Involved in Your Universe

In today's post, we are looking at Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid. Here's a link to the lyrics.

Like many popular Disney songs, Part of Your World probably either connects with you emotionally or rubs you the wrong way. At first glance for me, this song is just selfish, "the grass is always greener," teenage angst. Let's look at it a little deeper.

Part of Your World is a song of longing. Ariel wants a whole list of things for herself and her life, and she enumerates them in song form. They are:

1) Get new things

2) Have new experiences

3) Meet new people

4) Escape parental authority

5) Learn new things about the world

6) Fall in love/meet the man she already thinks she's in love with

In and of themselves, many of these things are not bad. God created us to be creative and curious, so the desire for new things is in part God-given. On the other hand, it is because of sin that we quickly become dissatisfied with what we already have. If we're just seeking new things because we aren't content, that often leads to trouble, like selling your voice for legs.

Especially problematic is Ariel's desire to escape from the authority of her father. "Betcha on land, they understand. Bet they don't reprimand their daughters--bright young women, sick of swimmin', ready to stand." As a teenager, Ariel is still under her father's direction. Unlike Moana, he is not about to hand the throne over to her, and she still comes across as childish. Her dismissal of what her father tells her is right leads down a dangerous road with Ursula, who's basically a personification of Satan, let's be honest. We could have a whole 'nother discussion about Poor Unfortunate Souls and how temptation uses our desires to capitulate to sin.

So is there any redeeming value to this song? I think there's one thing. It does a really good job of connecting with young people and voicing the desire to be their own adult person, capable of making decisions for themselves. As we get older, we forget what it's like to be young. Songs like this can help us remember, so that we can better empathize and lead those who are following in our footsteps.

Thanks for reading! Do you have a song suggestion you'd like me to dissect? Tell me about it in the comments below!