Belle (song)

"Belle" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Walt Disney Pictures' 30th animated feature film Beauty and the Beast (1991). Originally recorded by actress Paige O'Hara and actor Richard White, "Belle" is a French and classical-inspired song that incorporates musical elements from both the Broadway and musical theatre genres. The film's first song, "Belle" is a large-scale operetta-style musical number that introduces the film's book-loving heroine Belle, a non-conforming young woman who has grown weary of the provincial village life that she is being forced to live, and Gaston who desires her hand in marriage.

"Belle" has been universally lauded by both film and music critics, with some hailing the song as one of the best opening numbers in musical film history. Musically, Belle has been compared to songs from the films West Side Story (1961) and The Sound of Music (1965), as well as the Broadway musicals Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me. "Belle" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 64th Academy Awards in 1992, ultimately losing to the title song from ''Beauty and the Beast. ''The song was also featured in the Broadway musical based on the film, originally performed by actress Susan Egan.

Lyrics
Belle Little town, it's a quiet village Every day like the one before Little town, full of little people Waking up to say

Townfolks Bonjour! (5x)

Belle There goes the baker with his tray, like always The same old bread and rolls to sell Every morning just the same Since the morning that we came To this poor provincial town

(Speaking segment) Baker: Good Morning, Belle! Belle: Good morning, Monsieur. Baker: And where are you off to? Belle: The bookshop. I just finished the most wonderful story. About a beanstalk and an ogre and a - Baker: That's nice. Marie! The baguettes! Hurry up! (End speaking segment)

Townsfolk Look there she goes that girl is strange, no question Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?

Woman: Never part of any crowd

Man: ''Cause her head's up on some cloud Townsfolk: No denying she's a funny girl that Belle Man: Bonjour! Woman: Good day! Man: How is your fam'ly? Woman 2: Bonjour! Man 2 : Good day! Woman 2 : How is your wife? Woman 3 : I need six eggs! Man 3: That's too expensive! Belle: There must be more than this provincial life!

Townsfolk Look there she goes that girl is so peculiar I wonder if she's feeling well With a dreamy, far-off look And her nose stuck in a book What a puzzle to the rest of us is Belle

Belle Oh, isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because you'll see Here's where she meets Prince Charming But she won't discover that it's him 'til chapter three!

Woman Now it's no wonder that her name means "Beauty" Her looks have got no parallel

Shopkeeper But behind that fair facade I'm afraid she's rather odd Very diff'rent from the rest of us

Townsfolk She's nothing like the rest of us Yes, diff'rent from the rest of us is Belle!

(Speaking segment) LeFou:  Wow! You didn't miss a shot, Gaston! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world! Gaston: I know. LeFou: No beast alive stands a chance against you - And no girl, for that matter Gaston: It's true, LeFou. And I've got my sight set on that one. LeFou: The inventor's daughter? Gaston: She's the one, the lucky girl I'm going to marry. LeFou: But she - Gaston: The most beautiful girl in town. LeFou: I know, but - Gaston: That makes her the best. And don't I deserve the best? LeFou: But of course! I mean, you do! But I - (End speaking segment)

Gaston Right from the moment when I met her, saw her I said she's gorgeous and I fell Here in town there's only she Who is beautiful as me So I'm making plans to woo and marry Belle

Bimbettes :  Look there he goes Isn't he dreamy? Monsieur Gaston Oh he's so cute! Be still my heart I'm hardly breathing He's such a tall, dark, strong and handsome brute!

Woman 1: Bonjour! Gaston: Pardon Belle: Good day Woman 2: Mais oui! Woman 3: You call this bacon? Woman 4: What lovely grapes! Man 1: Some cheese Woman 5: Ten yards! Man 1: 'one pound Gaston: ''Scuse me! Please let me through!'' Cheese merchant: I'll get the knife Woman 6: This bread - Woman 7: Those fish - Woman 6: it's stale! Woman 7: they smell! Men: Madame's mistaken. Women: Well, maybe so Townsfolk: ''Good morning! Oh, good morning!''

