Fathoms Below

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"Fathoms Below"
Song by the Ship's Chorus
from the album The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Released1989 (1989)
GenreSoundtrack
Length1:41
LabelWalt Disney
Composer(s)Alan Menken
Lyricist(s)Howard Ashman
Producer(s)
  • Menken
  • Ashman

"Fathoms Below" is the opening song from the 1989 animated Disney feature film The Little Mermaid. A rousing sea shanty written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, the song is sung by the ship's crew on the film's original soundtrack. An extended version with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater appears in the 2008 stage adaptation of the musical.[1]

The song has since appeared in

Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King
) and the ensemble.

Production

Ashman decided to structure the opening sequence as an underwater montage, and so along with Menken wrote the song "Fathoms Below". The song was severely cut in size as

King Triton's sister.[3] The storyboarded
and pencil animation of this can be found on YouTube.

The song is featured in the Disneyland attraction Electric Water Pageant.[4]

Synopsis

The "ship full of sailors first came onto the stage in the “Fathoms Below” number",

Prince Eric
.

In the 2023 live-action film, however, it is moved to after "Part of Your World" when Ariel discovers Eric's ship amidst the fireworks being launched from it and observes Eric's birthday celebration before the storm.

Reception

Filmtracks wrote that "of the seven songs in "The Little Mermaid", the first two Fathoms Below and

Daughters of Triton are weaker ensemble pieces that cannot compete with the lengthier production numbers that follow". In regard to the former song, the site added "The working voices of 'Fathoms Below' are strong both in their representation of the sailors and in their recording quality. Had this song been expanded for the film as it would be for the Broadway show, it could have been a hit." While describing the film's album as "flat and dull", it noted "Only the vocals in "Fathoms Below" and some of the percussion in "Jig" seem to exhibit a three-dimensional sound".[6]

Reviewing the Broadway musical, Variety wrote "“Under the Sea” would have been a more obvious scene-setting opener than the ho-hum sea chanty “Fathoms Below,” expanded from a few throwaway bars in the film".[7]

References

  1. ISBN 9780810869387
    . Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  2. ISBN 9781847396891
    . Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  3. ISBN 9781452063126
    . Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  4. ISBN 9781608444083
    . Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  5. ^ "Review: 'Mermaid' a fun night out but doesn't reach deepest fathoms below - St George News". St George News. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Filmtracks: The Little Mermaid (Alan Menken)". Retrieved 4 November 2014.
  7. ^ Rooney, David (August 26, 2007). "The Little Mermaid". Variety. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
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