in a nearby stable. This song shows how special Kristoff's friendship with Sven is. Kristoff is a bit shy and prefers to be alone. He feels most comfortable and can truly be himself when he's with his best friend, Sven. The movie's directors said that Kristoff's only friend is Sven. He even sings that "every one of them's bad" when talking about people!
Around the World
"Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" has been translated into many languages. The Korean version was sung by Jung Sang-yoon. The Italian version of the song, and the whole movie, won an award for being the best foreign dubbing worldwide. This means the Italian voices and translations were considered excellent!
When Frozen II came out, a shorter version of the song was recorded in many languages too. Just like the movie Moana had special versions in Tahitian, Māori, and Hawaiian, Frozen also had a unique version in the Sami language. This was done because the movie was inspired by Sami culture.
Since 2013, some local TV stations have also dubbed the movie into their own languages. These include Abkhaz, Albanian, Arabic, Kabardian, Karachay-Balkar, Persian, and Tagalog.
The "Reindeers Remix"
There was a deleted song called "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People (remix)". It was planned as a funny song for Kristoff to sing during the movie's credits. The songwriters, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, felt a bit sad that Jonathan Groff didn't get a "real" song in the movie.
They thought Kristoff's character wasn't the type to suddenly burst into a big song. Even after he becomes more confident later in the movie, the story gets very exciting. There wasn't a good moment to slow down for another song.
Robert Lopez explained that the reindeer song was written because Kristoff mostly talked to Sven. He even did Sven's voice himself! It was a bit strange. He said that Kristoff wouldn't have sung a "real" song until the very end of the movie. Kristen Anderson-Lopez added that the "Reindeer Remix" was put on the deluxe soundtrack. It was an expanded version they wrote partly as a joke and partly to give Jonathan Groff a chance to show off his singing talent.
How the Song Sounds
In about half of the song, Kristoff sings a duet with "Sven." Of course, Sven's part is just Kristoff making a funny voice! People have described the song in different ways. Some say it sounds like a "Gilbert-and-Sullivan style operetta," which is a type of light opera. Others call it a "cute little ditty" or a "short quip." It's also been described as "folksy," meaning it sounds like traditional folk music. It's a short, fun tune rather than a big musical number.
Popularity
The song "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" became quite popular. In the United States, it earned a Gold certification in 2020. This means it sold a lot of copies, showing how much people enjoyed it!
