“Honor to Us All” is a song from the Disney animated movie “Mulan“. The song is sung by a group of women, including Mulan, as they prepare for a visit from the matchmaker.
In the song, the women are getting ready for the meeting by dressing up in traditional Chinese clothing, putting on makeup, and practicing good manners. The lyrics of the song encourage the women to be graceful, charming, and demure in order to impress the matchmaker and secure a good marriage.
The lyrics of “Honor to Us All” are as follows:
“This is what you give me to work with?
Well, honey, I’ve seen worse
We’re gonna turn this sow’s ear
Into a silk purse
We’ll have you washed and dried
Primped and polished till you glow with pride
Trust my recipe for instant bride
You’ll bring honor to us all”
The song is a lighthearted and upbeat reflection on the traditional expectations of women in Chinese society, as well as the pressure that women faced to be perfect in order to please their families and secure their future. It also highlights the conflict that Mulan, as a strong and independent woman, feels between her desire to honor her family and her own identity and aspirations.
Listen to Honor to Us All (Song)
Additional Details
- Related Disney Character(s): Fa Li (Mulan), Grandmother Fa (Mulan), Mulan
- Song Written By: Matthew Wilder and David Zippel
- Song Performed By: Beth Fowler; Marni Nixon and Lea Salonga
- Year Released: 1998
