Part of Your World

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 dancing 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,' Strollin' 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' Strollin' 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.
 * "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. 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 between "Somewhere That's Green" from Little Shop of Horrors, which leading them to humorously called it as "Somewhere That's Dry".
 * 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 got the role of Ariel instead of Jodi Benson.
 * Both Ashley Tisdale and Carly Rae Jepsen have covered this song.

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.