Who was the lyricist for The Little Mermaid?

Howard Ashman was the lyricist for The Little Mermaid.

Ashman wrote the lyrics for the film’s songs, working with composer Alan Menken. Their partnership helped turn the 1989 movie into a fully integrated musical: songs such as “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” and “Kiss the Girl” advance character goals and story action rather than simply interrupting the plot.

Ashman and Menken had already collaborated on the stage musical Little Shop of Horrors. At Disney, Ashman helped persuade the filmmakers to structure The Little Mermaid around Broadway-style musical storytelling, with recurring themes and carefully placed songs. Menken composed the music, while Ashman supplied the words, so Alan Menken is not the film’s lyricist even though he is its composer.

Ashman died in 1991, before the release of Beauty and the Beast, but his work on The Little Mermaid helped launch the Disney Renaissance. He and Menken won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Under the Sea,” while the film also received recognition for its score. Stephen Schwartz and Tim Rice are lyricists associated with other major musicals, not this film.