I find it really difficult to trust anyone who doesn't know the lyrics to "Beauty and the Beast," or at the very least the melody to "Be Our Guest." These classic songs from Disney's Beauty and the Beast are integral to the animated film, and thus hold a very special place in my '90s kid's heart. Luckily, the new live action Beauty and the Beast keeps all the beloved songs from the original film, but there are a few new additions. The live action Beauty and the Beast introduces three brand new songs to the love story, and, don't worry, they fit right in, and for that, we can thank a famed Disney composer. The new Beauty and the Beast songs are written by Alan Menken, the man who wrote the original songs almost 30 years ago.
Menken has been composing music for Disney films since 1989, when he worked on The Little Mermaid. He's the brilliant mind behind the music in Aladdin, Hercules, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Tangled, and, of course, the original 1991 version of Beauty and the Beast. When Disney decided it wanted to add a few more songs for the live action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast, the filmmakers turned to Menken, and thank goodness they did.
Menken teamed up with lyricist Tim Rice — Howard Ashman, who collaborated on the original, died in 1991 — to write three new songs, plus an "Aria" for Garderobe actress Audra McDonald to kick off the film. "It's exciting. For me because I'm writing the new songs and scoring the new movie, it's a lot of work," Menken said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. Well, all that work certainly paid off. Here's everything you need to know about the three new songs and their roles in Beauty and the Beast.
"How Does A Moment Last Forever"
There are two variations of this song in the film. The first, "How Does A Moment Last Forever (Music Box)" is sung by Belle's father, Maurice (played by Kevin Kline), as he reminisces about life before Belle's mother died, when she was just a baby. Belle later reprises the song, "How Does A Moment Last Forever (Montmartre)," when she is at the castle, settling into her new friendship with the Beast. The reprise is used as a way for Belle to assert her independence, as it alludes to her deciding to embrace this adventure in the enchanted castle. A full version of this song also plays over the credits sung by Celine Dion.
"Days In The Sun"
"Days in the Sun" begins as a song about the Prince's sad childhood and turns into the castle servants reminiscing about their days as humans. Menken described it to EW as "a combination of a lullaby and a remembrance of happier days for everybody."
"Evermore"
"Evermore" is a big song for the Beast that comes just after he sends Belle home to save her father form Gaston's plan to send him to a mental hospital. "He's basically singing about how he now knows what love is, as he watches her leave, and he's climbing up the turret of the castle as she recedes into the distance, just watching her go further and further away," Menken told EW. (This one's a heartbreaker, ladies.) Josh Groban has also recorded a version of the song.
You'll have to wait until the new Beauty and the Beast soundtrack is released on March 10 to add these songs to your Disney playlist. Trust me, they're worth the wait.