Belle: There must be more than this provincial life!

Gaston: Just watch, I'm going to make Belle my wife!

Townsfolk Look there she goes The girl is strange but special A most peculiar mad'moiselle!

Women: It's a pity and a sin Men: She doesn't quite fit in

Townsfolk Cause she really is a funny girl A beauty but a funny girl She really is a funny girl That Belle!

Bonjour! (5x)

History
In an attempt to replicate the success that had recently been achieved by The Little Mermaid (1989), Walt Disney Feature Animation decided to adapt the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" into an animated feature film. Although originally conceived as an animated film with "no songs in it whatsoever" under the direction of Richard Purdum, Disney CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg was unsatisfied with the dark and somber direction in which the film was headed, and ultimately ordered that it be re-written as a "Broadway-style musical with a strong heroine" instead, similar in concept to The Little Mermaid. nDisney then hired lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken to write the film's songs and assist in the "transform[ing of] Beauty and the Beast into a musical", the pair having just recently collaborated on scoring The Little Mermaid.

According to Menken, the "plot-furthering songs" in Beauty and the Beast, including "Belle", developed quite naturally as a result of the fact that the film was written to "almost ... exist as a stage musical", having been "presented in the style of a traditional Broadway musical." According to Broadway actress and singer Paige O'Hara, who both recorded the song and provided the voice of Belle, Ashman and Menken "wanted to leave the pop music sound of Mermaid behind and go for something more Jerome Kern/Rodgers & Hammerstein" for Beauty and the Beast. The film's songs and musical numbers, which were written to both "propel the plot" and offer "character development", were heavily influenced by French, classical and traditional Broadway music. Additionally, Menken described "Belle" and the other Beauty and the Beast songs to The New York Times as "tangents from 18th-century France".

Written in a style that Menken would later admit is very "distant from contemporary pop", the songwriters were initially skeptical of "Belle", fearful of the song's potential to "end their careers at Disney" if it was not well received. Described by the film's producer Don Hahn as a "Gilbert & Sullivan operetta style" song, "Belle" reveals a lot of information "in a very short time". Ashman and Menken initially doubted that the filmmakers would appreciate their very theatrical approach to animation. Much to their surprise, "Belle" was ultimately very well-liked and "adored by the [creative] team", becoming one of the film's few songs to remain unmodified during production.

Context and composition
Hoping to write a song that would successfully "portray [Belle] in a world that is so protected and safe", Ashman and Menken drew inspiration from a story-telling style that is often reserved for traditional operettas. As  Beauty and the Beast' s opening number, "Belle", a "pivotal moment...in the narrative", plays a significant role in the film by introducing both the film's heroine, Belle, after whom the song is named, and Gaston, the film's villain. While Belle, a book-loving and intelligent nonconformist who has grown frustrated with her predictable village life, longs for an adventure similar to the ones she reads about in her books, Gaston is a narcissistic hunter who seeks her hand in marriage. In roughly five minutes, the song explains both Belle and Gaston's roles in Beauty and the Beast to the audience. The song also voices the opinions of the townsfolk and "sets up the overall theme and foreshadows what makes the town so oppressive to [Belle]"; while the villagers award Belle high praise for her doubtless Beauty, they see her as odd because of her love of books and ridicule her for her non-conformity. However, they appraise Gaston for his looks and masculinity.

According to Irving Tan of Sputnikmusic, "Belle" is an "idyllic, orchestra-driven" musical number, written in the style of a traditional operetta. Commonly regarded as the film's "I Want" song,  a term originally coined and popularized by Ashman himself, "Belle" offers its protagonist an opportunity to "expresses her yearnings". Described by Filmtracks.com as a "snare-tapping song", "Belle" is, according to sheet music originally published by Walt Disney Music Publishing, a Broadway-inspired and musical theatre-influenced song, performed at a moderate "pastorally" tempo of 80 beats per minute in the key of D major. Combined, O'Hara's soprano  and White's baritone  vocal ranges span approximately two octaves, from the low note of A3, sung by White, to the high note G5, sung by O'Hara. Additionally, actors Alec Murphy, Mary Kay Bergman and Kath Soucie's vocals are also featured on the track. In total, "Belle" runs a length of five minutes and nine seconds.

