The Little Mermaid Songwriter Says Song Lyrics Have Been Changed To Avoid Offense

There is nothing new about older movies being changed to alter depictions of race, gender and more to avoid offending anyone. It seems like despite being only 30 years old, The Little Mermaid remake will include some new lyrics to two well know songs that have been changed to make them “less offensive” according to composer Alan Menken. While speaking to Vanity Fair, Menken discussed returning to write new songs for the live-action Disney remake, and he noted that as well and writing four new tracks for the movie with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the new movie will see the lyrics to ‘Poor Unfortunate Souls’ and ‘Kiss The Girl’ given an update.

Many Disney remakes have seen changes made to reflect modern attitudes, and when it comes to The Little Mermaid, the issue with both songs seem to lie in the way women are seen and treated. As Menken explained:

“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]. 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.”

The changes are pretty much in line with other Disney remakes, which have aimed to update stereotypes that are seen as offensive to modern audiences as well as addressing diversity issues and other potentially offensive tropes. The new version of The Little Mermaid will see Ariel’s desire to trade her voice for legs be from a desire to have her own personal freedom more than just being to find herself a man.

Related: The Little Mermaid’s Four Original Songs ‘Will Open Up the Film in a Completely Different Way’

The Little Mermaid Will Bring The Disney Classic To A Whole New Audience

There is no denying that the 1989 animated version of The Little Mermaid is still one of the most popular titles in the Disney catalogue, and the young audience it is most watched by don’t usually pick up on the same problematic undertones and issues that adults do. For that reason alone, the changes made to the live-action remake will not have any impact on the animated version, which is still available to be watched on Disney+.

The Little Mermaid stars Halle Bailey as Ariel and features an ensemble cast including Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Awkwafina, Simone Ashley, Jacob Tremblay, Jonah Hauer-King and Daveed Diggs. Featuring a mix of new and old songs, plenty of adventure and a timeless story, there is every chance that The Little Mermaid could be one of Disney’s biggest hits of the last several years. The movie will be released worldwide on May 26, 2023