10 Songs You’ll Hear in Disney California Adventure: San Fransokyo Edition

10 Songs You’ll Hear in Disney California Adventure: San Fransokyo Edition

In the summer of 2023, San Fransokyo Square opened at Disney California Adventure, allowing Guests to step into the world of Big Hero 6. The first animated Disney film to feature Marvel characters, the movie was loosely based on the Big Hero 6 team first introduced in the 1998 comic book Sunfire & Big Hero 6.

The theming in the area lets you truly experience the world of Baymax, Hiro, and the rest of the team, and music plays a huge role in bringing it to life. To provide the right atmosphere, Disney leaned heavily into the world of J-Pop (Japanese pop music), as well as some of the music the company had previously created for Tokyo Disneyland. 

Here are 10 of the songs you’ll hear while exploring the area.

PonPonPon – Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Released in 2011, “PonPonPon” was an immediate hit for singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. Born in Nishitōkyō, Tokyo, Japan, she began modeling and appearing as a junior idol at the age of 12, shortly after launching a career as a fashion blogger.  

“PonPonPon” was her first single, and she has cited artists like Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry as influences. It’s music video featured an explosion of “kawaii” (or “cute”) culture and received art direction from Sebastian Masuda (whose work can be seen by Disney fans at the Bijutsu-Kan Gallery in Epcot).  A 2019 article in The Japan Times cited the song as one of the most influential of the 2010s. 

きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ – PONPONPON , Kyary Pamyu Pamyu – PONPONPON (youtube.com)

Marai no Museum – Perfume

The Japanese pop techno girl group Perfume formed in 2000 and released their first single, “Gulp Down a Good Luck Charm,” two years later. Their first full album, Game, was released in 2008 and reached the top of the charts in Japan. 

“Marai no Museum” (or “Future Museum”) was released as the third single from their fourth album, Level 3. The song was written by Yasutaka Nakata, a music producer and DJ who previously formed the band Capsule in 1997. 

Certified Gold by the Recording Association of Japan, the track was also selected as the ending theme song for the animated film Doraemon: Nobita’s Secret Gadget Museum.

Perfume – Mirai no Museum (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)

Go Way – Silent Siren

In 2010, amatuer fashion models Sumire Yoshida, Hinako Umemura, Aina Yamauchi, and Ayana Sogawa formed the band Silent Siren. Two years later they released a mini-album titled Sai Sai, which included the song “All Right (‘Ima’ o Kakeru).” The track would also serve as the official song for Agestock 2011, the largest college student event ever held in Japan. 

“Go Way” was released in 2018 and was included as the third track on their 2019 album 31313. The track also became the ending theme for the anime Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion THE ANIMATION.

Go Way! (youtube.com)

Escapade – Official Hige Dandism

Official Hige Dandism, whose translated named means “Manly Moustache” are a piano pop band who made their major label debut in 2018. Their first single “No Doubt” debuted in the streaming Top 10, while the song “Pretender” later rocketed out to 100 million streams, joining Aimyon’s “Marigold,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” and DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu’s “Uchiagi Hanabi” as the only songs to reach the milestone since the chart’s 2017 inception.

“Escapade” was released as the third track on their debut album Escaparade. Their follow-up album, Traveler, would achieve 3x Platinum status in physical sales and Gold status in digital.   

[LIVE] 오피셜히게단디즘(Official髭男dism) – ESCAPADE (youtube.com)

Peace Sign – Kenshi Yonezu

Kenshi Yonezu began his musical career performing under the name Hachi. His early musical releases featured the use of Vocaloid, a singing voice synthesizer. During this time he also started the blog Tekitō Edda. His song “Musunde Hiraite Rasetsu to Mukuro” was a major success, receiving over 1,000,000 streams. 

In 2017, he released the album Bootleg. It featured singles like “Uchiagi Hanabi,” “Loser,” “Orion,” and “Peace Sign.” The album would go on to win “Album of the Year” at the 60th Japan Record Awards. The single “Peace Sign” also became the theme song for the second season of My Hero Academia.  

Peace Sign (youtube.com)

Mela! – Ryokuoushoku Shakai 

Green-Yellow Society, as the band is known in English, formed in their high school’s light music club. They held their first performance on July 4, 2012 and took their name from mishearing the words “ryokuoushoku yasai” which translates to “green-yellow vegetables.” 

