Where the Dream Takes You facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Where the Dream Takes You" |
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| Promotional single by Mýa | |
| from the album Atlantis: The Lost Empire | |
| Released | June 5, 2001 |
| Recorded | 2001 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 4:00 |
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| Songwriter(s) | |
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"Where the Dream Takes You" is a song by American singer Mýa. It was written by famous songwriter Diane Warren and composer James Newton Howard. This song was made to help promote Walt Disney Pictures' animated movie Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001).
Even though the movie's directors, Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, didn't want Atlantis to be a musical, Disney's marketing team wanted at least one song. They wanted to follow a tradition of having a song play during the movie's end credits. Disney chose Mýa to sing the song because they had worked with her record labels before.
"Where the Dream Takes You" is a slow pop and R&B song. It's about following your heart and learning about yourself. This message fits well with the movie's story about a young adventurer looking for the lost city of Atlantis. Diane Warren wrote the lyrics, and both she and James Newton Howard worked on the music. The song's melody uses parts of Howard's music from the movie.
This song is the only one from Atlantis: The Lost Empire that has both music and lyrics. When it was released, some people thought it sounded too common. Some also wondered if a more experienced singer would have been better. However, the song was nominated for "Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film" at the World Soundtrack Awards.
Making the Song
Most Disney animated movies have songs that help tell the story. But the directors of Atlantis: The Lost Empire decided their movie would not be a musical. They didn't want any big, emotional songs either.
However, by 2001, it was common for Disney to hire young artists to sing pop songs for their movie soundtracks. So, Disney's marketing team insisted on having at least one song for the end credits. This was a way to keep up with what audiences expected. Other movies like The Mummy Returns and Pearl Harbor also used pop songs to attract more viewers.
Disney chose R&B singer Mýa because of her connection with their record companies, A&M/Interscope Records. Mýa had recently worked on the popular song "Lady Marmalade" for the Moulin Rouge! movie. Another singer, Christina Aguilera, had also started her career by singing "Reflection" for Disney's Mulan (1998). Some people thought "Where the Dream Takes You" was meant to help Mýa's career in a similar way.
The song was written by songwriter Diane Warren and film composer James Newton Howard. Howard, who wrote all the music for the movie, created the song's main melody. Warren then wrote the lyrics to go with his music and also added some musical ideas of her own. So, both are credited for the music, but only Warren wrote the lyrics.
Diane Warren was already well known for writing many hit songs for different artists. The lyrics of "Where the Dream Takes You" are similar to her usual style. The song's melody is based on a small part of the movie's orchestral music. "Where the Dream Takes You" plays during the movie's end titles. It is the only song in the movie that has both words and music. No characters sing it in the movie itself because Atlantis: The Lost Empire is not a musical.
How the Song Was Released
Unlike most movie soundtracks, "Where the Dream Takes You" is the very first song on the Atlantis: The Lost Empire soundtrack. Mýa's record company, A&M/Interscope Records, and Walt Disney Records released it as the only promotional single from the soundtrack.
The song was sent to Top 40 and adult contemporary radio stations on June 5, 2001. This was ten days before the movie came out in theaters on June 15. A music video was also made for the song. In the video, Mýa sings while scenes from the movie are shown.
After "Where the Dream Takes You" on the soundtrack, the rest of the album is made up of James Newton Howard's orchestral music from the movie.
Other singers also covered the song in different languages to promote the movie around the world. Puerto Rican singer Chayanne sang a Spanish version called "Donde Va Tu Sueño" for Latin America. This version was recorded in Argentina. The Taiwanese release of the soundtrack included three more versions: Jolin Tsai sang it in Mandarin, Joey Yong in Cantonese, and Kangta in Korean.
What the Song Sounds Like
"Where the Dream Takes You" is a gentle pop song with influences from R&B, soul, and lite rock. It's performed in a modern style.
According to the song's official sheet music, it is played at a moderate speed of 88 beats per minute. The song is in the key of C major. Thomas S. Hischak, who wrote The Disney Song Encyclopedia, says the lyrics are "about following your heart to find your true self." The song starts with lines like: "They'll try to hold you back, they will say you're wrong, but they will never understand, no, the journey that you're on."
A writer for Barnes & Noble agreed that the song's theme matches the movie's story. The movie is about a young adventurer named Milo Thatch and a diverse group of characters. They all want to follow their own dreams as they search for Atlantis. One part of the song says: "There's something in your soul/That won't be denied/It's the faith to dream that keeps the dream alive/So you still believe and you know you must go." This encourages listeners to follow their dreams no matter what others think.
The song is four minutes long. AllMusic describes its mood as "earnest" and "mellow." Mýa sings it with a "sweet vocal" range. The song uses soft, modern beats combined with Mýa's smooth voice. This sound is different from the time period the movie is set in. The song was produced by Jay Selvester, Robbie Buchanan, and Ron Fair.
Live Performances
Mýa performed "Where the Dream Takes You" at several events to promote the song and the movie.
On June 15, 2001, the same day the movie was released, Mýa sang the song on the TV show Live with Regis & Kelly. She also performed it at a special event called An American Celebration at Ford's Theatre. This show was filmed on June 10, 2001, and featured other performers like country singer Billy Gilman and comedian Jeff Foxworthy. It was shown on TV on August 21, 2001.
