"Enchanted" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Enchanted (An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

A fairy-tale pastiche that actually sings, Enchanted pairs five Menken–Schwartz originals with score cues that wink at Disney’s canon. The album landed November 20, 2007 on Walt Disney Records and threads from storybook pomp to Manhattan bustle without losing melody. Trusted source: Walt Disney Records press notice; Wikipedia.

The trick is tonal code-switching. “True Love’s Kiss” opens in classic princess mode; “Happy Working Song” flips the house-cleaning trope with New York vermin; “That’s How You Know” explodes into a Central Park parade; “So Close” slows the film to a diegetic ballroom ache; “Ever Ever After” sends viewers out on a pop-country glow. Three songs reached the 2008 Oscars ballot at once—rare company. Trusted source: Oscars.org; Billboard.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Enchanted (An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack) released November 20, 2007; songs by Alan Menken (music) and Stephen Schwartz (lyrics), plus Menken’s score.

Who performs the key songs?

Amy Adams (with James Marsden) on “True Love’s Kiss,” Adams on “Happy Working Song,” Adams & ensemble on “That’s How You Know,” Jon McLaughlin on “So Close,” Carrie Underwood on “Ever Ever After.”

Which songs are diegetic (heard by the characters)?

“Happy Working Song,” “That’s How You Know,” and “So Close” are performed in-world; “Ever Ever After” plays over end credits (non-diegetic).

What needle-drop shows up at the Italian restaurant?

“That’s Amore,” performed (soundtrack version) by James Marsden, underscores the Bella Notte dinner scene.

Any Disney Easter-egg music?

Yes. An instrumental of “Part of Your World” sneaks under Giselle’s fish-tank moment in Robert’s office.

Did the songs get award recognition?

Three were Oscar-nominated—“Happy Working Song,” “That’s How You Know,” “So Close”—at the 80th Academy Awards.

Notes & Trivia

• “That’s How You Know” was designed as a full Central Park set-piece around Bethesda Fountain with buskers, steel-band, and dancers joining Giselle.
• “So Close” is fully diegetic: Jon McLaughlin appears on screen as the ballroom singer.
• Menken/Schwartz originally wrote a villain song for Narissa; it was dropped to protect pacing near the ballroom sequence.
• Three Oscar song nods from one film put Enchanted alongside Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Dreamgirls.
• A brief instrumental of “Part of Your World” tips the hat to Ariel—Jodi Benson also cameos in the film.

Genres & Themes

Golden-Age Disney pastiche → naïveté mapped to melody. “True Love’s Kiss” mirrors early princess tropes to establish Giselle’s starting point.

Whistle-while-you-work parody → satire as character test. “Happy Working Song” uses squeaky-clean harmony against grimy New York chores.

Calypso/pop showstopper → public persuasion. “That’s How You Know” turns a relationship lecture into communal spectacle.

Adult pop ballad → modern intimacy. “So Close” reframes the fairy tale in real-world time—with consequences.

Pop-country epilogue → storybook coda. “Ever Ever After” summarizes lessons learned without breaking tone.

Tracks & Scenes

“True Love’s Kiss” — Amy Adams & James Marsden
Where it plays: Animated prologue in Andalasia; Giselle and Edward sing separately, then together after the troll encounter (opening minutes). Diegetic.
Why it matters: Establishes the parody target—whirlwind courtship and “marry tomorrow” logic.

“Happy Working Song” — Amy Adams
Where it plays: Morning clean-up in Robert’s apartment; Giselle recruits NYC pigeons, rats, and cockroaches (~first act). Diegetic.
Why it matters: Satirizes Disney’s housework numbers while revealing Giselle’s unshakable optimism amid urban grit.

“That’s How You Know” — Amy Adams, Marlon Saunders & Ensemble
Where it plays: Central Park procession to Bethesda Fountain (mid-film). Diegetic.
Why it matters: A public stress-test of Robert’s skepticism; every section adds genre color (buskers, steel-band, mariachi) and escalates his discomfort into delight.

