When She Loved Me facts for kids

"When She Loved Me" is a famous song from Pixar's animated movie Toy Story 2 (1999). Randy Newman wrote the song, and Canadian singer Sarah McLachlan performed it. The song tells the sad story of Jessie, a toy cowgirl. It shows how she felt when her first owner, Emily, grew up and stopped playing with her.

The filmmakers decided to use a song for Jessie's story after trying to show it with just talking. Randy Newman first thought the song might be too sad for young kids. But after test screenings, he saw that even young children paid close attention. The song was given to Sarah McLachlan because everyone agreed a female singer would be best for the emotional ballad. McLachlan loved the song's sad feeling and agreed to record it.

"When She Loved Me" is a moving pop ballad with simple piano music. People have different ideas about what the song means. It's mostly about the pain of losing a close friend. But some also see it as a love song or a way to show how kids grow up and become independent from their parents.

The song has received great reviews from critics. They found it very touching and heartbreaking. They praised Randy Newman's writing and Sarah McLachlan's singing. "When She Loved Me" won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. It was also nominated for Golden Globe and Academy Awards for Best Original Song. Today, it's known as one of the saddest parts in both Pixar and Disney movies. Many artists have covered the song, including Steve Tyrell, Bridgit Mendler, and the group Steps.

Creating the Song

Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan was chosen to sing "When She Loved Me" for Toy Story 2. The filmmakers felt a female voice was perfect for the song's message.

Since the first Toy Story movie in 1995, director John Lasseter decided that Pixar films would not be musicals where characters suddenly sing. But he agreed that musician Randy Newman would write songs for special moments in the story.

At first, the filmmakers planned for Jessie to just talk about her past. But they later decided to turn her story into a song called "When She Loved Me." Lasseter said adding this song was the biggest change during the movie's making. Newman worried the song was too slow and might make kids lose interest. He thought it was a risk because it was about feeling loved and then unloved. However, he was surprised when even the youngest kids stayed focused during the song's slow, emotional parts. Newman joked that Pixar often "knew better than I did."

"When She Loved Me" was one of two new songs Newman wrote for Toy Story 2. His first version, called "Jessie's Song," was shorter and had slightly different words. Newman considers "When She Loved Me" one of his favorite movie songs. He found writing for a movie easier than for his own albums because the filmmakers were clear about what they wanted.

Newman doesn't sing "When She Loved Me" himself. The filmmakers wanted a female singer, and they chose Sarah McLachlan. Lasseter was a big fan of hers. Newman said writing for McLachlan's voice was like writing for a different instrument. Her voice could hold notes, which allowed him to write in a special way.

McLachlan was a newer artist at the time. She said her managers warned her she might not like the song. But she started crying almost immediately when she heard Randy Newman's demo. She called herself "a sucker" for sad songs. McLachlan felt that mothers would cry when they heard the song, even if kids didn't fully understand it. Recording the song for an animated movie was different for her because many people were involved. Newman and McLachlan recorded about 17 versions before they were happy with a few. They produced the song together. Newman's piano and McLachlan's singing were recorded at The Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia.

How the Song is Used in Toy Story 2

"When She Loved Me" is the main song in Toy Story 2. It plays during a special part of the movie that shows pictures of Jessie and her former owner, Emily. The song tells Jessie's story as she remembers being left behind by Emily. It shows their loving relationship and the fun times they shared. But as Emily grew up, she slowly forgot about Jessie and eventually gave her away to charity in a cardboard box.

This part of the movie was animated by Tasha Wedeen. Co-director Ash Brannon said it was "an example of perfect animation casting." He felt that a woman animating Jessie helped make the scene even better. Special lighting and colors were used to match the sad mood of the scene.

Earlier in the movie, Woody is taken by a toy collector. This collector wants to sell Woody and other old Woody's Roundup toys to a museum in Japan. Most of the toys want to go to the museum to avoid being stored away forever. But Woody wants to go back to his owner, Andy. He prefers to be loved, even if it means getting damaged or left behind, rather than being kept perfectly in a museum. Jessie strongly believes going to Japan is best.

Woody tells Jessie about his bond with Andy. This makes Jessie share her own sad experience with Emily, the only person she truly cared about. Jessie sits on a window sill and perfectly understands Woody's feelings for Andy. She says, "when [Andy] plays with you it's like, even though you're not moving, you feel like you're alive, 'cos that's how he sees you." Jessie then explains the joys and sadness of being loved by a child. Emily was her favorite toy, but as Emily grew older, her interests changed to music and makeup. She started ignoring Jessie, even forgetting her under her bed.

The scene shows Emily's cowgirl things being replaced by makeup and music albums. Before the song ends, there's a moment of false hope. Jessie is found under the bed and held as if she's about to be played with again. But then, she's placed in a cardboard box and left on the side of the road to be given to charity. Jessie believes all toys eventually "outlive their usefulness." For her, going to Japan means she will "provide pleasure again and have some purpose in life."

The song also helps Jessie and Woody's friendship grow. Jessie finds the courage to tell Woody her story, explaining why she's afraid of having an owner. Woody becomes a kind listener. Jessie's sadness makes Woody think hard about what he should do. Later in the movie, Jessie also has to choose between being kept forever in a museum or risking being loved by a child again.

