Her mom worked on the behind the scenes of videos, taking Ilene with her. She started acting at two years old. When she was 14, she was given the job to have her own radio show on the new station called The Blue Network on ABC Radio during the 1944 summer. It was shortly known as The Ilene Woods Show. The entire show was about 15 minutes of music for 3 days a week. A lot of songwriters came on the show to present their music to her. That was how she became friends with Mack David and Jerry Livingston. Later in life she moved to California, feeling it was time to move on.
Her mother was a lot like Ilene. She was very strict, and had Ilene live her youngest years through life lived only by her mother's way.
One day, two of her friends Mack David and Jerry Livingston called. They asked for a favor of her to record on discs, a few of their most recent written songs for a movie. They also wanted her not just to record them, but to sing them. When her friends asked it as a favor, and not for business, she wasn't sure if she should record the songs. Soon the songs were presented to Walt Disney so it could be used in the English version of Cinderella. Walt Disney heard Ilene's voice on the tape, and two days later asked Ilene to voice the star role of Cinderella. She gladly accepted the role, surprised by the fact that she was auditioning, and over 300 other auditioning girls. She only saw Walt Disney after every day working on Cinderella. She said at one interview for Classicfilm, "Seeing it in its new form was breathtaking for me. It's so beautiful. The color is magnificent, it just took my breath away, it was so wonderful. I sort of forget when I'm watching the movie that I had anything to do with it. Yet, it brings back so many beautiful memories of working with the wonderful artists and working with Walt mostly. It brings back wonderful, wonderful memories."
For the direct-to-video sequels to Cinderella, she was replaced by Jennifer Hale to voice Cinderella.
Her recent film appearance was Cassie in Touched By An Angel as a night nurse. She has sung for President Roosevelt at his home in Hyde Park. She also sang at the White House for President Truman, after singing for the soldiers and sailors of war.
She married the first time at the age of 17 to Stephen Steck, Jr. and had one child by that marriage, her daughter Stephanie. After a divorce, she married The Tonight Show drummer Ed Shaughnessy in 1963 and had two sons, James and Daniel.
When Disney began releasing videocassette versions of its animated films, Woods was one of at least three actresses to file lawsuits over royalties for their performances; at the time of Woods' December 1990 filing, Peggy Lee of Lady and the Tramp had won her lawsuit the previous April and a 1989 suit by Mary Costa of Sleeping Beauty was still pending.[4] In 2003, she was awarded a Disney Legend award for her voicework on the film Cinderella. One of her last film appearances was in Touched by an Angel as night nurse Cassie.
Ilene Woods died on July 1, 2010, from causes related to Alzheimer's disease at a nursing home in Canoga Park. She did not recognize a lot of what was going on around her, but the nurses found that she was most comforted by "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," so they played it for her as often as possible, her husband, Ed Shaughnessy, told the Los Angeles Times. In addition to her husband of 47 years, she was survived by their son, a daughter from her first marriage, and three grandchildren. Her interment was in Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes
Ilene Woods Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will loose your heartache
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
The dream that you wish will come true
Oh, that clock
Oh, killjoy
I hear you, come on, get up you say
Time to start another day
Even he orders me around
Well, there's one thing
They can't order me to stop dreaming
And perhaps someday
The dreams that I wish will come true
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true
The song "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" by Ilene Woods is a classic Disney tune that can be found in the 1950 film Cinderella. The lyrics start by explaining that when someone is asleep, their deepest desires and dreams take over. In this state, one can let go of any heartache they normally face. Dreams are a magical place where anything is possible, and if one believes in their dreams, anything could happen. The feeling of hope is crucial to the song, and it is emphasized that no matter how much your heart is hurting, as long as you keep believing, your dream will come true. The song then moves on to frustration with the clock and orders that are shouted at the singer. However, despite the daily struggles, she remains hopeful that someday her dreams will become a reality.
Overall, the song can be interpreted in many ways. It is a reminder to never give up on your dreams, no matter how impossible they may seem. No matter how hard life gets, hope is a powerful force that can keep one going. Even if the world may try to order you around or bring you down, the power of your dreams will always remain.
Line by Line Meaning
A dream is a wish your heart makes
Dreams are the reflections of the longings of your heart.
When you're fast asleep
You are most vulnerable to your own feelings and thoughts when you are sleeping.
In dreams you will loose your heartache
In your dreams, you let go of the things that are troubling your heart.
Whatever you wish for, you keep
The things you want and desire stay with you, even in your dreams.
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Believing in your dreams can lead to great things someday.
Your rainbow will come smiling through
Your ultimate happiness and the fulfillment of your dreams will eventually arrive.
No matter how your heart is grieving
Even when things aren't going well, your dreams can still be a source of hope and happiness.
If you keep on believing
If you stay committed and dedicated to your dreams, no matter what.
The dream that you wish will come true
Your dreams can become a reality if you truly believe in them.
Oh, that clock!
The clock represents mundane daily routine.
Oh, killjoy
The clock brings sadness and drudgery to the singer's life.
I hear you, come on, get up you say
The clock is urging the singer to start another day of work.
Time to start another day
The singer has no choice but to keep going with the daily routine.
Even he orders me around
The singer feels powerless against the clock and her daily routine.
Well, there's one thing
However, there is one thing that the clock can't control.
They can't order me to stop dreaming
The singer's dreams are solely hers to own and to pursue.
And perhaps someday
Maybe someday in the future.
The dreams that I wish will come true
All of the singer's desires and aspirations might come to fruition at some point, no matter how impossible it may seem.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mack David, Al Hoffman, Jerry Livingston, David Pack
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind