kids encyclopedia robot

Kiss the Girl facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
"Kiss the Girl"
Song by Samuel E. Wright
from the album Disney's The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Released 1989
Recorded 1988-1989
Genre Calypso, pop
Length 2:43
Label Walt Disney Records
Composer(s) Alan Menken
Lyricist(s) Howard Ashman
Producer(s)
  • Menken
  • Ashman
  • Robert Kraft

"Kiss the Girl" is a famous song from Walt Disney Pictures' animated movie The Little Mermaid, released in 1989. It was written by Howard Ashman (who wrote the words) and Alan Menken (who wrote the music).

The song was first sung by American actor Samuel E. Wright, who played the character Sebastian the crab in the film. "Kiss the Girl" is a romantic song with a calypso beat. In the song, Sebastian and other sea creatures encourage Prince Eric to kiss Ariel before it's too late.

Most people really liked "Kiss the Girl." The song was nominated for two big awards: an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. However, it lost both awards to "Under the Sea", which is another popular song from The Little Mermaid movie.

About the Song

This song is set during Ariel's second day as a human. Ariel and Prince Eric are on a boat, and Sebastian tries to create a romantic mood. He hopes this will inspire Eric to kiss Ariel.

Song Lyrics

The lyrics of "Kiss the Girl" are made up of six parts, each with seven lines. Each part ends with a slightly different version of the line "You kiss the girl." The song starts with "You wanna kiss the girl" and changes slightly in each part, ending with "You gotta kiss the girl." The song finishes with an outro that repeats these different versions.

For the 2023 live-action movie The Little Mermaid, some of the song's lyrics were changed. This was done to make sure the song felt right for today's audience, especially regarding how Prince Eric interacts with Ariel.

Song Awards

Region Certification Sales
United Kingdom (BPI) Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA) 1× Platinum 1,000,000^

xunspecified figures based on certification alone

The song "Kiss the Girl" has received awards for how popular it is. In the United Kingdom, it earned a Silver award, and in the United States, it received a Platinum award. This means many people have listened to and enjoyed the song!

Other Versions of the Song

Many artists have recorded their own versions of "Kiss the Girl" over the years.

Soul II Soul

In 1991, the group Soul II Soul released their version of the song. It was part of a music collection called Simply Mad About the Mouse: A Musical Celebration of Imagination. Their version was also featured in an episode of the TV show Family Matters.

Little Texas

The country music band Little Texas recorded their version in 1996 for an album called The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney. Their song reached number 52 on the Hot Country Songs charts.

Stellar Kart

The Christian punk band Stellar Kart covered "Kiss the Girl" on their 2012 album, A Whole New World EP.

Peter André

"Kiss the Girl"
Kissthegirlpeter.jpg
Single by Peter Andre
Released July 13, 1998
Recorded 1997
Genre Pop, calypso
Length 2:52
Label Mushroom Records
Composer(s) Alan Menken
Lyricist(s) Howard Ashman
Producer(s) Peter Andre
Peter Andre singles chronology
"All Night, All Right"
(1998)
"Kiss the Girl"
(1998)
"Mysterious Girl (2004)"
(2004)

When The Little Mermaid was shown in cinemas again, singer Peter André recorded his own version of "Kiss the Girl." This version became very popular and reached number 9 on the UK Singles Chart in the United Kingdom.

Music Video

The music video for Peter André's song shows him singing in a recording studio. Parts of the original Little Mermaid movie are shown along with him. The video also includes a story where Peter André sees a girl and tries to get her attention. They eventually share a kiss at the end.

Ashley Tisdale

"Kiss the Girl"
Promotional single by Ashley Tisdale
from the album Disney's The Little Mermaid: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (Special Edition) and Disneymania 5
Released September 4, 2006 (Radio Disney)
Recorded 2006
Genre Pop rock
Length 3:23
Label Warner Bros. Records
Composer(s) Alan Menken
Lyricist(s) Howard Ashman

In 2006, when The Little Mermaid was released on DVD, Ashley Tisdale recorded a new version of the song. It was included on a special edition of the movie's soundtrack and later on an album called DisneyMania 5.

Music Video

The music video for Ashley Tisdale's version came out on September 6, 2006. It shows a girl at a school dance who notices a boy looking at her. The boy tries to talk to her, but she keeps moving away. In the end, she asks him to dance and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Chart Performance

Ashley Tisdale's version of "Kiss the Girl" appeared on music charts in 2007. It reached number 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States and number 86 on the UK Singles Chart.

Chart (2007) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 81
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 74
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs 68
UK Singles Chart 86

Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson, a famous musician, included a cover of "Kiss the Girl" on his 2011 album, In the Key of Disney.

DisneyMania Albums

Several artists have covered "Kiss the Girl" for the DisneyMania album series:

  • No Secrets sang a version for the first DisneyMania album in 2002.
  • Vitamin C's version was on DisneyMania 3 in 2005.
  • Ashley Tisdale's version was on DisneyMania 5 in 2007.
  • Colbie Caillat covered the song for DisneyMania 6.

Suburban Legends

The band Suburban Legends covered the song on their Disney covers EP, Dreams Aren't Real, But These Songs Are, Vol. 1, in 2013. They often perform the song during their tours and at Disneyland.

Disney - Koe no Oujisama

The 2012 Japanese album Disney - Koe no Oujisama Vol.2 features different Japanese voice actors singing Disney songs. This album includes a version of "Kiss the Girl" sung by Hiro Shimono.

Descendants 2

"Kiss the Girl"
Song by Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Cameron Boyce, Booboo Stewart, China Anne McClain and Thomas Doherty
from the album Descendants 2
Recorded 2016
Genre Electropop, R&B
Length 2:44
Label Walt Disney
Composer(s) Alan Menken
Lyricist(s) Howard Ashman

The main actors from the movie Descendants 2 recorded their own version of "Kiss the Girl" for the film's soundtrack. This song is also played during the movie's end credits.

BYU Vocal Point

The group BYU Vocal Point covered "Kiss the Girl" for their 2022 album, Magic: Disney Through Time.

Images for kids

kids search engine
Kiss the Girl Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.