The song “Mela!” was released in April of 2020 as a forerunner to the release of their album Singalong. They later performed the song on 2022 edition of the annual NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, a New Year’s Eve special and competition. It was also used in the television show Sukkiri for “Hitotsu ni Narou! Dance One Project.”

It’s music video featured a villainous wolf who changed his destiny.

緑黄色社会 『Mela!』Music Video / Ryokuoushoku Shakai – Mela! (youtube.com)

Halzion – Yoasobi

Pop duo Yoasobi is made up of the duo Ayase and Lilas Akuta. The pair originally released music using the slogan “novel into music.” They created songs based on short stories published on the website Monogatary.com. 

They became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with the release of the song “Yoru ni Kakeru.” The track spent six weeks (non-consecutively) atop the Billboard Hot 100. 

“Halzion” was released on their debut EP The Book. The song was based on Soredemo, Happy End by Hashizume Shunki. A version in “Simlish” (the made-up of language of The Sims video game franchise) appeared in The Sims 4.

YOASOBI「ハルジオン・Halzion」Official Music Video (youtube.com)

B-A-Y-M-A-X

Created for The Happy Ride with Baymax for Tokyo Disneyland, the song B-A-Y-M-A-X was written by Adam Gubman. It is one of four tracks from the ride’s soundtrack which appears in the music loop for San Fransokyo. 

In addition to his work for Disney, Gubman has written music over 600 video games. He has also provided music for television and film projects like Galavant, and Baywatch. He also worked as a producer for the smash hit “This is Me” from The Greatest Showman. 

Writing about his work on the project, Gubman said, “I had the extreme pleasure of writing a song for it…THANK YOU MATT WALKER, Yaron Spiwek (my co-producer, and Exec producer of the score!!!)  and Jonathan Friday for letting me be my crazy self and have a blast doing it, the incredible singers and other musicians involved, and the whole crew at Imagineering. It’s an ADORABLE, sweet, fun, ride with a lot of energy and style!”

Like the other tracks from The Happy Ride with Baymax, the version heard in San Fransokyo is instrumental.

B-A-Y-M-A-X (youtube.com)

One Sweet Ride (Cool Ride)

Another track from The Happy Ride with Baymax, “One Sweet Ride (Cool Ride)” was written by the duo of Jan Andersson & Peter Heden.

The pair have written music for a number of acts, including reaching #1 on the charts with the song “Shori no hi Ma-de” for the Japanese boy band Sexy Zone (now known as Timelesz). They have also written songs for South Korean boy band The Boyz.

While their work has remained relatively unknown in their home country of Sweden, they’ve achieved massive success. As Heden recalled, “Among our friends, no one has really had any idea of what we’re doing. It’s like two different worlds. While we sit in our safe studio, all sorts of things are going on over there.”

One Sweet Ride (youtube.com)

A New Angle (New Perspective)

It took a team to write “A New Angle (New Perspective)” for The Happy Ride with Baymax. The track is credited to Eve Nelson, Guilio Cercato, Caitlin Rosenquist, and Annika Wells. 

A music producer and song writer, Eve Nelson has worked on television programs including This is Us, High School Musical: The Series, Little Fires Everywhere, and more. Her work earned her a Daytime Emmy Award in 2018 and a 2015 nomination. 

Guilio Cercato is a music producer, composer, and guitarist whose work has been featured on television and film, while Caitlin Rosenquist is the co-founder of Solid Ground Sound (along with Eve Nelson). Her bio notes that she, “she was Creative Director at ABC’s in-house music library for 10 years, collaborating with composers on new music production, as well as providing music supervision to clients.” 

For her part, the work of Annika Wells has written for pop titans like BTS and The Jonas Brothers. She notes, “Songwriting has always been my original love. Since I was about eight years old, I’ve been writing music and have always known that’s what I wanted to do. I absolutely love writing for myself and I also love helping other people’s stories come to light. Songwriting in any capacity is my passion.”

A New Angle (youtube.com)

Music of the Disney Parks: Mystic Manor Theme

Attraction: Mystic Manor

Park: Hong Kong Disneyland

Debut: May 17, 2013

The Haunted Mansion has been a staple of the Disney Parks experience since the attraction debuted in 1969. But when Disney decided to open a new park in Hong Kong, they were aware that cultural differences would make it difficult for the attraction to translate. Differences in views about the afterlife led the company to  abandon their old format in favor of a more whimsical, magical attraction, which they dubbed Mystic Manor.

The new attraction featured the character of Lord Henry Mystic and his mischievous pet monkey, who sets off a series of magical events after opening an enchanted music box. What follows is a trip through Mystic’s collection of antiquities, which have been brought to life because of the music box.

To accompany this delightful experience, Disney knew that they would need a composer whose music captured that sense of wonder and adventure, which is why they turned to Danny Elfman. He had previously worked with Disney on the music for Dick Tracy, though his most famous contributions to the Disney catalogue are surely the songs and score he provided for Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (not to mention the fact that he provided Jack Skellington’s singing voice).   

Speaking after the debut of Mystic Manor in 2013, Walt Disney Imagineering’s creative executive Joe Lanzisero said of Elfman’s musical contributions to the attraction, “Danny has the ability to create tension and excitement but there is always a grin underlying it. He has a sense of scary fun, so Danny was perfect.”

In his official D23 Disney Legend bio, Elfman states, “The Haunted Mansion was a part of my musical subconscious… that’s really the big appeal, that it was inspired by that: that I might do something that will become part of the musical subconscious culture of a generation.”

Not only did he provide the music for the attraction, but his singing voice can be heard in it as well. In the “Arms & Armor” portion of Mystic Manor, a trio of singing knight helmets belt out:

Magic’s in the air today

Stand beside me, don’t look away

Try to find some words to say

Who do you they’ll find here? Somebody’s out today!

(Ohh…)

No getting away from an ancient curse, and hiding will only make it worse!

Elfman provided the voice for the knights, both in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. As Elfman noted, the singing trio was another homage to the original Haunted Mansion attraction, alluding to the singing busts Guests encounter in the graveyard scene. In an interview with ABC News, Elfman said of his work on the project, “The Haunted Mansion was my favorite ride from the old days and so to be able to work on something that’s paying homage to the Haunted Mansion on a new ride with completely new music was a great thrill and honor. I had so much fun.”

Music of the Disney Parks: Listen to the Land

Attraction: Listen to the Land

Park: Epcot

Debut: October 1, 11982

When Living with the Land debuted on Epcot’s opening day, it was known as Listen to the Land. The two iterations of the attraction were nearly identical, except for one glaring difference. The infectious little earworm of a theme song, “Listen to the Land,” was removed from the experience. While this change may not be mourned to the same degree as the loss of Horizons or the original Journey Into Imagination, you’ll probably still catch devoted Epcot fans humming it to themselves while riding the newest incarnation of the attraction.

The song was penned by Bob Moline, who began working with Disney in the 1970s. The company’s Director of Marketing at the time happened to hear him performing in the Wine Cellar dining room of the Newport Inn. He was brought on board to write songs for Disneyland’s 20th anniversary, beginning a fruitful relationship that would lead to many memorable tunes, particularly when it came to Epcot. 

Among the songs he wrote for the park’s various pavilions were “Canada (A Lifetime Journey),” for the Canada Pavilion in the World Showcase, “Golden Dream” from The American Adventure, and “Energy (You Make the World Go ‘Round)” for Universe of Energy. While each of these has a sort of Hallmark-esque sound to them, Moline leaned into country and folk for “Listen to the Land.” Accompanied by an acoustic guitar,bass, and a children’s choir, it’s easy to picture the tune being performed around a campfire.

Though Imagineer Rolly Crump once suggested that he met with John Denver about potentially singing “Listen to the Land” for the attraction, this point is disputed by fellow Imagineer and Disney Legend Marty Sklar. He stated, “The song was written by Bob Moline, who also wrote (and sang) that song…John Denver did visit us once during the development of Epcot Center. It was an amazing day because he brought a friend with him: Buckminster Fuller! But we never connected with John Denver to record any of our songs.”

While Denver no doubt would have done the song justice, it’s hard to imagine a voice other than Moline’s on the track. It perfectly captures the optimism of the attraction, especially when the children begin singing along with him. 

As his son Justin recalled, “He always had that part of him that never grew up and could always connect to childlike wonder. I think that is where he drew a lot of his lyrical substance from, which you can hear in his songs like ‘Listen to the Land.’”

