7 Apr – It looks like Disney is updating some of its previous hit songs from "The Little Mermaid" to suit the woke crowd, as composer Alan Menken recently revealed. Menken, who created the soundtrack of the original 1988 animated feature, shared that songs like "Kiss the Girl" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls" will have their lyrics modified, with the former made to better allow consent. "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 explained. "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."
It seemed that the higher ups have a problem with Ursula's lines "The men up there don't like a lot of blabber, they think a girl who gossips is a bore, yet on land, it's much preferred for ladies not to say a word" despite the song is being performed by the villain. Menken will be working with Lin-Manuel Miranda in updating the lyrics. In addition, the composer stated that they also have new songs in the live-action remake, including one to be performed by Jonah Hauer-King, who plays Prince Eric, titled, "Wild Unchartered Waters". "Then, there was a number called "Scuttlebutt" for Scuttle and Sebastian. It's this harebrained [song for them] trying to figure out what's going on because they hear rumours that the prince has decided to marry. They think it must be Ariel but of course it's Ursula in the form of Vanessa. It's all this delicious imagination. Lin's lyrics are to die for," he said.