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movie version . demo version . broadway version



This is the opening song for The Little Mermaid, and as with most other animated movie opening songs, is brief but sets the tone of the movie. Sung by the sailors aboard Eric's ship as they venture the seas, and it's nice way to contrast the cynicism/superstition of the human world with the mystique of the merworld. The middle verse of the following lyrics cannot be heard in the movie, but is present in the soundtrack.

I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
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
In mysterious fathoms below

Below, below
Mysterious fathoms below

@}--->-------


The following is the demo version of Mysterious Fathoms Below, as can be found in The Music Behind the Magic. *Thanks to Mariah for sending these in.

Sailors:
Heave-ho, heave-ho
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Brave sailor beware, for a big 'un's a-brewin'
Mysterious fathoms below

Heave-ho, heave-ho
I'll sing you a song of the king of the sea
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
The ruler of all of the ocean 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

Eric:
Isn't this great?

Grimsby:
Oh yes, delightful.

Eric:
The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face, I love it!

Grimsby:
You love it? I'm about to heave-ho myself!

Sailors:
Heave-ho, heave-ho
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Look out, lad, a mermaid be waiting for you
In mysterious fathoms below

Grimsby:
Eric, please! Get your royal keister down from there!

Eric:
Oh, Grim, nothing's going to... Woah!

Grimsby:
Eric, Eric! It is not at all princely... Oh, I loathe storms!

Sailor:
Ha! This ain't no storm. That's a storm! Way out there...
The king of the ocean is angry
So trouble's a-brewin' out there
I'm tellin' you, lad, when King Triton is mad
How the waves'll buck, rock to and fro
Hold on, good luck, as down you go

Sailors:
For Triton is king of the bottomless blue
And it's hey to the starboard, heave-ho
Beware of the magic his merpeople do
In mysterious fathoms below
Heave-ho, heave-ho

Eric:
Who are they singing about, sailor? Who is King Triton?

Sailor:
Why, ruler of the merpeople, lad! And a powerful lord is he!

Eric:
The merpeople?

Sailor:
Aye, and they's lives down there, with the bodies of fish and the rest of 'em human! Yes, it's what fifty years at sea will do to you. Make fun of yer like! But I seen 'em! Blast!



@}--->-------


The Broadway version of the opening song is a little longer, with Eric and Grismby adding their own vocals to the mix, along with a little bit of exposition to the world of the stage version.



Sailor:
I'll tell you a tale of the bottomless blue

Sailors:
And it's hey, to the starboard, heave ho

Sailor:
Brave sailor, beware, 'cause a big 'uns a-brewin'

Sailors:
Mysterious fathoms below
Heave ho

Sailor:
I'll sing you a song of the king of the sea

Sailors:
And it's hey, to the starboard, heave ho

Sailor:
The ruler of all of the oceans is he

Sailors:
In mysterious fathoms below

Fathoms below, below
From whence wayward westerlies blow
Where Triton is king
And his merpeople sing
In mysterious fathoms below

Eric:
Isn't this perfection, Grimsby? Out on the open sea, surrounded by nothing but water.

Grimsby:
Oh, yes, it’s simply... delightful.

Eric:
The salt on your skin
And the wind in your hair
And the waves as they ebb and they flow
We’re miles from the shore
And guess what? I don’t care

Grimsby:
As for me, I’m about to heave ho

Sailor:
Back to work!

Sailors:
I’ll sing you a song of the king of the sea
And it’s hey, to the starboard, heave ho
The ruler of all of the oceans is he
In mysterious fathoms below

Grimsby:
King of the sea? Why, that’s nautical nonsense. Nothing but a superstition.

Sailor:
The king of the ocean gets angry
And when he gets angry, beware
I’m tellin’ ya, lad, when King Triton is mad
How the waves’ll buck, rock to and fro

Sailors:
Hold on, good luck, as down you go

Eric:
What is that? Do you hear something?

Grimsby:
Milord, please. Enough sea-faring. You’ve got to get back to court to honor your father’s dying wish and take up his crown.

Eric:
That’s not the life for me, Grimsby. There it is again!

Sailor:
We ought to head back to shore, your majesty.

Grimsby:
Indeed, we should!

Eric:
Not while I’m captain. Now follow that voice! To the ends of the earth if we have to!

Sailor:
Aye-aye, Captain!

Sailors:
There’s mermaids out there in the bottomless blue
And it’s hey, to the starboard, heave ho
Watch out for ‘em, lad, or you’ll go to your ruin
Mysterious fathoms below

This page was last modified on July 27th, 2008.