Fathoms Below is the first song heard in the animated film The Little Mermaid. The song and Fathoms Below lyrics are written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman and sung by the Ship’s sailors and Prince Eric. The song introduces the film and the legend of the merfolk from the perspective of sailors reciting to Prince Eric and foreshadows the love story between Ariel and Prince Eric.
Fathoms Below Lyrics
[Sailors]
I’ll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
And it’s hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Brave sailor, beware, cause a big ‘uns a-brewin’
In mysterious fathoms below
Heave-ho
I’ll sing you a song of the king of the sea
An’ it’s hey to the starboard, heave-ho
The ruler of all of the oceans is he
In mysterious fathoms below
Fathoms below, below
From whence wayward westerlies blow
Where Triton is king
And his merpeople sing
In mysterious fathoms below
[Prince Eric and Sailors]
The salt on your skin
And the wind in your hair
And the waves as they ebb and they flow
And guess what, I don’t care!
[Grimsby]
As for me, I’m about to heave ho!
[Sailors]
Hey
Ho
Heave-ho
[Prince Eric]
One day, I’ll be crowned and they’ll force me to wed
But ’til then, I’ve got places to go
It feels like my destiny’s calling instead
From mysterious fathoms below
[Ariel]
Aa-aa-aah, a-aa-aah
A-aa-aah, a-aa-aaa-aah
[Prince Eric and Sailors]
There’s mermaids out there in the bottomless blue
Watch out for ’em, lad, or you’ll go to your ruin
In mysterious fathoms below
[Prince Eric and Sailors]
Fathoms below, below
[Sailors]
From whence charming melodies flow
[Prince Eric]
Where Triton is king
And his merpeople sing
[Prince Eric and Sailors]
In mysterious fathoms below
[Prince Eric]
Fathoms below, below
Where heroes and legends still grow
And maybe I’ll see what lies waiting for me
[Prince Eric and Sailors]
In mysterious fathoms below
Heave-ho
Fathoms Below Trivia
- Howard Ashman decided to structure the opening sequence as an underwater montage, and along with Menken wrote the song “Fathoms Below”. The song was severely cut in size as Jeffrey Katzenberg thought in a film audiences would be unwilling to watch a lengthy opening number. The extended sequence was meant to show that Ursula is King Triton’s sister.
- The song in the movie is 1:41 minutes in length, while the version in the musical is about twice as long, with additional lyrics written by Glenn Slater.
- The song is featured in the Disneyland attraction Electric Water Pageant.
- The song later made a brief appearance in the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of Once Upon a Time, sung by a teenage Ursula during a flashback.
Fathoms Below Lyric Facts
| Movie: | The Little Mermaid |
| Composer(s): | Alan Menken |
| Lyricist(s): | Howard Ashman |
| Producer(s): | Ashman Menken and Howard Ashman |
| Label: | Walt Disney Records |
If you are a big fan of “Fathoms Below” be sure and check out the lyrics of “Poor Unfortunate Souls“.
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