Moana: Songs 5-8

Note:  with the Doctor Who Christmas special coming up tomorrow (sob!), I'm holding this week's Sunday Who Review until Tuesday.

The second of three Moana song posts.  Some nice variety here, including two songs showing Lin-Manuel Miranda’s collaboration with the film’s other two composers and what might be my favorite Disney “sidekick” song since “A Friend Like Me” (not that “sidekick” is quite the right word for Maui – I’m sure he’d never allow it – but I’m not sure what else to call that Genie-esque position.)

“We Know the Way” – The music, with its driving drum beats, is by Opetaia Foa’i, but he and Miranda collaborated on the lyrics, with Miranda writing (and performing) the portion of the song in English.  Miranda does a lovely job capturing that spirit of wandering and adventure – there’s a confidence, a contentment, within the idea that knowing “where [you] are” means knowing “who [you] are.”

Best lyric:  “At night we name every star. / We know where we are - / We know who we are, who we are…”

“How Far I’ll Go (Reprise)” – While the melody, and even many of the lyrics, are the same as the original number, there’s just enough shift here to nicely reflect Moana’s ongoing journey.  I love the power infused into the “every turn I take” stanza, and the crescendo building to the last chorus is a perfect accompaniment to the gorgeous shot of the giant luminous stingray swimming beneath Moana’s boat.

Best lyric:  “All that time wond’ring where I need to be / Is behind me. / I’m on my own to worlds unknown.”

“You’re Welcome” – Man, I love Maui’s song.  Miranda does terrific work here, crafting a very catchy song within Dwayne Johnson’s range while playing to Johnson’s strength:  his massive charisma.  Maui is so full of himself here in such a likeable way.  It’s fun, it’s funny, it’s hummable – works for me!

Best lyric:  “Hey, what has two thumbs and pulled up the sky / When you were waddling yea high? / This guy!”

“Shiny” – I was a little iffy on “Shiny” the first time I heard it, but it quickly grew on me.  Now, I just love this fun villain’s number (with lyrics by Miranda and music by both Miranda and Mark Mancina, the movie’s third composer.)  It has Bowie sensibility through the roof, and the clever lyrics are great – most of my favorite rhymes from the movies are in this song.  I also like the little hints of pathos we get toward the end as Tamatoa taunts Maui.

Best lyric:  “You could try, try, try, / But you can’t expect a demigod to beat a decapod.”