Jodi Benson: Part of Your World

Remarks:

To round out Mermaid Appreciation Week, not appreciated by some, here is a song from the Disney film “The Little Mermaid” (1989), their sanitized version of the Hans Christian Andersen tale.

The song never charted: Disney did not release it as a single and was surprised by its success. In fact, they almost cut it from the film itself, but test audiences liked it.

It was sung by Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel, the lead character. Howard Ashman wrote the words and Alan Menken composed the music. Menken has appeared in this space before as the composer of “Colors of the Wind”, a song from another Disney film, “Pocahontas” (1995).

Benson, Ashman, and Menken all come from the world of Broadway musicals. In that world this sort of song is known as an “I Want” song, the song where the lead character tells the audience what is going through her head, why she is unhappy, what she wants to accomplish. Disney did not understand the need for such a song when they made “The Little Mermaid”, but now they are standard, especially in their princess films.

It seems that this song resonated more strongly with gay and transgender children than with others. Ashman, the songwriter, was himself openly gay. And it has been argued that Hans Christian Andersen was himself trans. Whether Andersen was or not, the story itself is structurally trans: the lead character wants to become a real girl!

See also:

• songs, the 1980s
• Judy Kuhn: Colours of the Wind – from Disney’s “Pocahontas” (1995), also composed by Alan Menken.
• trans women
• mermaids
  • of mermaids, boys, and trans girls
  • Sade: No Ordinary Love – another music video starring a mermaid

Lyrics:

Look at this stuff. Isn’t it neat?
Wouldn’t you think my collection’s complete?
Wouldn’t you think I’m the girl,
the girl who has everything?

Look at this trove, treasures untold
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here, you’d think
Sure, she’s got everything

I’ve got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty
I’ve got whozits and whatzits galore
You want thing-a-mabobs? I’ve got twenty
But who cares? No big deal. I want more!

I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see ’em dancin’
Walkin’ around on those…
What do you call ’em? Oh, feet

Flippin’ your fins you don’t get too far
Legs are required for jumpin’, dancin’
Strolling along down the…
What’s that word again? Street

Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Wanderin’ free,
wish I could be
part of that world

What would I give
if I could live
outta these waters?
What would I pay
to spend a day
warm on the sand?

Betcha on land
they understand
Bet they don’t reprimand their daughters
Bright young women,
sick of swimmin’
Ready to stand

And I’m ready to know what the people know
Ask ’em my questions and get some answers
What’s a fire and why does it…
What’s the word? Burn?

When’s it my turn?
Wouldn’t I love,
love to explore that shore up above?
Out of the sea,
wish I could be
part of that world

Source: FANDOM, Wikipedia.