Aaron Cutler of Slant Magazine called "When She Loved Me" one of the few sad moments in an otherwise happy movie. Director Lasseter said it was a "fundamental Disney moment," like Walt Disney's idea that for every laugh, there should be a tear. During this song, the audience learns why Jessie has deep fears of being left alone. Tim Grierson from Paste said Jessie isn't just singing; she's showing a very human fear of being abandoned. Fred Karlin, an author, agreed that the song makes Jessie's feelings relatable to everyone.

Many critics call this scene the "weepiest moment" in the Toy Story movies. It shows that Jessie, despite being spunky, can also feel very sad. The song is seen as the opposite of the series' main song, "You've Got a Friend in Me," because it's so sad. This scene is where the Toy Story series truly grows up, moving from childhood imagination to thinking about growing up. The Nashville Scene said that even though the scene is from a toy's view, the fear of being forgotten by a child as they grow up is something parents can deeply understand.

Song Style and Meaning

"When She Loved Me" is a pop song with some country music influences. It is three minutes and five seconds long. The song is played "tenderly" and "very freely" with a slow beat. It is a piano ballad with simple background music. Its tune has been called "sad" and "aching."

Sean Daly of the Tampa Bay Times said the song "captures the beauty of growing up and, for parents, the beauty of letting go." Randy Newman described it as a "slow... and sort of grown-up emotional" song about the difference between feeling loved and unloved. Ellen A. Kim of Hollywood.com said it's a simple, sad song that McLachlan sings with "aching wistfulness." BBC Online noted that Newman uses McLachlan's voice to show the "eternal ache of being abandoned." Brad Green of Urban Cinefile called it a song about "platonic, unconditional and enchantingly innocent love," which he believes are rare themes in popular music.

The song is often called "heartbreaking" and "bittersweet." Its lyrics begin, "When somebody loved me, ev'rything was beautiful." McLachlan sings the line "I was left alone. Still I waited for the day when she'd say I will always love you" in a very moving way. Even though the song is about a toy and her owner, its words can be understood by everyone.

Richard Walters, an editor, believes the song can have a different meaning if sung by a male singer and taken out of the movie's story. Thomas S. Hischak, author of The Disney Song Encyclopedia, said "When She Loved Me" is a "heart-tugging torch song" about losing a friend, not a romantic partner. However, he also said the "simple but moving" song can be seen as a love song on its own. Fred Karlin agreed that the song "works in the most general way to express emotions anyone can relate to." Film critic Peter Bradshaw realized the song is like a story for parents who fear their children will grow up and not want to play with them anymore, after he became a father.

Live Performances and Other Versions

Sarah McLachlan and Randy Newman performed "When She Loved Me" live at the 72nd Academy Awards in March 2000. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song that year. Many artists have covered the song since then. Some change its meaning to be more like a love song.

Actor and singer Michael Crawford recorded the song for The Disney Album (2001). Randy Newman himself recorded a shorter, instrumental piano version for his album The Randy Newman Songbook, Vol. 1 (2003). Chris Ingalls of PopMatters said Newman's choice to include an instrumental version was smart because it lets listeners hear the sad tune clearly. In 2006, musician Steve Tyrell covered the song for his album The Disney Standards.

Actress and recording artist Bridgit Mendler covered "When She Loved Me" for Disneymania 7 (2010).

Actress and singer Bridgit Mendler covered the song for the album Disneymania 7 (2010). Walt Disney Records asked her to contribute. Mendler was allowed to choose her song, but Disney suggested "When She Loved Me." She found it beautiful and agreed to record it right away. This was her first professional recording not tied to an acting project. Mendler wanted to make her version more upbeat by adding guitars, but she still respected McLachlan's original. To help her capture the song's emotion, the producers dimmed the lights during her recording. Jill Sheets from Relate Magazine praised Mendler's singing and called her version "stunning."

British pop group Steps recorded a cover for their Christmas album Light Up the World (2012). Jeremy Williams-Chalmers of The Yorkshire Times praised the female singers' voices but felt the song didn't quite fit the group's usual sound or the album's Christmas theme. Singer Jane Monheit recorded "When She Loved Me" for her album The Heart of the Matter (2013).

Stage actress and singer Samantha Barks covered the song on her first album in 2016, calling it "When He Loved Me." She performed it live to promote the album. Mexican music group Belanova released a Spanish cover in 2016, called "Cuando Ella Me Amaba." Their version was on the album We Love Disney (Latino). Lucas Villa from AXS said their version was "more heartbreaking" than the original. He noted that their usual electronic pop sound was replaced with more acoustic instruments to highlight Denisse Guerrero's voice. He felt her voice "beautifully reflects the pain and pining in Jessie's sad story."

The Japanese-Canadian band Monkey Majik covered the song in 2017 for a Japanese Disney cover album. In 2019, contestant Walker Burroughs performed "When She Loved Me" live on a Disney-themed episode of American Idol. He played the piano while singing. All three judges loved his performance. Katy Perry said, "You really transported me into a different time and place," and Lionel Richie called it "as close to a perfect performance that I can ever think of.” Billboard called it "the first perfect performance of the night." Burroughs moved on to the top eight in the competition after his performance.

The King's Singers covered the song in 2019 for their album Love Songs.

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: When She Loved Me para niños