Someday My Prince Will Come facts for kids

"Someday My Prince Will Come" is a famous song from Walt Disney's first full-length animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The movie came out in 1937.

Larry Morey wrote the words (lyrics) for the song, and Frank Churchill wrote the music. The voice of Snow White in the movie, Adriana Caselotti, sang the song. It was also used in a stage musical version of Snow White in 1979. The AFI even ranked it as the 19th greatest film song of all time!

Making the Song

How Snow White Was Cast

The singer for Snow White, Adriana Caselotti, got her role in a very interesting way. Her father was a voice coach. One day, he was talking on the phone with a talent scout who was looking for voices for the Snow White movie.

The scout mentioned that a previous person they tried sounded too old. Adriana, who was only 18 at the time, picked up another phone line and suggested herself! Walt Disney heard her voice and thought she sounded just like a 14-year-old, which was perfect for Snow White. She worked on the movie for three years while it was being made.

Writing the Music

Frank Churchill was chosen to write the music for the film. Walt Disney told him to create something "quaint," meaning old-fashioned and charming, instead of music that was too modern or "hot."

Adriana Caselotti sang the song with high notes and a gentle, wavering voice. The way the music's chords are put together is quite special. This unique sound made the song very popular with jazz musicians later on.

When the Song Appears

The song "Someday My Prince Will Come" first appears about halfway through the movie. Princess Snow White sings it as a bedtime song. She dreams about the prince she met at the castle and hopes he will return for her one day.

Later in the film, Snow White sings a short part of the song again while she is baking a pie. At the very end of the movie, a more complete version of the song is heard with a chorus as Snow White and the prince ride off to his castle.

After the Movie

Becoming a Jazz Hit

After Snow White was released, the song became popular on its own, outside of the movie. It turned into a "jazz standard," which means it's a well-known song that many jazz musicians like to play.

One of the first times it was performed outside the movie was in 1943. A band called the Ghetto Swingers played it in a concentration camp called Theresienstadt. After World War II, many famous jazz artists performed it. For example, Dave Brubeck included it on his 1957 album, Dave Digs Disney. Another very famous jazz musician, Miles Davis, even named his 1961 album Someday My Prince Will Come after the song.

Lasting Impact

The American Film Institute (AFI) placed "Someday My Prince Will Come" at number 19 on their list of the 100 greatest songs in movie history. It is the second-highest ranked song from a Disney movie on that list.

The highest-ranked Disney song is "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio, which is at number 7. Other Disney songs on the list include "Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast (number 62) and "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King (number 99). The song was even briefly sung by Edith Bunker in a 1971 TV show called All in the Family.

Other Versions of the Song

Jazz Covers

Many jazz artists have recorded their own versions of "Someday My Prince Will Come." Here are some of them:

• Dave Brubeck – Dave Digs Disney (1957)
• Bill Evans – Portrait in Jazz (1960)
• Miles Davis – Someday My Prince Will Come (1961)
• Oscar Peterson and Milt Jackson – Reunion Blues (1971)
• Herbie Hancock – The Piano (1978)
• Chick Corea - Akoustic Band (1989)
• Enrico Pieranunzi – Live in Paris (2001)
• Keith Jarrett - Up for It (2002)
• Stanley Clarke – Jazz in the Garden (2009)

Pop Covers

Pop artists have also covered this classic song:

• Ayumi Hamasaki – (2002) (This version was not sold to the public)
• Anastacia – Disneymania (2002)
• Ashley Tisdale and Drew Seeley – Disneymania 4 (2006)
• The Cheetah Girls – Disneymania 6 (2008)
• Tiffany Thornton - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition DVD/Blu-ray (2009)

See also

In Spanish: Someday My Prince Will Come para niños