Cover Story: The Dark Side of “Once Upon a Dream”
The original 1959 version of “Once Upon a Dream” makes an innocent impression, but Lana Del Rey’s recent rendition shows the hidden depths of the lyrics.
Written by Gracie Warhurst
Illustrated by Gregory Muggli
Content Warning: This article contains graphic language on sexual assault.
“Once Upon a Dream” was written for the “Sleeping Beauty” animated Disney film, with lyrics by Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain. The song is widely recognizable as the film's main theme, also serving as the love song for the two main characters, Princess Aurora and Prince Philip. The audience first hears Mary Costa and Bill Shirley sing the tune when Philip runs into Aurora in the forest where, after King Stefan sends her to live in the forest for her safety, she has been raised by three fairies. Aurora doesn’t know who Philip is at the time, but he is actually the prince that was betrothed to her at birth. Likewise, Philip doesn’t recognize Aurora, yet is attracted to her voice and watches as she sings and dances with woodland animals.
The song describes vaguely knowing someone, perhaps from a dream, and being sure that they will love you. As the lyrics say, “But if I know you, I know what you'll do / You'll love me at once.” Aurora begins the song on her own, imagining a fantasy man while assuming that she is alone. Both her character’s countenance and Costa’s singing voice are hopefully optimistic, like a young girl daydreaming in her bedroom about a future love. The background violin sings out alongside her voice, creating the perfect combination for twirling and swaying along. Philip joins in for the second half of the song, catching Aurora off guard. Once she gathers her bearings, Aurora is nervous about talking to a stranger, but Philip replies, “We’ve met before, you said so yourself — once upon a dream.”
They finish the song together, dancing and seemingly haven fallen in love.
Even in the moments where Aurora is unsure, the song continues in its optimistic major key. Both Shirley and Costa’s voices together take on a comfortable vibrato and upbeat tempo. However, looking at the scene through a more contemporary lens, and thinking about the “true love’s kiss” that will awaken Aurora at the end of the movie, it is clear that the princess should be a little wary of the prince’s advances. Reflecting on the time period of the original film, women’s rights — especially when it came to autonomy and consent — were a long way away from what they are now. Women’s birth control wasn’t available until a year after “Sleeping Beauty” was released. In addition, marital rape wasn’t considered illegal until the early 1990s.
Lana Del Rey’s 2014 version of the song took a new approach to the love story in the movie “Maleficent.” Although the lyrics are the same, Aurora and Phillip's first meeting isn’t accompanied by the song this time around. They run into each other in the same forest, but Philip gets directions from Aurora and then leaves her. The audience is left with the impression that they might have an innocent, surface-level attraction to each other that could possibly develop into more in the future.
The song did appear in the promotion and release of the movie, and, like the film itself, seemed darker and more thoughtful than the original. Del Rey’s sultry voice is accompanied by an orchestra with a prominent cello and bass line. The song is in a major key but in a lower range, and includes a few dissonant lines, adding to the mesmerizing effect. This version is also slower in tempo, with an ominous drum beat throughout. Along with the altered story line, in which Maleficent delivers the awakening “true love’s kiss” to Aurora’s forehead, this version of “Once Upon a Dream” seems aware of the problematic nature of the 1959 version. Perhaps, Del Rey’s hypnotic tune is a nod to the lack of choice in Aurora’s story line.
The progression between each song and movie is a step in the right direction. Del Rey’s version came out in the beginning years of the fourth wave of feminism, which seeks to empower all women as well as breaking down barriers of gender norms. “Once Upon a Dream,” sung in this style alongside the movie, works in tandem with modern feminism to show that women don’t need a man’s love to overcome obstacles.
Despite many themes in Disney originals that would not meet the standards of today, there seems to be a push towards reinventing old classics. “Sleeping Beauty” shows us that we can reclaim our history and make old stories our own. The evolution of “Once Upon a Dream” from 1959 to 2014 has proven this sentiment, furthering women’s autonomy and identities along the way.