The Little Mermaid’s New Kiss The Girl Lyrics: What Changed & Why

Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake has new “Kiss the Girl” lyrics; here’s what changed for the song and why. The remake of the original 1989 animated movie retells the same general story with a new cast headlined by Halle Bailey as Ariel. For all the changes that exist between the two versions of the film, the songs are largely familiar. Most of the original works from Alan Menken and Howard Ashmore return, along with some new songs written by them and Lin-Manuel Miranda. This includes letting Halle Bailey sing “Part of Your World,” Daveed Diggs do “Under the Sea,” and Melissa McCarthy perform “Poor Unfortunate Souls.”

“Kiss the Girl” is among the most iconic of The Little Mermaid‘s songs, and the sequence is brought back in a new way for the live-action remake. Whereas the song was a solo number for Sebastian in the past, Scuttle and Flounder help out in the 2023 version. This is far from the only way that the live-action The Little Mermaid changes “Kiss the Girl.” The song notably includes updated lyrics for the reimagining that bring a few other differences. Here are The Little Mermaid‘s new “Kiss the Girl” lyrics and how they are different.

How The Little Mermaid 2023’s Kiss The Girl Lyrics Are Different

The majority of The Little Mermaid‘s “Kiss the Girl” lyrics remain for the live-action remake, but verse two is where the changes come. Originally, Howard Ashmore’s lyrics for the second verse were as followed:

Yes, you want her

Look at her, you know you do

Possible she wants you too

There is one way to ask her

It don’t take a word

Not a single word

Go on and kiss the girl

Disney’s new “Kiss the Girl” lyrics in 2023’s The Little Mermaid change the back half of the second verse. Daveed Diggs’ Sebastian is heard singing the following, with the bolded lyrics signifying what changed:

Yes, you want her

Look at her, you know you do

Possible she wants you too

Use your words boy and ask her

If the time is right

And the time is tonight

Go on and kiss the girl

Why Disney Changed Kiss The Girl’s Lyrics For The Little Mermaid

Although the original “Kiss the Girl” is a classic and revered to the point it was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, Alan Menken and Disney had a good reason behind changing the lyrics after 34 years. Menken explained the decision during an interview with Vanity Fair in the lead-up to the movie’s release. He said The Little Mermaid‘s new “Kiss the Girl” lyrics were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda because “people have gotten very sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel].”

Instead of Sebastian encouraging Eric to just kiss Ariel, Disney’s new “Kiss the Girl” lyrics allow The Little Mermaid to have him suggest that Eric should ask Ariel if he can kiss her. The new lyrics eliminate any sense that Eric would not take Ariel’s consent into account. Since The Little Mermaid also changed Ursula’s spell so that Ariel does not even remember that she needs to get a true love’s kiss, in addition to not being able to talk, the updated “Kiss the Girl” lyrics are understandable.