Part of Your World facts for kids

"Part of Your World" is a famous song from Disney's animated movie The Little Mermaid (1989). Howard Ashman wrote the words (lyrics), and Alan Menken wrote the music.

Jodi Benson, an American actress and singer, performs the song as the voice of Ariel. Ariel is a mermaid princess. In the song, she sings about how much she wants to become human. She uses funny placeholder words for human things she doesn't know. "Part of Your World" is the main song of the movie. Ariel sings it again later after she saves Prince Eric, a human she falls in love with.

This song was inspired by Broadway shows. Howard Ashman believed the movie needed an "I Want" song. This is a song where the main character sings about their biggest dream. Directors Ron Clements and John Musker first wanted Ariel to sing about Eric. But Ashman thought a song about her love for the human world would be better for the story.

Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg almost removed the song from the movie. He worried it would bore young children. However, Ashman, Clements, Musker, and animator Glen Keane convinced him to keep it. Audiences loved the song during test screenings. Critics have praised "Part of Your World" and Jodi Benson's singing. Many say it's one of the best Disney songs ever. It also made "I Want" songs a common part of future Disney animated musicals.

Creating the Song

Writing the Lyrics and Music

"Part of Your World" was written in 1986. It was the first song Howard Ashman and Alan Menken created for The Little Mermaid. Ashman was inspired by popular Broadway musicals. He felt the movie needed a song that showed Ariel's inner thoughts and dreams.

Directors Ron Clements and John Musker wanted Ariel to sing about her love for Prince Eric. But Ashman suggested a song about her fascination with the human world. He explained that "Part of Your World" would be Ariel's "I Want" song. This kind of song helps the audience care about the character's journey.

Menken believes "Part of Your World" was the first time Disney intentionally wrote an "I Want" song. However, Disney princesses had sung similar songs before. For example, in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Cinderella (1950).

Ashman and Menken nicknamed the song "Somewhere That's Dry." They thought it was like an "underwater version" of their song "Somewhere That's Green" from their musical Little Shop of Horrors.

Ashman first showed "Part of Your World" to Clements and Musker at his apartment. Menken played the piano while Ashman sang Ariel's part himself. Musker remembered Ashman looking up at the ceiling as if it were the human world. He said Ashman "became Ariel before our eyes."

Changing the Words

Clements and Musker liked the song but sometimes disagreed with Ashman about the words. Ashman wanted the lyrics to be very specific. Musker wanted to change the line "I wanna be where the people are." He felt it sounded too serious. But Ashman insisted it stay the same.

Ashman did agree to change some lyrics. Ariel learns about humans from a silly seagull named Scuttle. So, Ashman changed fancy words like "fine china" to funnier ones. He added words like "thingamabobs" and "whozits and whatzits." This made the song more playful, matching the movie's tone.

Ashman first imagined Ariel's second version of the song (reprise) as sad. She would sing, "I'll never be... part of that world." But Clements and Musker wanted it to show Ariel's strong will. They wanted her to decide to chase her dream. Ashman rewrote it to be more hopeful: "I don't know when, I don't know how, but I know something's starting right now... Watch and you'll see... someday I'll be... part of your world." This made the movie more exciting and showed the conflict between Ariel and her father, King Triton.

Recording the Song

Howard Ashman first met Jodi Benson when he directed her in a musical called Smile. Ashman invited all the female singers from Smile to try out for The Little Mermaid. He didn't tell them what the project was called.

Benson listened to Ashman's demo of "Part of Your World" in a public restroom to prepare. She then recorded a short sample and sent it to Disney. All audition tapes were kept secret. Ashman was thrilled when the directors chose Benson's voice for Ariel. She found out a year later.

This was Benson's first time doing voice acting. Ashman helped her learn how to speak into the microphone. He told her to act the song like a speech, not just sing it. Ashman stayed in the recording booth with Benson. He whispered lines to her as she sang. He wanted her performance to sound real and intense, not just loud. Benson sometimes struggled with singing too much. Ashman had to move carefully so his movements wouldn't be recorded.

Benson found it hard to capture Ariel's "tomboyish-ness and yearning" at first. She asked for the studio lights to be dimmed to feel like she was underwater. Menken and Ashman purposely included parts of Benson's singing that weren't "perfect." They wanted her performance to sound as "real" as possible.

Song's Place in the Movie

Animation and Challenges

Animator Glen Keane was supposed to animate Ursula. But after hearing Jodi Benson sing "Part of Your World," he asked to animate Ariel instead. He was so moved by her performance that he made the scene his most important job. He animated the entire "Part of Your World" sequence himself.

One part was very hard to animate. It was when the camera seems to spin around Ariel as she sings, "Look at this trove, treasures untold. How many wonders can one cavern hold?" It took a long time to get it right without computers. Keane said the song is when "the audience starts thinking of Ariel as this real, living thing."

Ashman knew it would be hard to keep young audiences interested in a slow song. He suggested Ariel have a secret grotto. There, she would keep human items she found from shipwrecks. She would talk about these items during the song.

