We all enjoy watching a rogue outsmarting and humiliating authority, and one of the most famous and popular Disney Renaissance movies that capture this spirit is “Aladdin”. The character is initially portrayed as a thief stealing bread and running around escaping Razoul and his guards, to avoid them cutting off his hands, as that is the punishment for theft, likely upheld by Jafar, rather than the dopey Sultan.
Often, protagonists are introduced with an opening song, and often, it’s consistent with a Disney Prince or Princess song, or is shortly after the beginning. Simba waits a little, then sings his song “I Just Can’t Wait to be King”, which is very energetic and upbeat, whereas Cinderella sings a very gentle song, “A Dream is a Wish the Heart Makes”. It is generally there to introduce the character and establish who they are, and their motive. Belle sings about how she is a little bored with the mundane life, and loves to read her books. Peter Pan teaches the Darlings how to fly, with the song “You Can Fly”, which might be simple, but it tells us everything we know about Peter Pan, who is a whimsical boy without a care, with a song that seems a little bit more energetic. Here, Aladdin sings a very upbeat and fun song, “One Jump Ahead”. This is his introductory song, and we can’t help but love Aladdin’s charm, and that’s the point. We all love an underdog, and it helps establish this.
I analyzed a bit about Aladdin’s history in the essay about the song “Out of Thin Air”, which tells us that after Aladdin’s mother died, Kasim was not around, as he came back to a deceased wife and a missing son, which he assumed died on the harsh streets of Agrabah, therefore he left. Aladdin then worked to survive, only to be taken advantage of by others, such as a greedy and self-serving street rat called Amal, and a troupe of con artist circus performers called Minos, Fatima and Aziz, taking advantage of his wanting to belong, and wanting to feed himself. These details however, are not present in the mythos and lore yet, as this song started out primarily to introduce the character.
The lyrics start off with Aladdin energetically moving around Agrabah, escaping Razoul and the guards.
Aladdin: Gotta keep
One jump ahead of the breadline
One swing ahead of the sword
I steal only what I can't afford
And that's everything!
This establishes the status quo at the beginning of the movie, and Aladdin’s current life, and what’s his motivation at the time. First off, he just wants to eat, and he wants to avoid being cut down by the guards. He also states that he doesn’t have anything that he can use to buy food, and no one will take a street rat and employ them, therefore, the caste system in the culture of Agrabah is very telling about where you belong, and it is stifling for Aladdin, who has nothing, and is destined to have nothing.
One jump ahead of the lawmen
That's all, and that's no joke
These guys don't appreciate I'm broke
Guards: Riffraff!
Street rat!
Scoundrel!
Take that!
Here, we have Aladdin humiliating and undermining the incompetent guards, led by the only competent guard, Razoul, who is trying to hunt down Aladdin for the umpteenth time. According to the Disney wiki, Razoul captured Aladdin when the hero was far younger, and took pity, by only imprisoning him for a time (Aladdin escaped, but that’s Aladdin for you) but now that Aladdin’s an adult, the rules have changed. Aladdin has shown himself to be a constant nuisance, and his humiliating the guards makes it that many in Agrabah might not take them as seriously, or respect their authority. (Doesn’t help that Jafar sends out orders that are very oppressive.) The guards are so focused on law and order, that they don’t see beyond that, and don’t understand that there is context. I’d say they should try and employ Aladdin, to try to convince him to be a guard, but Aladdin and Razoul kind of hate each other at this point. (As the cartoon series progresses, they get character development that actually helps them respect each other.)
Aladdin: Just a little snack, guys
Guards: Rip him open! Take it back, guys!
Aladdin: I can take a hint,
Gotta face the facts
You're my only friend, Abu!
Aladdin at this point has climbed up on a wooden platform, asking them to let him keep the one loaf of bread, but they respond with tossing 12 swords, axes and spears that nearly hit Aladdin, as they try to pull down the platform, and Aladdin figures that he can’t convince them, even as he was mocking them. He also acknowledges that the only one he can trust is Abu, which tells us a lot about their relationship.
Harem Girls: Who?
Oh, it's sad, Aladdin's hit the bottom
He's become a one-man rise in crime
This is a detail in the culture that really brings out a Muslim culture in Agrabah, after all, it is based in the Middle East, on the story “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”. Harem girls are women who are part of an establishment that focuses on “special massages” for men. They are generally annoyed at Aladdin, who causes trouble for them with his presence. They are rather snobby, and dismiss him, being sarcastic about it.
Massage Parlor Manager: I'd blame parents, except he hasn't got 'em
Aladdin: Gotta eat to live,
Gotta steal to eat
Tell you all about it when I got the time!
He backs up into the Madam of the Harem, who is not keen on Aladdin, blaming his poor behaviour on the lack of a parent, which Aladdin shows general anger, regardless of her swinging her broom at him. That is certainly a sore spot for street rats and orphans like Aladdin. He tries to be friends as he and Abu leave the apartment, but he is bumped out by one of them. It’s a little sad that these women, who are selling their own bodies in order to eat and be housed, judge Aladdin for having nothing, showing a superficial side.
One jump ahead of the slowpokes
One skip ahead of my doom
Next time gonna use a nom de plume
Razoul: There he is!
One jump ahead of the hitmen
One hit ahead of the flock
I think I'll take a stroll around the block
Here we return to the refrain, of sorts. He is calling the guards slow, not just on their feet, but slow on the uptake, as it takes a moment for the guards to notice Aladdin. He comments on how he should take up a new identity, but it’s more in jest. He knows they would recognize him at a glance. Then he hops on some sheep, and Razoul is making his way through the flock in order to get to Aladdin. Aladdin’s also making a comment that the guards are mindless sheep, just following orders without questioning them.
Jewelry Vendor: Stop, thief! Vandal!
Aladdin: Abu?!
Jewelry Customer: Scandal!
Abu? Really? Trying to steal jewelry, when a loaf of bread is all that you need that day? He doesn’t need any more excuses for Razoul to come after Aladdin.
Aladdin: Let's not be too hasty
Obese Woman: Still I think he's rather tasty!
Aladdin: Gotta eat to live,
Gotta steal to eat
Otherwise, we'd get along
Guards: Wrong!
As Aladdin is making a plight for mercy, an obese woman (Who might be mistaken for an elephant) comes out, commenting on how she finds Aladdin very attractive, and she finds him interesting, something that Aladdin doesn’t reciprocate. He tells the guards that under different circumstances, they’d get along. For the context of the movies, it’s harder for the guards to get along with Aladdin. If you consider the cartoon series, it makes this a bit more amusing as Razoul eventually acknowledges Aladdin as a good candidate for the next Sultan.
Razoul: Get him!
Guard: [Abu is swinging sword swallowers sword menacingly] He’s got a sword!
Razoul: You idiots! [pulls out his sword; the other guards follow suit] We’ve all got swords! [Abu sheepishly places his sword on the ground and makes a hasty retreat]
The guards aren’t giving a good first impression about how much of a job they can do. They aren’t bright, except for the leader of the guards. It also reveals that as much as they can try to fight the guards, it wouldn’t end well for them. Even if the guards are as dumb as bricks.
Aladdin: One jump ahead of the hoofbeats
(Guards: Vandal!)
Aladdin: One hop ahead of the hump
(Guards: Street rat!)
Aladdin: One trick ahead of disaster
(Guards: Scoundrel!)
Aladdin: They're quick, but I'm much faster
(Guards: Take that!)
Aladdin: Here goes:
Better throw my hand in
Wish me happy landin'
All I gotta do is jump!
Again we have the refrain, which leaves us with Aladdin nearly getting caught, and finally escaping from the guards, foreshadowing us over the Magic Carpet. This fun song really gets the blood pumping and starts the feel of the movie. But it also shows Aladdin’s depth of character, as he doesn’t wish to spend day in and day out running from the guards.
Then you have the song that ends, and Aladdin that gives the bread they spent all day running away from the guards to a couple of young orphans living on the streets. He has been through what they are dealing with, and understands the trauma of being forgotten, and alone on the streets, so it shows that when he comes across them, he is willing to help, even at his own detriment. It is why the reprise has a very different, yet melancholic tune.
Aladdin: Riff-raff, street rat
I don't buy that
If only they'd look closer
Would they see a poor boy? No, siree
They'd find out
There's so much more to me
This happens after his altercation with Prince Achmed, when Aladdin himself is humiliated, and then walks back home. He is hungry, a little cranky, and exhausted. He is venting his frustration about Razoul and his unbending nature, that will no longer give Aladdin any more pity. No one wishes to help him. As much as some are charmed by him, they are not going to help him out as much as he’d like them to.
But these lyrics also show that Aladdin feels very small, and wants to make something of himself, but he is just a street rat, and is frustrated that he is alone, and only has Abu there with him.
This is a very catchy song, and if we look at the expanded material in the two movies “Return of Jafar” and “Aladdin and the King of Thieves”, as well as the cartoon series, it does expand on Aladdin’s feelings and insecurities. This song does bring to light a lot about Aladdin, his plight and his status as an underdog.
Okay, I'm gonna pick some nits here, i.e., but a bit nitpicky. First, I agree with Dan about the songs. Great way to introduce the character, set up the audience's emotional reaction to what he/she says and does. I've gotten wise to that over the years and so am immune to the effect, seeing the characters in a more rational way. Second, I must address the ethics here. Rooting for Aladdin, who is basically a lovable rascal as opposed to an underdog, isn't possible for me. Without protection of private property, even a loaf of bread that the baker worked hard to produce but that many tend to trivialize, we have no civilization. I'm also not sure that Islam existed when this story was written. Islam goes back to the 1200s or so. And they got chopping off thieves' hands from the local culture, not the other way around. That punishment seems overly harsh for theft. Even so, some deterrent is needed to preserve individual and property rights, which I hold as a prime value. Anyway, just my thoughts. Thanks for the thought-inspiring essay.
This is a great morning read! Definitely a decent bit of motivation before checking up on job applications. Turns out, even your everyday average people like Us have a bit in common with Aladdin