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"One Jump Ahead" is a song sung by Aladdin (singing voice of Brad Kane) in the animated movie of the same name. It is sung as he and Abu escape Razoul and his guards after stealing a loaf of bread. The music and lyrics were written by Alan Menken and Tim Rice.
A few minutes later, the song is reprised in a softer, more dramatic tone as Aladdin contemplates his life and desires for more.
The melody is a recurring theme throughout the film's score, often used as a musical representation of Aladdin, himself.
Lyrics
Aladdin: Gotta keep
One jump ahead of the breadline
One swing ahead of the sword
I steal only what I can't afford
And that's everything!
One jump ahead of the lawmen
That's all, and that's no joke
These guys don't appreciate I'm broke
Guards: Riffraff!
Street rat!
Scoundrel!
Take that!
Aladdin: Just a little snack, guys
Guards: Rip him open! Take it back, guys!
Aladdin: I can take a hint,
Gotta face the facts
You're my only friend, Abu!
Harem Girls: Who?
Oh, it's sad, Aladdin's hit the bottom
He's become a one-man rise in crime
Woman: I'd blame parents except he hasn't got 'em
Aladdin: Gotta eat to live,
Gotta steal to eat
Tell you all about it when I got the time!
One jump ahead of the slowpokes
One skip ahead of my doom
Next time gonna use a nom de plume
One jump ahead of the hitmen
One hit ahead of the flock
I think I'll take a stroll around the block
Crowd: Stop, thief!
Vandal!
Aladdin: Abu!?
Crowd: (Outrage!) Scandal!
Aladdin: Let's not be too hasty
Lady: Still I think he's rather tasty
Aladdin: Gotta eat to live,
Gotta steal to eat
Otherwise, we'd get along
Crowd: Wrong!
Aladdin: One jump ahead of the hoofbeats
(Crowd: Riffraff!)
Aladdin: One hop ahead of the hump
(Crowd: Street rat!)
Aladdin: One trick ahead of disaster
(Crowd: Scoundrel!)
Aladdin: They're quick, but I'm much faster
(Crowd: Take that!)
Aladdin: Here goes:
Better throw my hand in
Wish me happy landin'
All I gotta do is jump!
Aladdin:Riff-raff, street rat. I don't buy that.
If only they'd look closer.
Would they see a poor boy?
No, siree.
They'd find out
there's so much more to me.
Trivia
- The song is similar to "Belle" in the sense that they both introduce the main character who isn't happy with their lives and are taunted by the crowd. Also, both are reprised by the protagonists later on.