Why Me? is a deleted scene from Aladdin later released as a full-cast animatic. It features Jafar, Iago, the Genie, The Sultan, Aladdin, Rajah, Princess Jasmine and Abu.
Plot[]
Overjoyed at having obtained the Genie's Lamp, traitorous Grand Vizier Jafar launches into a self-indulgent song bemoaning the perceived slights he endured his whole life long, which turns into triumphant gloating as he uses the Genie's power to make himself the Sultan and then the most powerful sorcerer in the world, sowing chaos and exacting petty revenge on our heroes as he reveals himself to Agrabah.
Lyrics[]
Iago: (speaking) Oooh, this has been a long time coming.
Jafar: (speaking) Oh, if only you knew, Iago. It's been a lifetime!…
(singing) In my formative and hungry years,
I was unappreciated by my peers…
As their slings and arrows flew,
I would ponder - wouldn't you? -:
"Why me? Why me?!"
Iago: (speaking) Sing it, baby!
Jafar: For a man of my charisma and mystique,
Iago: (speaking) NOT!
Jafar: I have taken far too long to reach my peak.
Why was my status never quo?
Why did no one want to know?
Poor me! Why me?!
Why was I so unable to fulfill my true potential?
Iago: (speaking) Give me a tissue, I'm crying!
Jafar: Kept down by those I knew were smaller fry…
…Inconsequential!
But here's the rub!
Rub-a-dub-dub!
(speaking) And now slave, grant me my first wish! I wish to be… SULTAN!
[Cut to outside Agrabah.]
Sultan: (speaking) Ladies and gentlemen, my daughter has finally chosen a suitor...Prince Ali Ababwa!
[Aladdin as Prince Ali rides Abu (still an elephant) out of the palace gates. Suddenly, the Sultan loses his clothes to Jafar.]
Jasmine: (speaking) Father?
Aladdin: (speaking) Jafar!
Jafar: (speaking) Sultan Jafar to you!
Sultan: (speaking) Uh ?… (mumble)… What manner of trickery is this, Jafar!?
Jafar: (speaking) No trickery, you rotund nincompoop !
(Singing) I am power, I am clout personified!
I've a genie and sheer malice on my side!
It's a combination which works me up to a favor pitch:
"Big G"… and ME!
Aladdin: (speaking) Genie, what are you doing!?
Genie: (speaking) Sorry kid. I've got a new master now.
Jafar: (speaking) You miserable wretches, bow to me!
Aladdin: (standing strong with his friends) We will never bow to you!
Jafar: (speaking) Then… you will cower! GENIE! My second wish... I wish--I wish to be the most powerful sorcerer… IN THE WORLD!!!! Har-har !
[Jafar becomes a sorcerer thanks to the Genie.]
Jafar: When the master of the lamp says "Bow"… you bow!
You forget who wears the pants around here now?
A man who knows just what to do, and who to do it to!
Who's he? M-E!
Iago: (cheering) Yes!
Jafar: And as for you, you little twerp, from now on, it's "as you were" time!
Let's have your pretty princess see how she's been wasting her time!
Let's strip him bare!
THERE'S NOTHING THERE!
(speaking after changing "Ali" back to Aladdin) Take a good look at your precious Prince Ali!
Iago: (speaking) Or should we say, Aladdin!
Jafar: (speaking) He's nothing more than a worthless, lying street rat!
Jasmine: (speaking) Ali!
Aladdin: (speaking) Jasmine, I'm sorry.
Jafar: Though I hate to break a partnership,
YOU'RE GOING ON A ONE-WAY TRIP…
Iago: (speaking) Bye-bye!
Jafar: …to a corner of the sphere…, not a million miles from here,
But two!
Too-loo!
Who's the titan!? Who's the champ?!
Who's the master of the lamp?!
Who's the one who'll take up pages in who's who?!
Iago: (cheering) Take it on home, Jafar!
Jafar: Who?!
…Why, MEEE!
