Menken and Ashman also collaborated on Little Shop of Horrors with Ashman as director, lyricist, and librettist.
Along with Menken, Ashman was the co-recipient of two Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and two Oscars. His second Academy Award in 1992 was awarded posthumuously for Best Song and was accepted by his partner, Bill Lauch. It was the first Academy Award given posthumously to someone who had died of AIDS.
Ashman died on March 14, 1991, at age 40, during the making of both Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Ashman and Menken had finished the songs for Beauty and the Beast, but Tim Rice was brought in to finish Aladdin songs with Menken. Beauty and the Beast was dedicated to him with the following:
To our friend, Howard,
Who gave a mermaid her voice,
and a beast his soul.
We will be forever grateful.
Howard Ashman
1950-1991
Best known works:
* Aladdin (1992) (lyricist)
* Beauty and the Beast (1991) (lyricist) (executive producer) (dedicatee)
* The Little Mermaid (1989) (lyricist) (music producer)
* Little Shop of Horrors (1982) (lyricist)
Daughters of Triton
Howard Ashman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Great father who loves us and named us well
Aquata
Adrena
Arista
Adena
Adella
And then there is the youngest in her musical debut
A seventh little sister, we're presenting her to you
To sing a song Sebastian wrote, her voice is like a bell
She's our sister Ari
stotle, say hello to everybody, Ari!
The song "Daughters of Triton" is an introduction to the seven daughters of Triton. It opens with a chorus of the seven mermaid sisters introducing themselves by name. They express their father's love for them and his wise choice of their names. They then introduce their youngest sister, Ariel, who is making her musical debut. The sisters present her to the audience and invite her to sing a song that their friend, Sebastian the crab, wrote for her. The song celebrates Ariel's beautiful voice which is likened to a bell.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, we are the daughters of Triton
We, the group of mermaid sisters, proudly proclaim our heritage as offspring of Triton, our beloved father who cares deeply for us and bestowed upon us meaningful names.
Great father who loves us and named us well
Triton is a great father figure who expresses his love for us by giving us names that reflect our unique qualities.
Aquata
The name of the first daughter, who embodies traits of water and empathy.
Adrena
The second daughter, who possesses skills of endurance and perseverance.
Arista
The third daughter, known for her confidence and strength of character.
Adena
The fourth daughter, gifted with an acute sense of intuition.
Adella
The fifth daughter, known for her graceful and charming demeanor.
Alana
The sixth daughter, who embodies passion and eagerness in all aspects of life.
And then there is the youngest in her musical debut
A new sister, the seventh and youngest of us all, is about to make her debut performance in the realm of music.
A seventh little sister, we're presenting her to you
We, the elder sisters, are honored to present our little sister to the audience and to the world.
To sing a song Sebastian wrote, her voice is like a bell
Our little sister Ari will sing a song penned by Sebastian, and her vocal talent is sure to impress the audience with its angelic quality.
She's our sister Ari
Our youngest sister's name is Ari, and we are proud of her and excited for her musical debut.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Howard Eliott Ashman, Alan Menken
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind