Honestly, it’s hard to imagine what Disney would even look like today without the music for Little Mermaid. Think about it. Before 1989, the studio was basically on life support. They were making movies like The Black Cauldron, which—let’s be real—wasn't exactly hitting the mark with audiences. Then came Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. They didn't just write a few catchy tunes; they brought the literal soul of Broadway to an animated underwater world. It changed everything. Suddenly, you weren't just watching a cartoon; you were watching a musical where the songs actually moved the plot forward.
That's the magic.
The music for Little Mermaid isn't just background noise. It is the narrative engine. If you strip away those tracks, the movie falls apart because the songs are where the characters do their heaviest emotional lifting.
The Broadway Revolution Beneath the Waves
Most people don't realize that Howard Ashman was the secret weapon. He was a theater genius. When he sat down with Alan Menken to figure out the music for Little Mermaid, he insisted on using a "theatrical" structure. This meant the protagonist needed an "I Want" song. In the musical theater world, this is the moment early in the first act where the hero tells the audience exactly what they’re dreaming about.
Ariel's "Part of Your World" is the gold standard for this.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, who was running the studio at the time, actually wanted to cut the song. Can you believe that? He thought it was too slow and that kids would get bored. It’s a famous piece of Disney lore now. Ashman fought for it. He knew that if the audience didn't fall in love with Ariel's desire to be human through that song, the rest of the movie wouldn't matter. He was right.
The track is intimate. It’s quiet. It starts with a spoken-word feel—what they call parlando in the biz—and builds into a desperate, soaring plea. It’s not a pop song; it’s a character study.
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The Caribbean Influence and Sebastian’s Sound
Then you have the sheer variety. Ashman decided that Sebastian the crab should be Jamaican, which was a pivot from the original English-butler vibe they had planned. This choice allowed Menken to play with calypso and reggae rhythms.
"Under the Sea" is a masterpiece of arrangement. It’s got steel drums, heavy basslines, and a call-and-response structure that feels like a party. But look at the lyrics. It’s actually a song about fear. Sebastian is desperately trying to keep Ariel from leaving. He's selling a lie—or at least a half-truth—about how much better it is to be a fish. It’s ironic, upbeat, and technically brilliant.
Then there’s "Kiss the Girl."
This one is a total vibe shift. It’s a sha-la-la-la-la mid-tempo ballad that uses the environment as an orchestra. The frogs, the birds, the crickets—they all become part of the percussion. It’s incredibly atmospheric. It’s also one of the few songs in the Disney canon that is almost entirely about creating a specific romantic tension without being a "love song" sung by the couple.
Why Ursula’s Theme is the Ultimate Villain Track
Villain songs are a dime a dozen now, but "Poor Unfortunate Souls" set the bar dangerously high.
Pat Carroll’s performance is legendary. She channeled a bit of Divine (the drag queen) and a lot of old-school burlesque. The music for Little Mermaid needed a dark anchor, and this was it. The song starts as a seductive waltz. Ursula is playing the victim, the "saint" who helps people.
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But then the tempo shifts.
The orchestration gets heavier. The brass kicks in. By the time she’s shouting about "Beluga, Sevruga," the music has transitioned into a frantic, magical ritual. It’s terrifying and exhilarating. Menken used a lot of minor keys and sharp, stabbing chords to emphasize Ursula’s power. It’s a masterclass in how to write a song that reveals a villain's true nature while they're pretending to be a friend.
The Instrumental Score and the 2023 Reimagining
Don't overlook the score. The actual instrumental music for Little Mermaid is just as important as the hits. The "Main Titles" theme uses a shimmering, arpeggiated sound to mimic the movement of water. Menken used synthesizers mixed with a traditional orchestra to give it that 80s-meets-classic-Hollywood feel.
Fast forward to the 2023 live-action remake.
Lin-Manuel Miranda joined the team to work with Menken. This was a tricky tightrope walk. How do you honor Ashman’s legacy while adding something new? They added songs like "Wild Uncharted Waters" for Prince Eric, giving him a voice he never really had in the original. They also threw in "The Scuttlebutt," which... well, people have opinions on that one. It’s a rap, which is a huge departure from the Broadway roots of the original music for Little Mermaid.
Some fans loved the modernization; others felt it clashed with the seafaring aesthetic.
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But that’s the thing about this soundtrack—it’s so beloved that any change feels like a radical act. The original 1989 album went 6x Platinum. It won two Academy Awards. People don't just listen to this music; they live in it.
The Technical Brilliance of the "Part of Your World" Reprise
The reprise is where the real heartbreak happens. It’s only about sixty seconds long. Ariel is on the rocks, the waves are crashing behind her, and she’s watching Eric.
The music here takes the melody from the earlier ballad but makes it grander. It’s played in a higher key with a full orchestral swell. This is the moment Ariel stops being a dreamer and becomes a person of action. The music tells us that the stakes have changed. It’s a perfect example of how a "leitmotif"—a recurring musical theme associated with a character—can evolve to show growth.
Music historians often point to this specific moment as the "birth" of the Disney Renaissance. It was the first time in decades that a Disney movie felt truly epic.
Actionable Steps for Exploring the Soundtrack
If you're looking to really understand why this music works, don't just put it on as background noise. There are better ways to experience it.
- Listen to the Howard Ashman Demos: You can find these on various "Legacy Collection" releases. Hearing Ashman sing "Part of Your World" or "Poor Unfortunate Souls" is a revelation. You can hear the exact phrasing and "acting" he wanted from the performers. It’s a masterclass in songwriting.
- Compare the 1989 and 2023 Arrangements: Put on "Under the Sea" from both versions back-to-back. Pay attention to the percussion. The 2023 version uses a much wider array of realistic Caribbean instruments, while the 1989 version has a more synthesized, "clean" Broadway pop sound.
- Watch the "Treasures Untold" Documentary: This gives a deep look into how the music was written during the darkest days of Disney's animation department. It puts the struggle of the creators into perspective.
- Analyze the Lyrics for Subtext: Howard Ashman was writing these lyrics while battling HIV/AIDS. When you listen to "Part of Your World" through the lens of someone wanting to belong to a society that doesn't understand them, the song takes on a whole new, much deeper meaning.
The music for Little Mermaid isn't just a collection of songs for kids. It's a sophisticated piece of musical theater that happened to be drawn by hand. It saved a studio, defined a generation, and continues to be the blueprint for every animated musical that has followed. Whether it’s the bouncy calypso of a crab or the dark waltz of a sea witch, these melodies are baked into the DNA of modern pop culture.
To get the full experience, grab a high-quality pair of headphones and listen to the original motion picture soundtrack from start to finish. Notice how the "Ariel theme" weaves in and out of the incidental music during the action scenes. It’s a level of detail you just don't see—or hear—very often anymore.