His best known work includes the Disney animated movies, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as Little Shop of Horrors, Enchanted, Tangled and most recently, Sister Act the Musical.
Fathoms Below
Alan Menken Lyrics
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And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Look out lad a mermaid be waiting for you
In mysterious fathoms below
Fathoms below, below
From whence wayward westerlies blow
Where Triton is king and his merpeople sing
Below
Below
Below, below, below
In mysterious fathoms below
The song "Fathoms Below" is from the Disney movie, "The Little Mermaid," composed by Alan Menken and written by Howard Ashman. It's a sea shanty type of song that the sailors sing while working on their ship, and it sets the tone for the rest of the movie. The first two lines of the chorus are "Fathoms below, below / From whence wayward westerlies blow," and the rest of the song follows the same melody and repetition.
The first verse introduces the listener to the bottomless blue, representing the vast and unknown depths of the ocean. The sailor's chant, "Hey to the starboard, heave-ho," implies that they are working together to overcome the challenges that the sea presents to them. Then, the song takes a mythical turn, warning the sailors about mermaids who may be waiting for them in the fathoms below.
The following chorus refers to Triton, the king of the sea, and his merpeople. They sing mysterious songs that the sailors cannot understand, creating a sense of wonder and fear. The repetition of "below" emphasizes the distance between the sea and the humans who sail above it.
Overall, "Fathoms Below" is a catchy tune that captures the adventurous spirit of the sailors, while simultaneously introducing the supernatural elements of the sea. It sets up the contrast between the world of humans and the world of mermaids, setting the stage for the rest of the film.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
Let me recount a story of the vast ocean
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
We're setting sail and need to prepare the ship for movement
Look out lad a mermaid be waiting for you
Be careful, there are mermaids in these waters who may cause danger
In mysterious fathoms below
In the unknown depths of the sea
Fathoms below, below
In the unfathomable depths of the ocean
From whence wayward westerlies blow
Where winds can lead you astray and create unpredictable circumstances
Where Triton is king and his merpeople sing
In a mythical place ruled by Triton, with his subjects being mermaids who sing
In mysterious fathoms below
In the unexplored depths of the ocean
Below
Further down into the unknown depths of the sea
Below
Even further down into the enigmatic fathoms of the ocean
Below, below, below
In the dark and mysterious depths of the sea.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Walt Disney Music Company, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HOWARD ASHMAN, GLENN SLATER, ALAN MENKEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DisneyMusicPlaylistChannel
Jonah Hauer-King, John Dagleish, Christopher Fairbank, Ensemble - The Little Mermaid - Fathoms Below (From "The Little Mermaid")
Lyrics:
I’ll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
And it’s hey to the starboard, heave-ho, heave-ho
Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you
In mysterious fathoms below
I’ll sing you a song of the king of the sea
And it’s hey to the starboard, heave-ho, heave-ho
The ruler of all of the oceans is he
In mysterious fathoms below
Heave-ho, heave-ho
Heave-ho, heave-ho
(2023/05/20 18:13(JST))
@diegocaballeroipina2907
Traducción:
Te voy a contar una historia del mar
Que te va a servir, de verdad!
Oé!
Si una sirena escuchas cantar
Te pondrá un hechizo especial
Es una cancion que habla del rey del mar
Que te va a servir, de verdad!
Oé!
Pues manda en las aguas y oceanos el
Un misterio en el fondo del mar
Oé! Oé!
Oé! Oé.
@musicaltheatrefan2k226
I can't believe they kinda ruined it although it sounded catchy.
1989: A kinda-shortened version of the full demo that felt like, uh, er… sounds like a cool sea shanty, but where's the rest?
2008: Glad they extended it! This is way better than the original!
2019: Now this version gives "Touch the Sky" vibes and Eric shines out!
2023: Really?! Now it's a drinking song?!
@starlight992
I'm so sad that this song of Fathoms Below was not that good as it was both in the animated classic movie and the Broadway musical.
It's sounds like the crew are drunk in this version.
😥
I so prefer the song from the animated classic movie and the Broadway musical.
I don't want to be rude about this song and this movie.
@stellaisdead
MY GOD THIS IS GIVING ME SOME NOSTALGIA... THE INSTRUMENTS AND EVERYTHING AAAAHHH...
@lillianwaise5545
Oh, my God! That opening bit with the Fireworks theme from the original animated movie! Something tells me this is going to be the second song, right after Ariel sings Part of the World.
@lenl7671
Its before... this song opens the movie...... then tritons kingdom and then part of your world
@krewpleb9653
@@lenl7671 it’s a remake they might change it because first is the like opening bit when we go underwater
@ChienaAvtzon
@@lenl7671 - Alan Menken said, the order of the songs was changed. The first song, in the film, is “Part of Your World”. This is Prince Eric’s birthday.
@mossngloss
Yessss these must be the sailors partying on the boat
@tikidisney
@@lenl7671 it goes Triton's Kingdom, Part of Your World, then this.
@xmenlover92
While the OG Fathoms Below is always gonna be awesome, I do like the changes to the actual instrumentations (?), because it now sounds like a real shanty! Also, I love Eric's voice! He sounds so happy!
@TheGreekPianist
I love how Eric was singing with them, getting lifted into the air, and being a down to earth sailor having fun in the moment…even though he was a prince ❤
@beachballssideaccount
As someone who loves sea shanties, I really like this new take on the song