In a tribute by D23, his wife Sheri recalled their first trip to Epcot upon its opening. She stated that when the trip was over, they took a shuttle back to the airport with other park Guests. To pass the time, Moline began singing some of the songs he’d written for the park, little knowing that there was another notable Disney name on board. 

When the shuttle stopped, Disney Legend and songwriter Robert Sherman ventured back to Moline’s seat to shake his hand.

Music of the Disney Parks: Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand

Attraction: Epcot’s Millenium Celebration

Park: Epcot 

Debut: October 1, 1999

Walt Disney’s vision of tomorrow was fueled by an endless optimism rooted in his belief that human ingenuity and spirit could overcome any challenge we faced. It’s a spirit that lives on in attractions like the Carousel of Progress and Spaceship Earth. And it’s the reason that I believe Walt would have been a huge fan of Epcot’s Millenium Celebration and its theme of “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand.”

As then president of Walt Disney World Al Weiss said, “Walt Disney once referred to Epcot as a ‘living blueprint of the future.’ And it is in that spirit that we welcome the world to celebrate the millennium at this, our discovery park.”

The event, which ran from October 1, 1999 through January 1, 2001, saw several major additions come to the park, including the Tapestry of Nations Parade, a nighttime spectacular called “IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth,” and a somewhat controversial addition to the exterior of Spaceship Earth. 

With such a massive event, there was no question that there would be an accompanying song. It took its title from the celebration’s central theme.  Disney turned to composer Ira Antellis for the music. Cheryl Berman, who joined the Leo Burnett Agency as a junior copywriter and eventually became the company’s Chairman-Chief Creative Officer, provided the lyrics for the song.

Reflecting on her journey in the world of advertising, Berman compared it to characters from televisions Mad Men, stating, “I guess you could say I was Peggy Olson in the 70’s, when I walked into an agency called Leo Burnett. When I walked out 30 years later, I guess you could say I was Don Draper.” Along with her work for Disney, she wracked up an impressive number of accounts including McDonald’s, Hallmark, Coca-Cola, and Kraft. She also happened to have a talent for writing musical lyrics.

Ira Antellis had already established himself in the world of music, having created music for clients like Gatorade, 7Up, Mcdonald’s, and Sears. In addition to his commercial work, he produced multiple albums for the House of Blues, and penned songs for artists like Patti Labelle and Marc Anthony. 

It was not the pair’s first time working together for a Disney creation. Prior to the Millenium Celebration, they teamed up with David Pack to write the song “Remember the Magic” for Walt Disney World’s 25th anniversary, which ran from October of 1996 through January of 1998.Variations on “Celebrate the Future Hand in Hand” could be heard throughout the Millenium Celebration within Millenium Village and in the Tapestry of Nations parade. A gospel version of the song would appear on Disney’s official “Walt Disney World Millenium Celebration” album. The number would also reappear in the parks as part of the limited fireworks show Epcot Forever.

Music of the Disney Parks: Happy Song

Attraction: The Happy Ride with Baymax

Park: Tokyo Disneyland

Debut: September 28, 2020

When The Happy Ride with Baymax opened at Tokyo Disneyland in September of 2020, it was just one more example of a whip-ride at a Disney Park. Attractions like Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Alien Swirl Saucers predated it, themed after the Cars and Toy Story franchises respectively. 

What set The Happy Ride with Baymax apart was not only the fact that it was Disney’s first attraction themed to the film Big Hero 6, but it’s outstanding soundtrack. The attraction had a simple premise. As explained on the official Tokyo Disneyland page, “The brilliant young inventorHiro Hamada learned from his robotic personal healthcare companion Baymax that the first step in making people healthy is to make them happy, so he and Baymax developed this wild, musical ride that is sure to make everyone happy.” In keeping with the theme, each song on the soundtrack is an upbeat number that practically screams for you to get up and dance. If you weren’t so busy getting spun silly. The soundtrack featured six original songs:

1. “B.A.Y.M.A.X”
2. “A New Angle (New Perspective)”
3. “Happy Song”
4. “Ba la la la la la la la la”
5. “Koo Loo Lee”
6. “One Sweet Ride (Cool Ride)

Each track is so catchy and infused with so much energy that it would have been easy to gush about all six, but it didn’t seem like the best editorial decision. Forced with the painful task of selecting just one, I settled on “Happy Song” written by Matthew Tishler and Andrew Underberg.

