This article is about the song from the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. For the song from the Tarzan musical, see For the First Time.
"For the First Time" is a song in the 2023 live-action remake of The Little Mermaid. It is sung by Ariel (in narration), and it is about her experiences the moment she steps on land after her bargain with Ursula. According to director Rob Marshall, the song was created to almost work as a montage, so they could take Ariel through the experience of coming onto land, what it is like to put on shoes, and have legs. While it is all Ariel had always dreamed of, it is also something daunting and new for her.[1]
Lyrics[]
Look at the sun and the sky and the sand and
The sea behind me
Look at me, suddenly I am on land and I'm free
Don't mind me as I
Climb for the first time
Jump for the first time
Trying to stand but this gravity's pulling me down
Look, it's a fire!
It's warm and it glows and
It lights this chamber
Let me admire it— ow!
Get too close and it bites!
I came too close for the first time
Burned for the first time
Everything's clearer and brighter and hotter
But now that I'm here like a fish out of water
I'm trying to stand but this gravity's pulling me down
Are we only food for slaughter
Is this life on land?
Well, you were lonely underwater
Come on, Ariel, time to stand!
Squeeze in the shoes and the corset, it's tight
And the seams are bursting
Some women choose this, I guess it's alright
Are my dreams adjusting
As I wait for the first time
Here for the first time
Now for the first time
He's coming through those doors
Up the stairs
From the shore
From that moment
And he'll smile
Like he knows
When I say—
Realize the price that you paid with your voice
As he turns from you
Those sacrifices you made were a choice
That you can't undo
Lost for the first time
Scared for the first time
Gravity feels like an undertow pulling me down
Trivia[]
- The song shares the same first four words as "For the First Time in Forever" from Frozen and "For the First Time" from the musical adaptation of Tarzan.
- The song is similar to "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" from the musical adaption of the animated film.
References[]
- ↑ "The Little Mermaid's New Ariel Song "For The First Time" Is "About Her Experiences The Moment She Hits Land", Says Rob Marshall". Empire. Retrieved on March 14, 2023.