“So Close” — Jon McLaughlin
Where it plays: King & Queen’s Costume Ball (late second act). Jon McLaughlin performs on stage; Robert quietly sings a line to Giselle. Diegetic.
Why it matters: The film’s hinge—chemistry becomes undeniable just before the plot wrenches them apart.

“That’s Amore” — James Marsden (soundtrack version)
Where it plays: Bella Notte dinner scene with Giselle, Robert, and Morgan (earlier the same evening). Source music/diegetic ambiance.
Why it matters: A knowingly cheesy Italian-restaurant cue that tees up the romantic mood before the ball.

“Ever Ever After” — Carrie Underwood
Where it plays: End credits. Non-diegetic; music video appears on home-release extras.
Why it matters: Pop-country wrap that telescopes growth from fairy-tale certainty to earned partnership.

“Part of Your World” (instrumental cameo)
Where it plays: Softly under the fish-tank scene in Robert’s office. Non-diegetic underscore.
Why it matters: A sly Menken callback; also nods to Jodi Benson’s cameo.

Music–Story Links

• Prologue code → worldview: “True Love’s Kiss” encodes Giselle’s rules; later scenes test—and break—them.
• Public vs. private: Central Park’s extroverted “That’s How You Know” contrasts with the intimate “So Close,” charting Robert’s guard falling.
• Parody with purpose: “Happy Working Song” laughs at the trope while proving Giselle adapts under pressure.
• Epilogue clarity: “Ever Ever After” affirms that fairy-tale endings require work, not wishes.

How It Was Made

Songwriting & score. Music by Alan Menken; lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Orchestrations by Kevin Kliesch, Danny Troob, and Blake Neely; conducted by Michael Kosarin; performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony. Recorded at Todd-AO Scoring Stage and Right Track Studios. Trusted source: Wikipedia (album page).

Set-piece design. The Central Park number was conceived specifically for the location—an escalating street-performance chain that ends at Bethesda Fountain. Trusted source: oral history feature.

Editorial choices. A planned villain song for Narissa was dropped to avoid crowding the “So Close” climax.

Reception & Quotes

The film’s music dominated awards chatter: three Best Original Song Oscar nominations in one year; “So Close” was performed on the telecast while Amy Adams delivered “Happy Working Song.” Trusted sources: Oscars.org; Playbill; Billboard.

“Three of the five [Oscar] song nominees came from Enchanted.” Billboard

“Adams will perform ‘Happy Working Song’… McLaughlin sings ‘So Close’ on the telecast.” Playbill

“Menken entered 2008 with three more nominations for Enchanted.” Vanity Fair

Additional Info

• The soundtrack’s CD lists “That’s Amore” (performed by James Marsden) alongside the five core songs.
• An instrumental of “Part of Your World” appears briefly in the film—an Easter-egg nod to Menken’s earlier work.
• Jon McLaughlin’s Oscars performance of “So Close” boosted his mainstream profile.
• 2022 saw a clear-vinyl 2×LP reissue aligned with the sequel’s release window.
• Some marketing used non-album pop in trailers; not included on the CD.

Technical Info

• Title: Enchanted (An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack)
• Year / Type: 2007 / Film soundtrack (songs + score)
• Music / Lyrics: Alan Menken / Stephen Schwartz
• Label: Walt Disney Records (US release Nov 20, 2007)
• Recording / Personnel: Hollywood Studio Symphony; orchestrations by Kevin Kliesch, Danny Troob, Blake Neely; conductor Michael Kosarin; studios: Todd-AO, Right Track
• Selected placements: “True Love’s Kiss” (prologue), “Happy Working Song” (apartment clean-up), “That’s How You Know” (Central Park), “So Close” (ball), “That’s Amore” (restaurant), “Ever Ever After” (end credits), “Part of Your World” (instrumental cameo)
• Awards: Three 80th Academy Awards nominations for Original Song

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Oscars.org; Billboard; Wikipedia; Playbill; Disney Wiki (Fandom); MusicBrainz; Discogs; Yahoo Entertainment (oral history).

November, 09th 2025