"Arabian Nights" is the opening song from Disney's Aladdin, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman. It was performed by the Peddler (singing voice by the late Bruce Adler) upon entry into the brave hero Aladdin's homeland of Agrabah. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken had written several reprises, but they were ultimately cut from the final film.
An alternate version of the song utilizing lyrics from the original demo was later featured in The Return of Jafar, performed by Brian Hannan. This version was also used as the main titles theme for the Aladdin television series.
Aladdin and the King of Thieves features a reprise performed by Bruce Adler, which was originally recorded for the first film.
Arabian Nights pops up in the movie's score quite often, primarily used as a theme for the wicked sorcerer Jafar.
Lyrics[]
Oh, I come from a land, from a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense. (Where they cut off your ear if they don't like your face)
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home
When the wind's from the east
And the sun's from the west
And the sand in the glass is right
Come on down
Stop on by
Hop a carpet and fly
To another Arabian night
Arabian Nights like Arabian days
More often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of good ways
Arabian Nights 'neath Arabian moons
A fool off his guard
Could fall and fall hard
Out there on the dunes
Follow me to a place where incredible feats are routine every hour or so
Where enchantment runs rampant
Yes wild in the streets
Open Sesame, here we go!
Arabian Nights
Like Arabian Days
They tease and excite
Take off and take flight
They shock and amaze
Arabian Nights
Like Arabian Days
More often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of good ways
Pack your shield, Pack your sword
You won't ever get bored
Though get beaten or gored, you might
Come on down
Stop on by
Hop a carpet and fly
To another Arabian Night
Arabian Night!
<poem> Genie (spoken): Salam and good evening to you all dear friends,
Welcome to the fabled city of Agrabah,
City of flying carpets, soaring heroes, famous love ballads, and more glitz and glamour than any other fictional city in the world!
(sung) Oh, I come from a land, from a faraway place,
Where the caravan camels roam,
Where it's flat and immense,
and the heat is intense,
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home,
When the wind's from the east,
And the sun's from the west,
And the sand in the glass is right,
Come on down,
Stop on by,
Hop a carpet and fly,
To another Arabian night,
(spoken) And of course you know what Agrabah is famous for,
This magical lamp,
Don't be fooled by it's common place appearance,
Like so many things it's not what on the outside, but what's on the inside that counts,
This lamp put Agrabah on the map,
You've never been?
We can fix that!
(sung) Follow me to a place,
Where incredible feats,
are routine every hour or so,
Where enchantment runs rampant,
Runs wild in the streets,
Open Sesame, here we go!
See the dervishes dance,
In ridiculous pants,
And romance to your hearts delight,
Genie and Company:
Come on down,
(Come on in)
Let the magic begin,
It's another Arabian Nights
Arabian Nights, like Arabian days,
More often than not,
Are hotter than hot,
In a lot of good ways,
Arabian Nights, 'neath Arabian moons,
A fool off his guard,
Could fall and fall hard,
Out there on the dunes,
Soloist:
In that magical land,
That mystical place,
There's a genie inside of every door,
Men:
He'll do all of your bidding,
Your wishes command,
Genie:
It's demeaning but hey,
There you are!
Ladies:
Unbelievable, yes,
And an ethical mess,
Ensemble:
None the less,
No ones very contrite,
You come here and you,
Come to a land where any mountain can move,
A land of high intrigue,
With tricky logistics,
By prophets and mystics,
Genie:
And I've got statistics that prove,
All:
Arabian nights,
Arabian nights,
(dance break)
Genie:
(spoken) Agrabah, Come for the hummus, stay for the floor show,
Even the poor people look fabulous,
And everyone here has a minor in dance,
And now for the softer side of Agrabah!
(harem dance)
And of course you must watch your step here in Agrabah,
For danger lurks around every corner,
It's a city where a penniless nobody,
Can turn out to be a noble somebody,
Where Jasmine|a Princess would give up her crown for true love,
But her father is a stickler for the old ways
And our heroes pals are as thick as thieves,
Adorable... But thieves
And oh did I mention,
Everybody sings!
Full Company:
Arabian Nights like Arabian days
More often than not
Are hotter than hot
In a lot of good ways
Arabian Nights 'neath Arabian moons
A fool off his guard
Could fall and fall hard
Out there on the dunes
Arabian Nights,
Arabian Nights,
Arabian Nights,
Arabian Nights!Deleted Reprises[]
Initially a longer composition, Howard Ashman and Alan Menken 1990 score treatment incorporated several reprises sung by The Genie of the Ring, who served as the story's narrator in the original treatment (although under the guise of the Peddler). The first reprise introduces The Wicked Wazir (later to be named Jafar) as the story's main antagonist. The second is sung as Wazir takes Aladdin to The Cave of Wonders posing as his uncle. The third plays as someone - presumably Aladdin - is locked in the dungeon, awaiting death. For the fourth and final reprise, The Genie of the Ring bids the audience farewell; this reprise was sung by The Peddler at the end of King of Thieves.
In the palace, right here
Lived a wicked vizier
The adviser to Sultan Hamed
And this part-time magician
This amateur seer
Wished his boss, the good sultan, dead
He was charming and slick
But unspeakably sick
This despicable parasite
What a villain, boo hiss
Further proof, dears, that this
Is another Arabian night
A contemptible skunk
Was this counterfeit "Unc"
But Aladdin he led, alas
On a journey insane
Through forbidden terrain
To a desolate mountain pass
And the trip that they had
Was so bad for our lad
That he gradually got uptight
And suspected, guess what
This was possibly not
Just another Arabian night
What a room, what a stink
This is doom, don't you think?
As the hours of the night crawl past
You've got rats in your cell
But you'll live with the smell
Till the dawn, when you'll breathe your last
Every tick of the clock
Says get set for the block
And the shock of your awful plight
You should sleep, but you don't
'cause you know that you won't
See another Arabian night
<poem> So it goes, short and sweet
Now they live down the street
Doing just what they all do best
Happy end to the tale
And tomorrow's a sale
So I'd better go home and rest
Here's a kiss and a hug
Sure you don't need a rug?
I assure you the price is right
Well, salaam, worthy friend
Come back soon, that's the end
Till another Arabian nightAladdin and the King of Thieves reprise[]
This last reprise is sung by the Peddler at the end of Aladdin and the King of Thieves. It is a slightly different version of the fourth deleted reprise; the lyrics were altered to reflect changes made to the stories (mostly Aladdin living in the palace after his wedding, contrary to an early version where Jasmine would give up her status as a princess and come live with Aladdin in the end, reflected by the original version's lyric "Now they live down the street").
So it goes, short and sweet
They were wed down the street
May their marriage be truly blessed
Happy end to the tale
And tomorrow's a sale
So I'd better go home and rest
Here's a kiss and a hug
Sure you don't need a rug?
I assure the price is right
Well, salaam, worthy friend
Come back soon, that's the end
Till another Arabian night
Gallery[]
