The Little Mermaid Composer Alan Menken Breaks Down New Songs (Exclusive)

The Little Mermaid is being released in theaters next week, and it features most of the beloved songs from the 1989 animated classic that were written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Menken returned for the live-action remake to create some new songs alongside Hamilton scribe Lin-Manuel Miranda. In honor of the new film, ComicBook.com had the chance to chat with Menken, who broke down three of the movie's musical additions. 

Wild Uncharted Waters:

"We all got together and there was originally a treatment that David Magee had worked on with Rob [Marshall] and John [DeLuca]. And then when I was finally brought in to see all that, we had meetings and Lin came in and we looked at where the existing songs were going to be, and then simply plotted out the other songs. One was for Prince Eric, and this is one where he's longing to find this girl who saved his life. But also he had this longing for the sea, a passion for the sea, and this 'uncharted waters' where he's going with his life. And that became, if you look here at the score, it's all through the score that thematic material from that song."

For The First Time: 

"And then there's the moment when Ariel's first on land and reacting to each of the things, and she can't speak so she's singing in her head," Menken explained of the next new song. "And all this excitement about this and wonder about that. And then the last thing is heartbreak when Prince comes in, and because she can't speak, he assumes, 'Oh, she can't be the girl.' And so for the first time, she's heartbroken."

Scuttlebutt:

"And then the third, 'Scuttlebutt.' Which was just going to be this little throwaway song. And I gave Lin a little Caribbean piece of music, and then he rapped over it," Menken explained of the third song. 

He added of working with Miranda, "So the song that was most in my wheelhouse is 'Wild Uncharted Waters' where Lin was very insecure about finding the right lyrics, because he felt he was trying to step into Howard's shoes with a song like that. So we both, you know, had to walk into each other's world. We were both 'part of those worlds,'" Menken added with a coy smile.

Why Was "Daughters of Triton" Cut From The Little Mermaid?

One song from the original The Little Mermaid you won't be hearing in the remake is "Daughters of Triton," an early song from the original film that introduces Ariel's sisters. During ComicBook.com's chat with Menken, he explained why the song was cut.

"I think the thought process was a) we didn't it need in this particular version," Menken said. "And we definitely wanted the film to start with a much more of a live-action feel of the ocean and meeting Ariel, and then we wait a little bit, make you wait until we get to 'Part of Your World.' And I think that was, you know, it was an amazing choice because it just builds the power and anticipation."

He continued, "And part of that is also knowing you're adapting something that's already beloved. So you want to say, wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, and here it is. And when it comes, god."

The Little Mermaid is being released in theaters on May 26th.