Disney’s new Aladdin film takes steps to change some of the offensive lyrics from the 1992 original. Per Vanity Fair, the most notable changes come on “Arabian Nights,” the song which introduces viewers to the fictional Agrabah, where the film takes place.
In the new version of “Arabian Nights,‘ Will Smith, who plays the Genie, performs the track. He sings on the opening verse:
Oh, imagine a land, it’s a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where you wander among every culture and tongue
It’s chaotic, but hey, it’s home
Those last two lines are changed significantly from the original 1992 version, which was immediately controversial upon its release and roundly criticized, per the L.A. Times. It went:
Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face
It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home
When the film was re-released on VHS, the lyrics were altered to be:
Where it’s flat and immense and the heat is intense
It’s barbaric, but hey, it’s home
Albert Mokhiber, president of the Washington-based American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee told the L.A. Times that they thought the word “barbaric” should also have been altered.
“The changes were the right thing to do, but we are still one word away from being pleased.”
The movie’s composer, Alan Menken, who worked on both the remake and original, spoke to Digital Spy about how shifting cultural values made it essential to change the lyrics.
But originally, what Howard [Ashman, Menken’s late collaborator] and I wrote actually was, “Where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face / It’s barbaric / But hey, it’s home.” That went fast. We thought it was funny. But I don’t think Arabic people thought it was all that funny, so that got changed…Then the word “barbaric” came out. It’s a filter, you have to look at what’s happening today. Values go upside-down in a blink. It’s inevitable, you have got to take that really seriously.
The film also features an updated version of the song “Prince Ali,” where Smith refers to “Friday salaam” instead of “Sunday salaam.” This change occurred because Friday is the Muslim holy day, and was incorrect in the 1992 movie.
Despite the lyric changes, the 2019 Aladdin film has still been mired in controversy, including for casting an Indian-British actress as Jasmine instead of someone Middle Eastern or Arabic. There were also reports that the film was using makeup in order for white extras to appear Arabic.
The soundtrack features performances from Smith, as well as the film’s leads, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott. It also includes a cover of “A Whole New World” performed by ZAYN and Zhavia Ward.
Read the lyrics to the 2019 version of “Arabian Nights” and the rest of the Aladdin soundtrack on Genius now.
