Journey to the Past

"Journey to the Past" is a song written by lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty for the animated musical film Anastasia (1997). Originally recorded for the film by American actress and singer Liz Callaway in her title role as the singing voice of Anastasia – who is going by her nickname "Anya" at the time – the song expresses the character's desire to follow sparse clues about her past in the hopes of learning more about her family and who she is. The third song written and recorded for the film, Ahrens and Flaherty conceived "Journey to the Past" as a means of expressing the different emotions Anya feels while she prepares to venture out on her own for the first time. Accompanying a musical sequence during which Anya travels from her Russian orphanage to St. Petersburg, the song incorporates the film's central themes about home, love and family.

To market the film to a wider audience, President of Fox Music Robert Kraft recruited American singer Aaliyah to record a pop and R&B version of the song, which is played during the film's end credits. Produced by Guy Roche, some of the songs' lyrics and melody were adjusted to suit Aaliyah's vocal style. The cover was released as the second single from the film's soundtrack album. Upon release, both versions of "Journey to the Past" received generally positive reviews, although film and music critics preferred Callaway's original rendition over Aaliyah's. It became a moderately successful pop hit in the UK. The song did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100; it only received minor adult contemporary airplay in the U.S. It stayed on the chart for only 4 weeks. The song was released on November 6, 1997 as the soundtrack's second single.

The song was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 1998. Aaliyah performed her rendition of "Journey to the Past" live at the 70th Academy Awards. Actress Alexandra Shipp covered the song for the film Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B, a biographical film based on the singer's life. "Journey to the Past" has also appeared in the stage musical adaptation of the film, performed by actress Christy Altomare for the original Broadway cast album.