A Canadian songwriter and producer, Tishler’s experience working with J-Pop and K-Pop artists made him a logical contributor to the project. Over the years he has worked with global sensations such as BTS, as well as pop stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Dove Cameron, and Nami Amuro. 

His work with Disney includes credits on Disney Channel programs like Lemonade Mouth, Shake It Up, Austin & Ally, and others. Disney album credits include High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Descendants 3, and The Lodge.

Prior to his work on The Happy Ride with Baymax Soundtrack, Andrew Underberg had worked with Disney writing music for the Disney Channel comedy Bizaardvark. Outside of Disney, he has written songs for performers like JoJo Siwa and television programs like Team Kaylie.

Far from a one-off collaboration, Tishler and Underberg have also worked together on music for the Disney cartoon Hailey’s On It, the film The J Team, and music for various productions in the Barbie franchise. 

In August of 2023, an instrumental version of song made its way to the United States as part of the ambient soundtrack for San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure. Three other instrumental versions of songs from The Happy Ride with Baymax were also included: “B-A-Y-M-A-X,” “A New Angle (New Perspective” and “One Sweet Ride (Cool Ride).”

Music of the Disney Parks: Hello, Everybody!

Attraction: The Golden Horseshoe Revue

Park: Disneyland

Debut: July 13, 1955

When the cast of the Golden Horseshoe Revue took their final bow on October 12, 1986, the show had the distinction of being the longest running musical of all-time. Not just at a Disney Park, but anywhere. With 39,000 performances, it was honored in the Guinness Book of World Records for its achievement.

Curiously, the show actually predates Disneyland by a few days. The park opened on July 17, 1955, but the Golden Horseshoe Revue debuted four days prior. The cast had staged a special performance in honor of Walt and Lillian Disney’s 30th wedding anniversary.

At it’s opening, the show starred Judy Marsh, Wally Boag, and Donald Novis, with Boag and Novis teaming to write its script. Music and lyrics were provided by Charles LaVere (who also performed as the show’s pianist) and Tom Adair, including the opening number, “Hello, Everybody.” 

Lavere, a jazz pianist, bandleader, vocalist, and composer, was a regular on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio show before eventually relocating to California in the late 30s. There, he began working on shows like Bob Hope’s The Pepsodent Show and performed with artists like Bing Crosby, The Andrews Sisters, Edgar Bergen, and others.

In 1955, he was contacted by Donald Novis about the possibility of working for Disney as part of a musical group in the Golden Horseshoe. He was hired along with others to play in the Golden Horseshoe’s band, but he also went on to write its music. 

For his part, Tom Adair had already established himself as a successful songwriter, penning numbers for artists like Tommy Dorsey, Bing Crosby, Dinah Shore, and Frank Sinatra. For the Golden Horseshoe Revue, he provided the lyrics for LaVere’s music. Over the years, he would also write songs for Sleeping Beauty, The Mickey Mouse Club and The Country Bear Jamboree.

While the show featured popular songs like “(Won’t You Come Home) Bill Bailey,” and established Disney tunes like “The Ballad of Pecos Bill” LaVere and Adair contributed several original pieces. 

Though Judy Marsh was the show’s original female lead, Betty Taylor would be the woman most associated with the Golden Horseshoe Revue and the role of Slue Foot Sue. She’s also the featured performer on the Disneyland album Slue–Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Review. On the record, she performs “Hello, Everybody” with Donald Novis. 

A noted actor and tenor, Novis previously worked with Disney as the man who sang the Academy-Award nominated “Love is a Song” from the animated feature Bambi. He was also an uncredited performer on the Lady and the Tramp track “Peace on Earth.” 

 He remained with the Golden Horseshoe until 1964, when he was replaced by Fulton Burley. As members of the cast, Boag, Taylor, and Burley would all go on to be named Disney Legends. The song (and the rest of the Golden Horseshoe Revue) would be immortalized on screen when it aired in a 1962 episode of The Magical World of Disney to celebrate the show’s 10,000th performance. The number was also included on the 2015 album The Legacy Collection: Disneyland.

Music of the Disney Parks: Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm)

Attraction:  La Parade Du Monde Merveilleux Disney

Park: Disneyland Paris

Debut: March 30, 1998

Parades have been a part of the Disney Parks experience since day one. When Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, it was a massive event that included a television special featuring personalities such as Art Linkletter and future president Ronald Reagan. A grand parade was part of the ceremonies, starting a tradition that remains a keystone of the Disney experience some 70 years later.

