Fathoms Below facts for kids

"Fathoms Below" is the very first song you hear in the classic 1989 Disney movie, The Little Mermaid. It's sung by a group called the Ship's Chorus. The song is about 1 minute and 41 seconds long in the movie. However, in The Little Mermaid musical, the song is much longer.

The music for "Fathoms Below" was written by Alan Menken, and the words were written by Howard Ashman. You can find this song on the official movie album, The Little Mermaid - An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack. This song also appeared briefly in an episode of the TV show Once Upon a Time.

Making the Song

The creators, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, wanted to start the movie with a scene showing the ocean. So, they wrote "Fathoms Below" to introduce the underwater world.

Originally, the song was much longer. However, the filmmakers decided to make it shorter for the movie. They thought that a very long opening song might not keep the audience's attention in a film, unlike a live Broadway show. The longer version of the song was even meant to hint that Ursula was King Triton's sister!

You can also hear a part of "Fathoms Below" in the Electric Water Pageant attraction at Disneyland.

What the Song is About

In "Fathoms Below," a group of sailors sings about the deep, mysterious sea. They share old stories and legends about merfolk, like mermaids and mermen. They even sing a warning: "look out lad, a mermaid be waiting for you."

This song helps to set the scene for the movie. It introduces the idea of merfolk from the sailors' point of view. It also hints at the special love story that will happen between Ariel and Prince Eric.

Song Style

"Fathoms Below" is a lively and exciting song. It sounds like a traditional "sea chanty," which is a type of song sailors used to sing while working on ships.