Today’s song of the day is “Beauty and the Beast” by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson, the title song to the 1991 Disney film of the same name.

Fun Facts:

• The song “Beauty and the Beast” was written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken.
• The first rendition of the song occurs in the movie, sung by Angela Lansbury as her character Mrs. Potts.
• This song tells the story of the relationship between the beautiful Belle and the beastly prince, and a love story that is a “tale as old as time.” 
• During the movie’s end credits, Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson sang the song as a duet. It was later released as a single.
• Celine Dion was already  popular in her home country of Canada but was only just established as an artist in the U.S. when she performed “Beauty and the Beast.”
• Peabo Bryson was a famous R&B singer and had been performing since the 70s.
• “Beauty and the Beast” won the Academy Award for Best Song. Two other songs from the film were also nominated: “Belle” and “Be Our Guest.”
• Composer Alan Menken incorporated this song’s motif into much of the movie soundtrack.
• Celine Dion’s longtime manager — and eventual husband — helped her secure the role with Disney.
• A live-action Beauty and the Beast remake was released in 2017, with Ariana Grande and John Legend performing the duet during the credits.
• Disney asked Celine Dion to perform a new original song for the remake, which she almost turned down. It reminded her too much of her husband, who died the previous year at age 73. She also expressed that it felt like “cheating” on the original movie. She eventually agreed, however, and sang “How Does a Moment Last Forever.”

 

Lyrics 

Tale as old as time

True as it can be

Barely even friends

Then somebody bends

Unexpectedly

Just a little change

Small to say the least

Both a little scared

Neither one prepared

Beauty and the beast

Ever just the same

Ever a surprise

Ever as before and ever just as sure as the sun will rise

(Oh, oh, oh, oh)

Ever just the same

Ever a surprise

Ever as before

Ever just as sure

As the sun will rise

(Oh, oh, oh)

Tale as old as time (ooh, ooh, ooh)

Tune as old as song

Bittersweet and strange

Finding you can change

Learning you were wrong

Certain as the sun

Certain as the sun

Rising in the east

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the beast

Tale as old as time

Song as old as rhyme

Beauty and the beast

(Oh, oh, oh-oh)

(Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh, ooh)

Beauty and the beast