One of the mostly fondly remembered parades of Disneyland Paris was La Parade Du Monde Merveilleux Disney (The Wonderful World of Disney) which opened in the spring of 1998. In it’s original incarnation, it featured a wide range of characters from films like Steamboat Willie, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, Aladdin, and many more.

The parade was anchored by the theme song “Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm)” composed by Vasile Sirli and Jay Smith.

Born in Romania, Sirli began playing piano at an early age before attending the  Music and Plastic Arts Lyceum of Timișoara before going on to the National University of Music Bucharest. He later became the editor of Editura Muzicală, and then moved into a career scoring incidental music as well as film scores. 

In 1986, he moved to Paris, France, where he continued to work in music, composing for radio, television, and film. 

“One day I was called by the Artistic Vice President of Disneyland Paris,” Sirli said. “He said, ‘I want to meet you tomorrow, and if you have any ideas for the music for a new parade for Disneyland, let me know!’”

As he recalled, the park was nothing but a field at the time. He provided a sample of his music and even played a demo for the Artistic Vice President of the park, at which point he was offered a job for Disney.

Speaking of “Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm),” he says that Jay Smith approached him about a song for the parade, and requested that he specifically compose it. He has been very happy with the song’s longevity and how it has become an essential part of many Guests memories when it comes to Disneyland Paris. 

The lyrics for the song were provided by Jay Smith, who had studied at Butler University and worked as a choreographer and show producer for Walt Disney World from 1983-1989. After that, he became the Manager of Show Development at Euro Disney (now Disneyland Paris). He later assumed the role of Director of Show Operations at the park, before moving onto VP of Entertainment for the park, which is the position he held when working on La Parade Du Monde Merveilleux Disney.

Though the parade closed in 2007, its theme has remained beloved by every fan who got to experience it live. It’s such a staple of the Disneyland Paris story that it resurfaced again during the COVID-19 epidemic. With parks around the world closed, over 160 different Cast Members contributed video from home performing the parade’s dance routines to “Dancin’ (A Catchy Rhythm).” 

Mat Davies, a former Cast Member at the park recalled, “Seeing photos of me dancing in the parade with so many great people, I decided to set up a Facebook group to see if there would be any interest in creating a lockdown version of ‘The Wonderful World of Disney Parade’ which ran at Disneyland Paris from 1998 to 2007.” 

The result was like a dose of happiness in dark times, as reflected by the fact that his “Lockdown Edition” video of the parade has been viewed over 37,000 times. 

Music of the Disney Parks: The Ballad of Big Thunder Mountain

Attraction: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Park: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom

Debut: September 2, 1979

If you’re anything like me, when you first heard about “The Ballad of Big Thunder Mountain,” you probably wracked your brain trying to figure out where it plays on the attraction. Do you hear it while on the coaster? As you wind your way through the queue? As you exit coaster on wobbly legs?

The truth is that the tune, which is the official theme song of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, doesn’t play at any point on or around the attraction. So, why include it in a list of Disney Parks music? Well, not only is it the legendary coaster’s official anthem, but it WAS played at the attractions opening ceremony in both Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom (in 1979 and 1980 respectively). 

During a brief period in the 90s, the song could also be purchased on the Disneyland Forever and Walt Disney World Forever CDs. These were introduced as a new marketing concept which allowed Guests to the parks to purchase CDs of their favorite Parks music by using a touch screen kiosk. It cost around $20, and you’d receive a specially burned disc containing your selections. As a 1999 Las Vegas Sun article by Geoff Carter noted, “Drawing from a massive server fatty-packed with the sound effects, incidental music, songs and narration tracks of almost every Disneyland attraction in the theme park’s storied 44-year history, consumers can build a CD of 10 tracks, come back in an hour and claim a custom-made souvenir. For audiophiles, the opportunity to own Paul Frees’ “Pirates of the Caribbean” voices and the “Lanai Music” from the “Enchanted Tiki Room” is too strong a temptation to resist.”

 “The Ballad of Big Thunder Mountain” was available through the program, and copies have since become highly sought after collectors items. 

The song itself was written by Stan Freese, who began his Disney career in the 1970s playing the tuba. He later became the Magic Kingdom’s first band director and led the Disneyland Band. During his time with the Disneyland Band, he began the Disneyland Resort Salutes the American Band concert series, which introduced Orange County second grade students to the history of the American Band. 