Critical response
Since the November 1991 release of Beauty and the Beast, "Belle" has received universal acclaim from both film and music critics. Filmtracks.com labeled the song "among the most satisfying and clever cast pieces in history", as well as deserving of an Academy Award nomination. Additionally, Filmtracks praised the song's reprise, likening it to "The Sound of Music" from The Sound of Music (1965) because of their similar instrumentation. Sputnikmusic.com's Irving Tan described the song as "idyllic".

Jennie Punter of The Globe and Mail hailed "Belle" as "one of the most delightful openings of any movie musical". The New York Times ' Janet Maslin was very enthusiastic about the song, praising the way in which it advances the film's plot, while describing "Belle" as "a spectacular opening number that captures the essence of this film's appeal." Additionally, Maslin drew similarities between "Belle" and some of the songs featured in the musical film West Side Story (1961). Beliefnet called the song a "joyous introductory". Pete Vonder Haar of the Houston Press liked both the song and its reprise, admitting to the inevitability of having to experience an "unexpected swell of emotion" when both songs are heard. Highlighting the song as one of the film's most notable, Sandie Angulo Chen described "Belle" as an "infectious" song "that reveals how different Belle is from the other Disney heroines". While describing the song as a "teeming ... opener", TV Guide positively compared "Belle" to some of the songs featured in the musicals Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me.

Accolades and legacy
Alongside "Be Our Guest" and "Beauty and the Beast", "Belle" was one of the three Beauty and the Beast songs that received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 64th Academy Awards in 1992. "Belle" ultimately lost to the film's title and theme song. According to producer Don Hahn, Disney was actually hoping that the award would go to "Beauty and the Beast" and promoted the song heavily, spending significantly less money and attention on "Belle". Oh No They Didn't ranked "Belle" at number twenty in its article "The Top 25 Disney Songs of All Time". Similarly, Ultimate Disney ranked the song 20th on its list of "Top 100 Disney Song", praising its role in the film as a musical number and describing O'Hara's vocal performance as "dazzling".

"Belle" is heavily parodied in the animated musical film South Park: Bigger, Longer &amp; Uncut (1999) through its opening number, "Mountain Town". Filmtracks.com described the parody as "a delightful introductory piece".

Live performances and cover versions
O'Hara first performed "Belle" live at the 64th Academy Awards ceremony in 1992, at which the song was nominated for Best Original Song. In spite of the fact that the producers of the telecast wanted well-known "pop stars" to perform the song at the ceremony, Disney executives Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg were adamant that "Belle" be performed by the original artist by whom it was recorded. The producers also gave O'Hara the option to lip-synch the song. However, she opted to perform it live instead. O'Hara was also forced to wear a rendition of Belle's blue and white costume from the film, of which she was harshly critical because she felt that it was "much too frilly", and Belle is supposed to dress "much simpler." She likened the costume to something that the fairy tale character Little Bo Peep would wear. O'Hara admitted that she was very nervous before her performance. However, actress Angela Lansbury, who provided the voice of the character Mrs. Potts in the film and was to perform "Beauty and the Beast" at the ceremony, comforted her by telling her, "Paige, if I sang like you I wouldn’t be nervous."

In August 2011, O'Hara performed an abridged version of "Belle" live during the Disney Legends awards ceremony, at which O'Hara was also a recipient. The performance was a Beauty and the Beast medley, during which O'Hara musically combined "Belle" with "Beauty and the Beast" and "Be Our Guest".

Trivia

 * When Belle is talking about her favorite book, there is foreshadowing to later parts of the movie, such as "daring swordfights" (like the battle between Gaston and the Beast), "magic spells" (in the castle and on its inhabitants), "far off places" (as the castle seems far away from the town), and a "prince in disguise" (the Beast). When the librarian tells her "if you like it so much it's yours", he is telling her to have the book, but also foreshadowing that she would go on to live the tale itself.