Alan Menken’s Under The Sea is played in an almost baroque style, but the lyrics cause it to be seen as a song of anxiety and longing. Alan Menken said that he wrote this piece “in major mode.”
Alan Menken also commented on the lyrics saying that he was interested in writing about “deep sea divers, their strange, fantasy life” because it interested him, and he found that “the idea of underwater was fun.” Alan Menken’s sister Susan advised Alan to change the title of the song because it only revealed what happened in the last line. Alan said that she actually wrote out a different set of lyrics. The ones Alan used were originally entitled Beached. Alan said that “the original title wasn’t working for me. I was really very interested in the oceanography, but I didn’t know what would happen to it.” Alan Menken added that he wanted something that came across as knowing the outcome of the story, and that is why Alan Menken titled his version Under The Sea. Alan Menken also commented on the lyrics saying that he was interested in writing about “deep sea divers, their strange, fantasy life” because it interested him, and he found that “the idea of underwater was fun.” Alan Menken’s sister Susan advised Alan to change the title of the song because it only revealed what happened in the last line. Alan said that she actually wrote out a different set of lyrics. The ones Alan used were originally entitled Beached. Alan said that “the original title wasn’t working for me. I was really very interested in the oceanography, but I didn’t know what would happen to it.” Alan Menken added that he wanted something that came across as knowing the outcome of the story, and that is why Alan Menken titled his version Under The Sea. Alan Menken also commented on the lyrics saying that he was interested in writing about “deep sea divers, their strange, fantasy life” because it interested him, and he found that “the idea of underwater was fun.” Alan Menken’s sister Susan advised Alan to change the title of the song because it only revealed what happened in the last line. Alan said that she actually wrote out a different set of lyrics.