[Jafar blasts Aladdin away and laughs evilly over his triumph.]
Broadway version[]
Jafar: (speaking) Soon I'll have complete and unmiphgated power. And I might add... It's about time!
(singing) In my formative and hungry years,
I was unappreciated by my peers.
As their slings and arrows flew,
I would ponder - wouldn't you?
Why me? Why me?!
For a man of my charisma and mystique,
I have taken far too long to reach my peak.
Why was my status never quo?
Why did no one want to know?
Poor me! Why me?!
Why was I so unable to fulfill my true potential?
Iago: Potential.
Jafar: Kept down by those I knew were smaller fry,
Inconsequential!
Iago: Incose-
Jafar: But here's the rub!
Both: Rub-a-dub-dub!
Iago: (speaking) The cauldron! It's working boss!
Jafar: (speaking) And not a moment too soon.
(Singing) I'll be power, I'll be clout personified,
With a genie and sheer malice on my side!
Iago: It's a combination which, works you up to a favor pitch!
Big "G,"
Jafar: And me!
When the master of the lamp says, "Bow," they'll bow!
Iago: You'll be the man to whom they all cow town!
Jafar: A man who knows just what to do, and who to do it to.
Iago: Who's he?
Jafar: M-E!
Both: And princess dear, your time is up. Save your tears!
Jafar: Don't bother praying.
The time is up for daddy too,
Both: You lose! but thanks for playing.
Iago: Your only prize,
Jafar: Somebody dies!
Soon I'll have that precious diamond in the rough!
Iago: Rough!
Jafar: And the blessed day can't come soon enough!
Iago: Enough!
Jafar: And once the kingdom starts to play, can we simply smile and say, teehee?
Iago: Mei oui!
Both: Who'll be titan?!
Who'll be champ?!
Who'll be master of the lamp?!
Jafar: Who's the one who'll take up pages in who's who?!
Iago: (cheering) Take it on home, Jafar!
Iago: Who?!
Jafar: Why MEEE!
Iago: Why ME!
Why ME!
Why ME!
Behind the scenes[]
Why Me? consists of the original soundtrack recording of the song Why Me? (deleted from the final draft of 1992's Aladdin) set to the relevant portions of the contemporary Aladdin storyboard. A deleted scene from the 1992 feature, it was released as a short on the bonus feature of the Aladdin DVD, alongside other deleted scenes and songs.
The scene is an alternate account of the climactic scene of the finished film usually known as “Jafar's Hour”. Why Me? does not differ substantially from the finished version of events, save for the swapping out of songs (from Why Me? to Prince Ali (Reprise)). Most saliently, in an amusing visual gag, it shows Jafar picking out a new staff from a collection he keeps in his laboratory, following his first one's destruction. In the finished scene, Jafar materializes in front of the Sultan without a staff, and later appears to use his sorcerous abilities to conjure one.
Trivia[]
- The instrumental at the beginning of the song is similar to another deleted musical number from Jafar, Humiliate the Boy, the last song written by Menken and the late Howard Ashman.
- An instrumental piece of this song was briefly used at the beginning of the film's theatrical trailer.
Songs | |
---|---|
Original | Arabian Nights | One Jump Ahead | Friend Like Me | Prince Ali | A Whole New World |
The Return of Jafar | I'm Looking Out for Me | Nothing in the World (Quite Like a Friend) | Forget About Love | You're Only Second Rate |
King of Thieves | There's a Party Here in Agrabah | Out of Thin Air | Welcome to the Forty Thieves | Father and Son | Are You In or Out |
Enchanted Tales | More Than a Peacock Princess | I've Got My Eyes on You |
Deleted songs | Humiliate the Boy | Proud of Your Boy | Why Me? | Count on Me | Call Me a Princess | Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim | High Adventure | My Finest Hour | To Be Free |
Broadway | A Million Miles Away | These Palace Walls | Somebody's Got Your Back | Diamond in the Rough |