The highly anticipated live action “The little Mermaid” just hit theaters on May 26, and aside from songs from the original movie like “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” audiences around the world have been enjoying four new songs courtesy of the composer of the original animated film, Alan Menken, and lin manuel miranda.
For the most part, the songs from the original film sound the same in the 2023 remake, but Menken put fans on notice that there would be some minor changes to the original lyrics to make the film, which was initially released in 1989, feel. more modern. “There are some changes to the lyrics of ‘Kiss the Girl’ because people have become very sensitive to the idea that [Prince Eric] either way, he would force himself to [Ariel]Menken said vanity fair in March.
No one would blame you if you initially missed the adjustments Menken and Miranda made on “Kiss the Girl.” These are small but necessary changes. But a more significant change was made to the overall plot of the film, completely changing the nature of Ariel’s quest for Prince Eric’s kiss. Read all about it below.
Changes in the lyrics of “The Little Mermaid” 2023 “Kiss the Girl”
In both the original “The Little Mermaid” and the live-action remake, Prince Eric must kiss Ariel before sunset on the third day of her becoming a human if he wishes to remain on earth as a human. To that end, Ariel’s friends use their meddling skills to get Ariel and Prince Eric to go on a romantic boat ride on a lake, at which point they sing “Kiss the Girl” to Eric in the hope that he will the music leads him to, well, kiss the girl.
The potentially problematic lyric from the original film that Menken and Miranda tweaked was when Sebastian sings, “She might want you too/Is there a way to ask him / It doesn’t take a word, not a single word/Go and kiss the girl.” This lyric, if taken at face value, might suggest that the only way Prince Eric asks Ariel if she wants him to kiss her is to simply do it (as the lyrics explicitly say you don’t have to say anything at all).
A minor tweak to these lyrics removes that implication from the song entirely. Instead, in the new version, Sebastian sings, “She might want you too/Use your words, boy, and ask him / If the time is right and the time is tonight/Go and kiss the girl.” This small and significant change encourages Prince Eric to get Ariel’s consent before attempting to kiss her and, only if the time is right (i.e. if she says yes), to do precisely that.
Some might argue that this change was unnecessary, since A) the viewer already knows that Ariel has a crush on Eric and wants him to kiss her when they take their boat ride, and B) at no point does Eric try to force himself on her. himself into Ariel. But one could also argue that if all it takes to remove a potentially negative implication is to change two lines in a song, why not change them? And let’s be real: “If the time is right and the time is tonight” is infinitely smarter than “not a word is needed, not a word is needed.”
Ariel’s Quest to kiss Prince Eric in “The Little Mermaid” 2023
Another reason the producers behind the new live-action “The Little Mermaid” may have wanted to change the lyrics of “Kiss the Girl” is because of a bigger change they made to the plot: Ariel’s quest to kiss Eric.
In the original film, Ariel is fully aware that she needs a kiss from Eric to remain human, as per her contract with Ursula. However, in the new version, Ursula adds another layer of duplicity to her spell.
The sea witch has made Ariel forget that she needs to kiss Eric to stay human, and every time someone mentions that Ariel needs to hurry up and kiss Eric, she’s left stunned and confused. In other words, even though Ariel is still fighting for Eric’s heart in the new version, she’s not as eager to lock lips, because she doesn’t even remember it’s necessary; therefore, the viewer cannot say for sure that she Ariel wants to kiss Eric.
While kissing one’s prince has long been a staple of fairy tales, the remake of “The Little Mermaid” flips the tired trope on its head, and it works. Later, read the slightly modified lyrics of “Kiss the Girl” from “The Little Mermaid.”
“Kiss the Girl” Lyrics from “The Little Mermaid”
INTRODUCTION
Percussion
String instruments
winds
Words
VERSE 1
there you see it
Sitting there across the way
She doesn’t have much to say
But there’s something about her
And you don’t know why
But you’re dying to try
you want to kiss the girl
VERSE 2
If you want it
Look at her, you know you do
Maybe she loves you too
Use your words, boy, and ask him
If the time is right and the time is tonight
go and kiss the girl
CHORUS
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, my, oh my
It seems that the boy is too shy.
I’m not going to kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, isn’t it sad?
It is not a penalty? Too much
He’s gonna miss the girl
VERSE 3
now is your time
Floating in a blue lagoon
Boy you better do it soon
no time will be better
Ooh, ooh, boy, do it soon
no time will be better
she doesn’t say a word
And she won’t say a word until ya
kiss the girl
kiss the girl
kiss the girl
CHORUS
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Don’t be scared (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
You have the mood ready (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
go and kiss the girl
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
wow wow
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Don’t stop now (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Don’t try to hide it (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
How do you want to kiss the girl?
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Shala)
you want to kiss the girl
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Float along (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
And listen to the song (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
The song goes, “Kiss the girl”
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
The music plays (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do what the music says (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
you have to kiss the girl
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do what the music says (Sha-la)
You gotta kiss the girl (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
kiss the girl
POST-CHORUS
you have to kiss the girl
Why don’t you kiss the girl?
Kiss the girl, kiss the girl
Come on and kiss the girl
Kiss the girl, kiss the girl
go and kiss the girl
kiss the girl
kiss the girl
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