Almost Cut from the Movie

Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted to remove "Part of Your World" from the movie. He saw some children get restless during an early test screening. One child even spilled popcorn. Katzenberg worried kids would find the song boring. He also found it boring himself and felt it slowed down the movie.

Almost everyone involved in the movie protested. Ashman reportedly said the song could only be removed "over his dead body." He threatened to leave the project if Katzenberg cut it. Ashman argued that audiences wouldn't care about Ariel if the song was gone.

Clements and Musker reminded Katzenberg of other successful Disney songs. They mentioned "Someday My Prince Will Come" from Snow White. They also reminded him that "Over the Rainbow" was almost cut from The Wizard of Oz. Keane argued that "Part of Your World" was vital to the story. He convinced Katzenberg to keep it until the next test screening, when it would be fully animated.

During the second screening, children loved the song. Some even sang along. Older audience members were moved to tears and applauded. "Part of Your World" was saved! Katzenberg later said he was embarrassed he ever wanted to cut it. He can't imagine The Little Mermaid without it now.

Ariel's Story in the Song

"Part of Your World" is the second main song in The Little Mermaid. It happens in Ariel's grotto before she meets Eric. The song is like a speech where Ariel shares her wish to be human. She sings about exploring the human world and learning about it. She looks up at the surface, wishing she could live there. She doesn't believe humans are as bad as her father says.

The song shows that Ariel feels trapped and unhappy in the ocean. Even with her royal family and treasures, she wants "to be a part of something else." A toy of a dancing woman shows Ariel wants to be like her. She also sings about fire while looking at a painting, showing her curiosity.

Georges de La Tour's painting Magdalene with the Smoking Flame (1640) is shown during a portion of the song

The song helps us understand Ariel's character. Her desire for adventure makes it hard for her to enjoy her life underwater. She wants change, something she can't buy or steal. She uses human items she finds to imagine living among them. Ariel is not afraid to sing loudly about what she wants. The song ends with Ariel sighing and reaching out, longing for the human world.

"Part of Your World" is the main theme song of The Little Mermaid. It gives the movie energy early on. You hear parts of the song's music throughout the movie. These musical parts are called a leitmotif. They are used for Ariel and other characters. For example, a sad version plays when Triton destroys Ariel's items. Eric plays the melody on his flute, remembering the girl who saved him. A brass version plays when Ursula turns into "Vanessa." Finally, a happy choir version plays after Ariel and Eric's wedding.

How the Music Sounds

"Part of Your World" is a powerful, emotional song. It starts quietly and slowly builds up. Jodi Benson's singing makes it very strong. The music uses dramatic violins. It moves from busy verses to a longing part before the main chorus.

Benson sings the song with an intense, whispered voice. She doesn't belt it out loudly. Her voice goes up and down like normal speech. She also adds "quirky little comments" and "girly gestures." Her singing makes Ariel's eagerness feel very real. She sings with passion, strength, and innocence. The last line of the song's reprise is sung with more power.

The song has been compared to "Somewhere That's Green" from Little Shop of Horrors. It's also like Judy Garland's "Over the Rainbow." Both songs are about wishing for something new and different.

Songs in Other Languages

When The Little Mermaid came out in 1989, it was dubbed into many languages. By 1991, there were 21 different versions. In 1998, many of these versions were updated. Eight new versions were also released, making 29 worldwide. Later, 11 more versions were added, bringing the total to 40 official versions.

Norwegian singer Sissel Kyrkjebø voiced Ariel in three Nordic languages. She sang all of Ariel's parts in Norwegian and Swedish. She only sang for the Danish version and re-recorded the songs in 1998. The Austrian German version of the movie uses parts from the German version.

Simona Patitucci [it], who voiced Ariel in Italian, was named the best European Ariel by Disney. Svetlana Svetikova [ru], who voiced Ariel in Russian in 2006, was named the best Ariel worldwide.

     Highlighted versions were released later than 1991     Highlighted versions were redubbed in 1998 by the same voice-actor of the original dubbing

Live Shows and Stage Versions

Jodi Benson still performs "Part of Your World" live in concerts around the world. She sang it at the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade in 1995. In 2011, Benson performed the song at the opening of the Disneyland Resort ride The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure. At the 2011 D23 Expo, she sang it during the Disney Legends ceremony. She also received a Disney Legends Award for her work with Disney.

"Part of Your World" was also in the stage musical of The Little Mermaid. The musical ran on Broadway from 2008 to 2009. Actress Sierra Boggess was the first to play Ariel on Broadway and sing "Part of Your World" in the show. To promote the musical, Boggess sang the song live on The Today Show. Critics noted that audiences loved "Part of Your World" the most.

Boggess recorded the song for the musical's original Broadway cast album. She also included a live version on her album Awakening: Live at 54 Below (2013). Another actress, Chelsea Morgan Stock, later played Ariel on Broadway. She called "Part of Your World" her "favorite moment." In a new version of the musical, Stock sang the song while flying above the stage. This made it look like she was swimming.

In June 2016, singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles played Ariel in a concert version of The Little Mermaid at the Hollywood Bowl. At the end of the shows, Jodi Benson made a surprise appearance. She sang "Part of Your World" again, and the audience cheered loudly. Benson wore a sparkling blue mermaid-style dress. Her performance received a standing ovation, and she was moved to tears. Critics praised Benson's singing, saying she "still has some incredible pipes."

Other Versions and Media Use

"Part of Your World" has been covered by many artists. It's one of the most covered Disney songs from recent times. According to SecondHandSongs, it's the 10th most covered song from 1989. Jodi Benson isn't too protective of the song. But she said some cover versions weren't what Howard Ashman would have liked. She especially meant some fast dance versions.

In 1996, country singer Faith Hill covered the song for an album called The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney. Chely Wright sang a version for the movie's sequel, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000). Jessica Simpson covered it for the album Disneymania in 2002.

"Part of Your World" is a mini-game in the video game Kingdom Hearts II (2005). Players help Sebastian prepare for a musical show. Miley Cyrus recorded a pop-rock version for Disneymania 5 (2007). MTV called it the seventh best track on the album. In 2007, actor Darren Criss uploaded a video of himself singing "Part of Your World" to YouTube.

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle recorded a fast dance remix for Disneymania 7 (2010). She imagined how Ariel would sound today. Bruno Mars performed "Part of Your World" in 2012. He called it "the best song ever written." He changed the lyric about thingamabobs from 20 to 30. Videos of his performance became very popular online. German opera singer Diana Damrau covered the song in German for her album Forever (2013).

Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen covered "Part of Your World" for The Little Mermaid's Diamond Edition re-release.

In 2013, Carly Rae Jepsen covered "Part of Your World" for The Little Mermaid's Diamond Edition re-release. She also made a music video. Jepsen said the song reminded her of her musical theater background. She studied Benson's version for inspiration. Jepsen played a "real life" Ariel in the music video. She even dyed her hair red and wore a mermaid tail. Critics had mixed reviews for her cover. Jodi Benson liked Jepsen's version because it focused on telling the story.

British singer-songwriter Jessie J covered "Part of Your World" for the album We Love Disney (2015). She loved the song as a child. She joked that she used to imagine singing it while combing her hair with a fork. Her version sounds similar to the original. Critics praised Jessie J's performance. Entertainment Weekly said her "power and control" highlighted the best parts of Ariel's song.

In 2016, Sara Bareilles sang "Part of Your World" live at a Broadway show. She did it to entertain the audience during a technical problem. She encouraged everyone to sing along. Bareilles later played Ariel in a concert version of The Little Mermaid. To celebrate the movie's 25th anniversary in 2014, Billboard listed their "Favorite 'Part Of Your World' Covers."

Song's Lasting Impact

"Part of Your World" is seen as a "classic" Disney song. It's the main song for The Little Mermaid. It's also credited with starting Disney's "Broadway age." The song made the "I Want" song a popular part of future Disney animated musicals. This period is known as the Disney Renaissance. Many people call it "one of the most memorable Disney songs ever."

It's also Jodi Benson's most famous song. She never gets tired of singing it. Benson believes the song's popularity helped bring animated movies back to life in the 1990s. Time magazine called it one of the most iconic moments of the Disney Renaissance. They said, "If you are a female-identified child of the ‘90s, chances are good that you have belted this song into your hairbrush or showerhead on more than one occasion." Billboard agreed that "every single child has sung ['Part of Your World'] into a hairbrush."

Den of Geek ranked "Part of Your World" and its reprise as the number one Disney song from the Renaissance era. They called it the song that "defined the Disney formula to come." Mic also ranked it first, saying it's "everything Disney fans want and need." Variety called it the second "Best Disney Song of All Time." Billboard ranked it the eighth best song of the Disney Renaissance.

"Part of Your World" is considered one of Disney's best "I Want" songs. It started a trend of Disney heroines singing about wanting more from their lives. MTV ranked it first on their list of "Disney's 'I Want' Songs." Boing Boing also ranked it first, calling it "potentially one of the best ['I Want' songs] in musical theater as a whole."

The song has also influenced other Disney songs. Filmtracks.com says it "set the table for songs like 'Belle' [from Beauty and the Beast (1991)]." Decider.com believes it directly influenced "Let It Go" from Frozen (2013).

"Part of Your World" is often copied or made fun of in other movies and shows. An instrumental version of the song is heard in the movie Enchanted (2007). It plays when Giselle (Amy Adams) looks at an aquarium. Jodi Benson also appears in the movie as a secretary. The song's music plays during some of her scenes. Videos of Howard Ashman coaching Jodi Benson during recording are still popular online.

Certifications

(on Disney's official channel)

See also

In Spanish: Part of Your World para niños