Over the course of his career, he would also work as a show director and entertainment producer. When he penned “The Ballad of Big Thunder Mountain” it was originally intended for a television special that would promote its debut. The idea was for John Denver to perform the piece, but the plan was scrapped due to delays in its opening.

 The lyrics to the song tell the legend of Big Thunder Mountain and the dreadful curse that seems to plague it. Over the years it seems that the railroad has been hit by avalanche, earthquake and other disasters, though none quite as dreadful as the crew that disappeared “one foggy night in June.”  The refrain warns:

Hear the legend of Thunder Mountain,

If you’re weak of heart, then stay away!

From Big Thunder, Mountain railroad,

Thunder Mountain Railroad, run away!

The Cosmic Sounds of Disney

Album: Second Star to the Right (Salute to Walt Disney)

Artist: Sun Ra & His Intergalaxtic Arkestra

Label: Leo Records

Year Released: 1995

In the long history of jazz music, there’s never been another musician quite like Sun Ra.  His biography in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame refers to him as an “intergalactic traveler, translator of myths, poet, composer, and visionary…” as well as an “innovator in Jazz.” It’s a description that seems understated when you get to know his life story. 

Born Herman Pool Blount, he was nicknamed “Sonny” at a young age. He began composing music by age 11 or 12. According to stories, he had a virtuosic musical ability and mind, with some stating that as a teenager he could attend a big band concert and make a complete transcript of the music from memory. 

By the time he was 20, he’d begun touring with Ethel Harper’s band, taking over leadership when she ultimately departed. The group toured for a short time as the Sonny Blount Orchestra before breaking up. A few years later, he would have an experience that would change the course of his life. 

As he related it in later years, he was taken on a trip to the planet Saturn. He stated, “My whole body changed into something else. I could see through myself. And I went up… I wasn’t in human form… I landed on a planet that I identified as Saturn… they teleported me and I was down on [a] stage with them. They wanted to talk with me. They had one little antenna on each ear. A little antenna over each eye. They talked to me. They told me to stop [attending college] because there was going to be great trouble in schools… the world was going into complete chaos… I would speak [through music], and the world would listen. That’s what they told me.”

After moving to Chicago, he began working with composer Fletcher Henderson, and later with saxophonist Coleman Hawkins. It was during his time with Henderson that he began working as an arranger, and decided to put together a band to play his personal arrangements. The band began recording under the El Saturn label, which he’d formed with Alton and Artis Abraham in 1957. By this time, he’d taken on the name Le Sony’r Ra as a rejection of what he viewed as a slave name. 

It was during his time in Chicago that he became exposed to groups such as the Black Muslims and books like George G.M. James’s Stolen Legacy which posited that Greek mythology had its roots in Egypt. These Afrocentric ideas would begin to pervade his music and work, as did the influence of science fiction that would lead to his status as a pioneer of Afrofuturism, which is defined as, “a movement in literature, music, art, etc., featuring futuristic or science fiction themes which incorporate elements of Black history and culture.”

 He began using the liner notes of his albums to outline what he referred to as an “Astro-Black mythology” that aligned ancient Egyptian history with a cosmic future. As he saw it, life in the world had become untenable and the new “myths” he was creating were meant to guide humanity toward a better future in outer space. He stated, “The impossible attracts me because everything possible has been done and the world didn’t change.”

Aside from his cosmic philosophy, or more accurately because of it, his music became part of jazz’s avant-garde that emerged in the 50s and 60s. He became one of the first jazz musicians to use instruments like electronic keyboards and synthesizers, and dubbed other instruments with new names such as the “space dimension mellophone.” His group was known as the Sun Ra Arkestra, and they established a communal home in New York, where they made a splash because of their colorful and generally outlandish attire. Rather than musicians, members of the Arkestra were known as “tone scientists.” 

As improbable as it seems, Ra also developed a deep admiration for the films of Walt Disney, which would eventually lead to the album Second Star to the Right (Salute to Walt Disney). A 1989 article in the Washington Post, notes that Sun Ra was performing the music of Walt Disney at shows. The band was even known to wear Mouseketeer ears during performances and even had someone show up dressed as Dumbo. As the article states, “Walt Disney and Sun Ra are two of the 20th century’s master fantasists: One asked us to wish upon a star; the other asked us to believe he was born on one. These two manipulators of the imagination finally confronted each other when the avant-garde band leader played a show of songs from the producer’s movies at the 9:30 club Wednesday night.”

