Not As Others (Colors of the Wind, Stephen Schwartz / Alan Menken)

"This is not your island. This is our island. And the only reason you're living on it is because we let you live on it." - Tom, The Hunting Party

LOST first introduced the "Others" early in season one, via the crazed Danielle, who was herself an other to the castaways. Our first impression of them was pretty damaging; Ethan went haywire, abducting Claire, nearly murdering Charlie and setting out to pick off the rest of the beach folks one by one until he got what he wanted. Our second, when Tom and his cronies kidnapped Walt, wasn't much better. But when he turned up again in the jungle and got to give his side of the story, the Others became a little easier to sympathize with. Here's a little reflection by Tom to the tune of Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken's Colors of the Wind.

Not as Others

You came here to me on a mission,
But in case you haven’t noticed, I have the upper hand.
So Jack, just cool your tools,
‘Cause you don’t make all the rules.
Please listen, and perhaps you’ll understand.
Understand...

You thought you were alone upon this Island,
And at the start, you only sought to leave.
But then you came to see its finer features,
And you got kinda cocky, I believe.
You figured you could bend it to your purpose,
And when Ethan showed up, what did you do?
You turned yourself into a vigilante,
And right now you wanna raise an army too.

Have you ever thought that maybe someone brought you here?
I won’t pretend I know what he intends,
But I’m pretty sure you’re stuck with us until you
Start to see us not as Others but as friends,
Start to see us not as Others but as friends.

All right, till now we haven’t seemed too friendly,
But we have reasons you could never guess,
And maybe if you’d show a little trust, Jack,
I just might be persuaded to confess.
I’m really not that big on keeping secrets.
I’m really not that big on toting guns.
It’s time that we let go of “Us and Them” now.
When it comes down to it, we’re all chosen ones.

How long will the cycle go on?
Won’t you make it stop, with some help from John?

Won’t you think about the fact that someone brought you here?
Are better times ahead? Well, that depends,
Because I’m pretty sure you’re stuck with us until you
Start to see us not as Others but as friends.

All the world is shades of gray,
So acknowledge what I say.
Start to see us not as Others but as friends!

The Star of My Supreme Deception (The Only Living Boy in New York, Paul Simon)

Here's another Other-centered LOST parody in which Ben is the speaker. It assumes that Ben actually did know about his tumor before the plane crashed, which may well not be the case, but until I know otherwise I guess I'll take him at his word. Here's a little exchange between him and Tom (aka Mr. Friendly), who I take to be his right-hand man, to the tune of The Only Living Boy in New York.

The Star of My Supreme Deception

Ben: Tom, there's a plane in the sky.
I know you're happy to lie.
Try not to let them know
Those grimy clothes and that beard are for show.
Just be the man,
The star of my supreme deception.

I'll send you out to meet
Them so I won't get hurt.
Oh, I'm in charge so I can make you meet
Them so I won't get hurt.
Hey, and I'm hoping that you will pray to find
One who might get this bump off my spine
While you're the man,
The star of my supreme deception.

Half of my time is gone,
But I know he's there, yes, I know he's there.

Tom and Ben: Faaaaa-a-a-ar,
Fa-a-aaaaaaaa-a-a-ar,
Fa-a-aaaaaaaa-a-a-ar away from here,
Ben: Find that man.

Half of my time is gone,
But I know he's there, yes, I know he's there.

Tom, on that plane is a guy.
I know with him I won't have to die now.
Hey, if you care for this life of mine now,
Hurry and go there but don't let them know
You've been primed to be
The star of my supreme deception,
The star of my supreme deception.

Ben and Tom: Faaaaa-a-a-ar,
Fa-a-aaaaaaaa-a-a-ar,
Fa-a-aaaaaaaa-a-a-ar away from here,
Ben: Find that man.
Ben and Tom:Faaaaa-a-a-ar,
Fa-a-aaaaaaaa-a-a-ar,
Fa-a-aaaaaaaa-a-a-ar away from here,
Ben: Find that man.