Part of Your World

Part of Your World

Originally performed by
Composer	Alan Menken
Lyrics	Howard Ashman
Performer(s)	Ariel (Jodi Benson)
Length	3:15
Films	The Little Mermaid
Shows
Attractions
Video games	Kingdom Hearts II Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Albums	The Little Mermaid - An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song Classic Disney - Volume II McDonald's Celebrates Disney Music - Volume 3: Hero Songs Disney's Greatest Volume 3 The Best Disney Album in the World ...Ever! Now That's What I Call Disney (UK version)
Preceded by	Daughters of King Triton
Followed by	Part of Your World (Reprise)

[Source]

"Part of Your World" is a song written and composed by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman for The Little Mermaid, which later become Ariel's theme song. It is also featured in the Broadway musical adaptation of the film and Kingdom Hearts II.

This song was included on the tape, Disney Sing Along Songs: Circle of Life. The song is sung by Ariel, the title character, while in her hidden cavern which holds all of her treasures, most of which are human objects. It reveals how Ariel longs to be human and live among their culture, and how she's tired of being a mermaid living under the sea.

In the second movie, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, it is sung at the end of the movie by country singer, Chely Wright.

For Kingdom Hearts II, It was sung by Ariel twice. The first time was when she rescued Eric, and the second was in a minigame. It was also sung by Ursula, disguised as Vanessa, when she hypnotized Eric.

Lyrics[]

Maybe he's right. Maybe there is something the matter with me. I just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad.

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl,
The girl who has everything?

Look at this trove, treasures untold!
How many wonders can one cavern hold?
Looking around here you'd think
"Sure, she's got everything"

I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty,
I've got whozits and whatzits galore.
You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty!
But who cares? No big deal. I want more!

I wanna be where the people are.
I wanna see, wanna see 'em dancin'
Walkin' around on those...
What do you call 'em?
Oh, feet.

Flippin' your fins you don't get too far
Legs are required for jumpin', dancin',
Strolling along down a...
What's that word again?
Street!

Up where they walk,
Up where they run,
Up where they stay all day in the sun!
Wanderin' free,
Wish I could be,
Part of that world...

What would I give if I could live out of these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day warm on the sand?
Bet'cha on land they understand
Bet they don't reprimand their daughters
Bright young women, sick of swimmin', ready to stand...

And I'm ready to know what the people know
Ask 'em my questions and get some answers
What's a fire and why does it...
What's the word?
Burn?

When's it my turn?
Wouldn't I love,
Love to explore that shore up above?
Out of the sea,
Wish I could be
Part of that world

Original Lyrics[]

Originally, "Part of Your World" was going to have more specific lyrics on the objects in Ariel's grotto, but then it was deigned that since Scuttle was Ariel's provider of information she wouldn't really know the names of these objects.

Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?
Wouldn't you think my collection's complete?
Wouldn't you think I'm the girl,
The girl who has everything?

Look at this trove, treasures untold
Copper and bronze and fine leather and gold
Paper and china and books
Look, feathers and everything

I should start an aquatic museum
I've got gadgets and whatzits galore
All these fish'd pay money to see 'em
But who cares? No big deal. I want more!

I wanna be where the people are
I wanna see, wanna see 'em dancin'
Walkin' around on those...
What do you call 'em?
Oh, feet.

Flippin' your fins you don't get too far
Legs are required for jumpin', dancin'
Strolling along down a...
What's that word again?
Street

Up where they walk
Up where they run
Up where they stay all day in the sun
Where they breathe free
Wish I could be
Part of that world

Trivia[]

In the 2006 2-Disc Platinum Edition, the reprise part was given a higher pitch.
Jodi Benson sang "Part of Your World" in the dark to get that 'under the sea' feeling.^[1]
"Part of Your World" was nearly cut because Jeffrey Katzenberg felt that it was "boring", as well as being too far over the heads of the children for whom it was intended. ^[2] It was only through the insistence of Howard Ashman that it was included in the movie.
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman discovered that the song shared contextual and rhythmic similarities with another one of their songs: "Somewhere That's Green" from Little Shop of Horrors, leading them to humorously call it "Somewhere That's Dry". ^[3]
Jodi Benson sang this song when she received her Disney Legend award in 2011.
This song would have been sung by Melissa Fahn had she gotten the role of Ariel instead of Jodi Benson.
Skye Sweetnam, Ashley Tisdale and Carly Rae Jepsen have all covered this song.

Other Appearances[]

Kingdom Hearts II[]

"Part of Your World" appears as a part of Sebastian's Musical minigame in Atlantica and is performed by Ariel. It's story-related use alludes to Ariel's discovery of Prince Eric's statue and wish to set foot on the land, similarly to how it's used in The Little Mermaid.