Friend Like Me | 1988 Demo | Howard Ashman | Aladdin

Here is Howard Ashman's demo to "Friend Like Me," a song from his original treatment to ALADDIN. With music by Alan Menken, animation from the final film has been synced to this recording.

As part of the original treatment, this song was written for the character of The Genie of the Lamp in the style of Cab Calloway and Fats Waller (whose name I misspelled in the video). A great fan of black artists, Howard envisioned a great black singer / entertainer voicing the role.

According to John Musker during his stint as guest blogger on howardashman.com, Howard said one of the rules he followed while putting together a musical was "Never go white when you can go black," going on to say, "Howard loved the power, emotion and expressiveness he felt so many black singers brought to the stage and writing material for them was irresistible to him. Thus, his genie was black, as were his plant and chorus in LITTLE SHOP and Tina Turner beckoned from the live action world." (Howard was an early screenwriter for Disney's adaptation of Tina Turner's autobiography I, TINA, which would be released as WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?.)

However, once production on the film was restarted, it was felt that the idea of a black entertainer playing the role of an enslaved being wishing for freedom wasn't the best of ideas, so Robin Williams was suggested for the role, and the influences of the song was toned down.

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LYRICS
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WELL, ALI BABA HAD THOSE FORTY THIEVES
SCHEHEREZADE HAD A THOUSAND TALES
BUT MISTER YOU IN LUCK CAUSE UP YOUR SLEEVES
YOU GOT A BRAND OF MAGIC NEVER FAILS
YOU GOT SOME POWER IN YOUR CORNER NOW
SOME HEAVY AMMUNITION IN YOUR CAMP
YOU GOT SOME PUNCH, PIZAZZ, YAHOO AND HOW
SEE, ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS RUB THAT LAMP

AND I'LL SAY

MR. ALADDIN, SIR --
WHAT WILL YOUR PLEASURE BE?
LET ME TAKE YOUR ORDER -- JOT IT DOWN
YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME

NO NO NO

LIFE IS YOUR RESTAURANT
AND I'M YOUR MAITRE 'D
C'MON WHISPER WHAT IT IS YOU WANT
YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME

YESSIR, WE PRIDE OURSELVES ON SERVICE
YOU'RE THE BOSS, THE KING, THE SHAH
SAY WHAT YOU WISH, IT'S YOURS! TRUE DISH!
HOW 'BOUT A LITTLE MORE BAKLAVA?

HAVE SOME OF COLUMN A
TRY ALL OF COLUMN B
I'M IN THE MOOD TO HELP YOU, DUDE
YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME

HA HA HA

(WA WA WA )
OH MY
(WA WA WA )
MMM HMM
(WA WA WA )
HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH

CAN YOUR FRIENDS DO THIS
CAN YOUR FRIENDS DO THAT
COULD YOUR FRIENDS PULL THIS
OUT THEIR LITTLE HAT

CAN YOUR FRIENDS GO POOF!
WELL, LOOKY HERE
CAN YOUR FRIENDS GO ABRACADABRA LET 'ER RIP
AND THEN MAKE THE SUCKER DISAPPEAR

SO DONCHA SIT THERE, SLACK-JAWED, BUGGY-EYED
I'M HERE TO ANSWER ALL YOUR MIDDAY PRAYERS
YOU GOT ME BONA-FIDE, CERTIFIED
YOU GOT A GENIE FOR YOUR CHARGE D'AFFAIRS
I GOT A POW'RFUL URGE TO HELP YOU OUT
SO WHATCHA WISH? I REALLY WANNA KNOW
YOU GOT A LIST THAT'S THREE MILES LONG, NO DOUBT
WELL ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS RUB LIKE SO

AND OH --

MR. ALADDIN SIR
WHAT WILL THOSE ORDERS BE?
I LOVE MY JOB, YOU BIG NABOB
YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME

(WA WA WA )
OH NO
(WA WA WA )
NO NO
(WA WA WA )

YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD A FRIEND
NEVER HAD A FRIEND
YOU AIN'T NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME