The hit live-action “The Little Mermaid” simply hit Disney+ to stream on Sept. 6, and aside from the unique film’s songs like “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” and “Kiss the Girl,” audiences all over the place have gotten to take pleasure in 4 new songs courtesy of the unique animated film’s composer, Alan Menken, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

For probably the most half, the songs from the unique film sound the identical within the 2023 remake, however Menken did give followers a heads-up that there could be some minor modifications to the unique lyrics to make the film, which was initially launched in 1989, really feel extra fashionable. “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 advised Vainness Truthful in March.

Nobody would blame you when you initially missed the tweaks Menken and Miranda made to “Kiss the Girl.” They’re tiny however needed modifications. However a extra important change was made to the film’s total plot, fully altering the character of Ariel’s quest for Prince Eric’s kiss. Forward, learn all about it.

“The Little Mermaid” 2023 “Kiss the Girl” Lyric Adjustments

In each the unique “The Little Mermaid” and the brand new live-action remake, Prince Eric should kiss Ariel earlier than sundown on the third day of her turning into human if she needs to stay on land as a human. To that finish, Ariel’s associates use their abilities of meddling to get Ariel and Prince Eric out for a romantic boat trip on a lake, at which level they sing “Kiss the Girl” to Eric in hopes the music will sway him to, properly, kiss the lady.

The doubtless problematic lyrics from the unique movie that Menken and Miranda tweaked had been when Sebastian sings, “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.” These lyrics, if taken at face worth, might counsel that the one manner for Prince Eric to ask Ariel if she needs him to kiss her is to only do it (because the lyrics explicitly say he does not must say something in any respect).

A minor tweak to those lyrics utterly scrubs that implication from the tune. As an alternative, within the remake, Sebastian sings, “Possible she want you too/Use your words, boy, and ask her/If the time is right and the time is tonight/Go on and kiss the girl.” This small, significant change encourages Prince Eric to get consent from Ariel earlier than making an attempt to kiss her and, provided that the time is correct (aka, if she says sure), he ought to do exactly that.

Some would possibly argue that this tweak was pointless, provided that A) the viewer already is aware of that Ariel is in love with Eric and needs him to kiss her by the point they take their boat trip, and B) at no level does Eric attempt to power himself on Ariel. However one might additionally argue that if all it takes to wash a doubtlessly damaging implication is to vary two traces in a tune, then why not change them? And let’s be actual: “If the time is right and the time is tonight” is infinitely extra intelligent than “it don’t take a word, not a single word.”

Ariel’s Quest to Kiss Prince Eric in “The Little Mermaid” 2023

One more reason why the producers behind the brand new live-action “Little Mermaid” might have wished to vary the lyrics in “Kiss the Girl” is due to a extra sizable change they made to the plot: Ariel’s quest to kiss Eric.

Within the unique film, Ariel is totally conscious she must get a kiss from Eric to stay human, per her contract with Ursula. Nonetheless, within the remake, Ursula provides one other layer of duplicitousness to her spell.

The ocean witch has made Ariel neglect that she must kiss Eric to stay a human, and any time somebody mentions that Ariel must hurry up and kiss Eric, she turns into dazed and confused. In different phrases, whereas Ariel is definitely nonetheless combating for Eric’s coronary heart within the remake, she just isn’t fairly as desirous to lock lips, as a result of she does not even keep in mind that it is required; thus, the viewer cannot say with any certainty that Ariel needs to kiss Eric.

Whereas kissing one’s prince has lengthy been a fairytale story staple, the “The Little Mermaid” remake turns the drained trope on its head, and it really works. Forward, learn the marginally tweaked lyrics to “The Little Mermaid”‘s “Kiss the Girl.”

“The Little Mermaid”‘s “Kiss the Girl” Lyrics

INTRO
Percussion
Strings
Winds
Phrases

VERSE 1
There you see her
Sitting there throughout the way in which
She do not received quite a bit to say
However there’s somet’ing about her
And you do not know why
However you are dying to strive
You wanna kiss the lady

VERSE 2
Sure, you need her
Have a look at her, you recognize you do
Potential she need you too
Use your phrases, boy, and ask her
If the time is correct and the time is tonight
Go on and kiss the lady

CHORUS
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, my, oh, my
Seem like the boy too shy
Ain’t gonna kiss the lady
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, ain’t that unhappy?
Ain’t it a disgrace? Too dangerous
He gonna miss the lady

VERSE 3
Now’s your second
Floatin’ in a blue lagoon
Boy, you higher do it quickly
No time can be higher
Ooh, ooh, boy, do it quickly
No time can be higher

She do not say a phrase
And she or he will not say a phrase till ya
Kiss the lady
Kiss the lady
Kiss the lady

CHORUS
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do not be scared (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
You bought the temper ready (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Go on and kiss the lady
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Woah, woah
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do not cease now (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do not attempt to conceal it (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
The way you wanna kiss the lady
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
(Sha-la)
You wanna kiss the lady
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Float alongside (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
And take heed to the tune (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
The tune say, “Kiss the girl”
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
The music play (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do what the music say (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
You bought to kiss the lady
(Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Do what the music say (Sha-la)
You bought to kiss the lady (Sha-la-la-la-la-la)
Kiss the lady

POST-CHORUS
You have gotta kiss the lady
Why do not you kiss the lady
Kiss the lady, kiss the lady
C’mon and kiss the lady
Kiss the lady, kiss the lady
Go on and kiss the lady
Kiss the lady
Kiss the lady