Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you wickedly fun songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today, a giant-sized, treasure-hoarding coconut crab named Tamatoa brags about sparkling like a wealthy woman’s neck in โShinyโ from Disneyโs 2016 animated blockbuster, Moana.
The song’s official video has been viewed more than 596 million times on YouTube.
Voiced by New Zealandโs Jemaine Clement, Tamatoa is a dastardly โ but lovable โ Disney villain who collects rare sea treasures from the seabed and conspicuously displays them on his shell. Among the treasures heโs salvaged from the depths are pearls, diamonds, gold and a power-granting magical fishhook that was lost by the film’s hero, Maui.
The crab sings, โWatch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough / Strut my stuff; my stuff is soโฆ Shiny.โ
Even though Tamatoa is able to overpower Maui, he is no match for the strong-willed and clever teen, Moana, who tricks the crab into relinquishing the magical hook.
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina, โShinyโ is the eighth track from the two-CD set titled Moana: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The album peaked at #2 on the US Billboard 200 and charted in 17 countries. The single reached #6 on Billboardโs Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
Miranda is the Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist and actor, who is best known as the creator and original star of Broadwayโs Hamilton. Clement is a comedian, actor, voice actor, singer, writer, director, multi-instrumentalist and one half of the musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords.
Moana was released in theaters on November 23, 2016, and went on to gross more than $687 million worldwide.
Please check out the official video of the animated Tamatoa (Clement) performing โShiny.โ The lyrics are below if youโd like to sing alongโฆ
โShinyโ
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina. Performed by Jemaine Clement.
Well, Tamatoa hasnโt always been this glam
I was a drab little crab once
Now I know I can be happy as a clam
Because Iโm beautiful, baby
Did your granny say listen to your heart
Be who you are on the inside
I need three words to tear her argument apart
Your granny lied!
Iโd rather beโฆ
Shiny
Like a treasure from a sunken pirate wreck
Scrub the deck and make it lookโฆ
Shiny
I will sparkle like a wealthy womanโs neck
Just a sec!
Donโt you know
Fish are dumb, dumb, dumb
They chase anything that glitters (beginners!)
Oh, and here they come, come, come
To the brightest thing that glitters
Mmm, fish dinners
I just love free food
And you look like seafood
(Like seafood)
Well, well, well
Little Mauiโs having trouble with his look
You little semi-demi-mini-god
Ouch! What a terrible performance
Get the hook (get it?)
You donโt swing it like you used to, man
Yet I have to give you credit for my start
And your tattoos on the outside
For just like you I made myself a work of art
Iโll never hide; I canโt, Iโm tooโฆ
Shiny
Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough
Strut my stuff; my stuff is soโฆ
Shiny
Send your armies but theyโll never be enough
My shellโs too tough
Maui man, you could try, try, try
But you canโt expect a demi-god
To beat a decapod (look it up)
You will die, die, die
Now itโs time for me to take apart
Your aching heart
Far from the ones who abandoned you
Chasing the love of these humans
Who made you feel wanted
You tried to be tough
But your armorโs just not hard enough
Maui
Now itโs time to kick yourโฆ
Hiney
Ever seen someone soโฆ
Shiny
Soak it in โcause itโs the last youโll ever see
Cโest la vie mon ami
Iโm soโฆ
Shiny
Now Iโll eat you, so prepare your final plea
Just for me
Youโll never be quite asโฆ
Shiny
You wish you were nice andโฆ
Shiny
Credit: Screen capture via YouTube / DisneyMusicVEVO