Here’s The Updated Lyrics For The New Little Mermaid Movie
In case you haven’t heard, there is a live-action movie of The Little Mermaid that releases in theaters on May 26, 2023.
And if you are planning to see it, you may want to know how a few of the popular songs in the original, have had their lyrics updated for this day and age.
Up until now, nobody knew exactly how the lyrics would be changed. We just knew, they were changed to include consent.
But now, we are finally learning of the updated lyrics and honestly, they are not as bad as everyone made them out to be.
The two songs that have received a lyric facelift are: “Kiss the Girl” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls”.
The Updated Lyrics For The New Little Mermaid Movie
In the original song of “Kiss The Girl” the lyrics are:
“Yes, you want her
Look at her, you know you do
Possible she want you too, there is one way to ask her
It don’t take a word, not a single word
Go on and kiss the girl.”
In the new version, the last two phrases have been revised to:
“Use your words, boy, and ask her
If the time is right and the time is tonight
Go on and kiss the girl.”
Now, if you’re curious as to why the change, the show’s music composer, Alan Menken said:
“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),” he told Vanity Fair.
In the original song “Poor Unfortunate Souls” sung by Ursula, the lyrics are:
“You’ll have your looks, your pretty face
And don’t underestimate the importance of body language, ha!
The men up there don’t like a lot of blabber
They think a girl who gossips is a bore!
Yet on land it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a word
And after all dear, what is idle babble for?
Come on, they’re not all that impressed with conversation
True gentlemen avoid it when they can
But they dote and swoon and fawn
On a lady who’s withdrawn
It’s she who holds her tongue who get’s a man.”
In the new updated version, an entire verse is skipped over in the part where Ursula tells Ariel having a voice doesn’t matter.
The full updated lyrics have yet to be released but that’s what we know so far.
Alan Menken told Vanity Fair last month that he changed the lyrics to encourage women to be vocal.
“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,” he told the outlet.
So, as you can see, they are just trying to update the lyrics so consent is given and girls aren’t seeing that their voices don’t matter.
Honestly, I am cool with these changes as they don’t take away from the original songs we all grew up knowing every word to.
What do you think? Are the updated changes subtle enough, yet necessary? Or should they have stayed the same?
You can also listen to the actual musical versions sung in the video below.
@ironicniconic YES DISNEY #consentiskey #thelittlemermaid ♬ IRONICNICONIC KISS THE GIRL 1989 2023 – Isabel Osborne
