Tim Burton’s upcoming remake of the Disney animated classic Dumbo seems designed to wreak havoc on our tear ducts. To date, every trailer, clip, and image has pulled at the heartstrings. It’s easy to do: Dumbo is a sad story, about a young circus elephant separated from his mother, ostracized from his peers for his large ears, and made miserable by the show that profits on his insecurities.
If you’ve seen the original cartoon, you’ll know that perhaps the saddest moment comes when Dumbo visits his mother, who’s being held captive after attacking a group of boys who bothered her son. She sings Dumbo the lullaby “Baby Mine,” as she rocks him to sleep. It’s a lovely, haunting tune, and it’s getting an update for the new film. Grammy-wining band Arcade Fire is creating new music for the film, and now we have our first extended listen at their cover of “Baby Mine.”
Along with footage from the film, we hear the enchanting vocals from lead singer Régine Chassagne, who sings out the familiar lyrics: “Baby mine / don’t you cry / Baby mine / dry your eyes.” If you’re able to get through this whole teaser without welling up, congratulations: you have no soul.This isn’t the only version of “Baby Mine” featured in Burton’s Dumbo remake. Earlier trailers used a cover of the song from Norwegian popstar Aurora. It’s unclear if her version will be in the film as well, or how both or either will fit into the narrative. Unlike the original, it appears the animals in this version will not speak or sing, so it’s likely the song will play over scenes or will be saved for the end credits.
The trailer also hints that the film features “new music” from Arcade Fire. Danny Elfman is doing the score, so we can probably expect new lyrical music from the Canadian band. We can’t wait to hear what they come up with, and can’t wait to cry ourselves to sleep when Tim Burton’s Dumbo soars into theaters on March 29.
Images: Disney