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Before the May 2023 release, The Little Mermaid fans will have to learn some new lyrics to some of their favorite songs. The live action film starring Halle Bailey (Ariel) and Jonah Hauer-King (Prince Eric) will have some lyric changes to reflect a more sensitive approach. The animated version of The Little Mermaid was originally released back in 1989. The original composer of the 1989 film, Alan Menken, spoke about the modern adaption and changes in a recent interview with Vanity Fair.
“There are some lyric changes in ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people have gotten very sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel],” Menken said. “We have some revisions in ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ regarding lines that might make young girls somehow feel that they shouldn’t speak out of turn, even though Ursula is clearly manipulating Ariel to give up her voice.”
“Kiss The Girl” comes on at a time when Bailey and Hauer-King's characters are sitting on a romantic boat ride. Sebastian the crab (played by Daveed Diggs) encourages Hauer-King to kiss Bailey. It is the presumption that Disney did not want the kiss to seem forced as it did in the original.
Menken worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda on updating the lyrics and writing new songs for the 2023 film.
“He’s really smart. He understands theater really well,” Menkin said of Miranda. “He understands a lot of things really well. He’s got this stylistic brilliance that brings in hip-hop and rap, and all old musical forms that help. Even though it’s a composer, me, and the lyricist, Lin — when we were in the room, all those influences came to band.”
Menken was nominated for two Oscars for his work on the original The Little Mermaid. He won the Academy Award for the original song with “Under the Sea.”