That same year, Sun Ra & His Intergalaxtic Arkestra would perform at  Jazzatelier Ulrichsberg in Austria. During the show, they performed songs like “The Forest of No Return,” from Babes in Toyland, “I’m Wishing” from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and “Second Star to the Right” from Peter Pan. The show was recorded, but would not be released as an album for another six years.

The songs are recognizable, though they frequently drift into what The New Yorker referred to as “anarchic, noisy space music.” Tracks like “Someday My Prince Will Come” begin with delicate piano that follows the traditional melody, before drifting into a screeching, occasionally atonal, saxophone solo. The vocals, specifically those of James Jacson, sound like a more grizzled version of Louis Armstrong, while the group’s interpretation of “Second Star to the Right” sounds like an intoxicated second-line brass band performing at a jazz funeral. 

Your enjoyment of the album will largely depend on your propensity for freeform and experimental jazz, but for those who enjoy it, there are treasures to be found on the disc. 

Suggested Listening:

Song: Door of the Cosmos

Artist: Sun Ra and His Intergalactic Myth Science Solar Arkestra

Label: El Saturn

Year Released: 1979

Song: Jupiter

Artist: John Coltrane

Label: Impulse!

Year Released: 1974

Song: All My Life 

Artist: Ornette Coleman

Label: Columbia Year Released: 1972

Music of the Disney Parks: I’m Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street USA

Attraction: Disneyland is Your Land, Main Street Trolley Show

Park: Disneyland, Magic Kingdom

Debut: 1985

In the 1970s, pop music saw an explosion of singer songwriters. Artists like James Taylor, Carole King, Jackson Browne, and Janis Ian to name just a few. Stu Nunnery, a graduate of Princeton, was among their number. 

While working in the Berkshires, he began performing weekend gigs at The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. As he recalled, “Every artist of any kind passed through that thing during the years that I was there.” It was fertile ground for an aspiring artist and in 1973, he released a self-titled album consisting of nine tracks. Two of the songs, “Madelaine” and “Sally from Syracuse,” reached the Top 100 in the United States. A third track, “Lady It’s Time to Go,” hit the number one spot in Brazil. 

Later in the decade, Nunnery moved to New York and began writing commercial jingles. During this time was given the opportunity to write a song intended for Disneyland’s 25th anniversary celebration. 

The result was “I’m Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street USA.” According to Nunnery, the music of Randy Newman influenced the song’s composition. He wanted it to have the “edge” of some of Newman’s songs (which he admitted did not end up being the case), and even had Newman’s distinctive vocal delivery in mind when he thought about how the song should be sung. 

Unfortunately, it would not be included in the 25th celebration, and would not make its debut until 1985 when it was performed by Marie Osmond as part of Disneyland’s 30th anniversary.

Shorty after composing the song for Disney, Nunnery’s life would take a dramatic turn. He woke up from a nap one day in 1978 to blaring sounds on the left side of his head. Doctors would later speculate that a blood vessel burst in his ear causing hearing loss. The damage complicated his musical career, but did not end it.

That changed two years later when the same thing happened in his right ear. While doctors were able to save some hearing in the ear, it completely ended his life in music. Though he couldn’t know it at the time, as one chapter of his musical life was ending another was about to begin.

“I’m Walking Right Down the Middle of Main Street USA” became a part of the show “Disneyland is Your Land.” In 1990, it was included in the VHS release Disney Sing-Along-Songs: Disneyland Fun, and it’s safe to say that this tape introduced the song to a whole generation of Disney fans. 

Over the years, the song became a staple at Walt Disney World as well, appearing in the Magic Kingdom’s daily opening ceremony, as well as in the Main Street Trolley Show. It is also one of the songs regularly performed by Disney’s legendary barbershop quartet The Dapper Dans. 

As for Nunnery, though his hearing loss seemingly ended his musical career, that all changed when he had a return performance in 2015. New technology and rehabilitation exercises got him to the point where he was able to perform a house concert in front of a small crowd. A handful of shows followed, and in 2018 Nunnery even released a new song titled “Take to the Harbor.”