I’ll Make A Man / Lesson No. 1 lyrics

[SHANG]
Here is your test. I will hold on to one end of this rope. Each soldier will take a turn on the other end. The first man to capture the flag will be a true soldier.

(Each SOLDIER tries to tug-of-war and fails. MULAN is the worst.)

LET'S GET DOWN TO BUS’NESS:
TO DEFEAT THE HUNS.
DID THEY SEND ME DAUGHTERS
WHEN I ASKED FOR SONS?

YOU'RE THE SADDEST BUNCH I'VE EVER MET,
BUT YOU CAN BET
BEFORE WE’RE THROUGH,
MISTER, I'LL MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU.

[ALL]
TRANQUIL AS A FOREST
BUT ON FIRE WITHIN.
ONCE YOU FIND YOUR CENTER,
YOU ARE SURE TO WIN.

[SHANG]
YOU'RE A SPINELESS, PALE, PATHETIC LOT
AND YOU HAVEN'T GOT
A CLUE.
SOMEHOW I'LL MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU.
[QIAN-PO]
I'M NEVER GONNA CATCH MY BREATH.

[YAO]
SAY GOODBYE TO THOSE WHO KNEW ME.

[LING]
BOY, WAS I A FOOL IN SCHOOL FOR CUTTING GYM!

[MUSHU]
THIS GUY'S GOT 'EM SCARED TO DEATH!

[MULAN]
HOPE HE DOESN’T SEE RIGHT THROUGH ME.

[MUSHU]
EVEN LUCKY CRICKETS CAN’T MAKE HER A HIM.

[SHANG, & (SOLDIERS)]
BE A MAN (WE MUST BE SWIFT AS A COURSING RIVER,)!
BE A MAN (WITH ALL THE FORCE OF A GREAT TYPHOON,!
BE A MAN (WITH ALL THE STRENGTH OF A RAGING FIRE,)!

[ALL]
MYSTERIOUS AS THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.
(SHANG teaches martial arts.)

[SHANG, & (SOLDIERS)]
LIKE A ROCK (Huh! Huh!) YOU MUST BE HARD (Huh! Huh!),
LIKE AN OAK (Hmmm-mah!) YOU MUST STAND FIRM (Huh! Huh!),
CUT QUICK (fshhh!) LIKE MY BLADE,
THINK FAST (Huh! Huh!) UNAFRAID!

(The SOLDIERS collapse, exhausted.)

[MULAN]
There must be another way...

[MULAN, & (SHANG)]
LIKE A CLOUD, I AM SOFT,
LIKE BAMBOO, I BEND WITH THE WIND,
CREEPING SLOW, I'M AT PEACE BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU NEED BOTH TOGETHER (ONE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH;).

[MULAN]
ONE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH;

[SHANG, & MULAN]
YOU NEED BOTH TOGETHER.

(The following lines overlap.)
[GROUP 1]
LIKE A ROCK (Huh! Huh!) YOU MUST BE HARD (Huh! Huh!),
LIKE AN OAK (Hmmm-mah!) YOU MUST STAND FIRM (Huh! Huh!),
CUT QUICK (fshhh!) LIKE MY BLADE,
THINK FAST (Huh! Huh!) UNAFRAID!

[GROUP 2]
LIKE A CLOUD, I AM SOFT,
LIKE BAMBOO, I BEND IN THE WIND,
CREEPING SLOW, I’M AT PEACE BECAUSE I KNOW
YOU NEED BOTH TOGETHER.

(MULAN faces SHANG. She picks up one end of the rope. SHANG picks up the other. They begin thе tug-of-war. Suddenly, MULAN releasеs the rope, letting it go slack. SHANG is taken by surprise and loses his footing. MULAN yanks the rope and grabs the flag. She holds it over her head in triumph. The SOLDIERS cheer.)

[ALL]
TIME IS RACING TOWARD US
TILL THE HUNS ARRIVE,
BROTHER STANDS WITH BROTHER
AND WE WILL SURVIVE.

WE'RE PREPARED
TO FACE THE RAGE OF WAR
AND WE KNOW JUST WHAT TO DO.

[SHANG]
I KNEW I'D MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU!

[GROUP 1, & (GROUP 2)]
BE A MAN (WE MUST BE SWIFT AS THE COURSING RIVER,)!
BE A MAN (WITH ALL THE FORCE OF A GREAT TYPHOON,)!
BE A MAN (WITH ALL THE STRENGTH OF A RAGING FIRE,)!

[ALL]
MYSTERIOUS AS THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON.