I Want the Good Times Back Lyrics - Little Mermaid

Song Overview

“I Want the Good Times Back” is the Broadway-born villain showpiece from The Little Mermaid, delivered by Ursula with crackling wit and a swaggering, cabaret-meets-big-band strut. On the The Little Mermaid (Original Broadway Cast Recording) the track appears as cut 5, with Sherie Rene Scott leading as Ursula, flanked by Tyler Maynard and Derrick Baskin as Flotsam and Jetsam. The recording was produced by Alan Menken and released by Walt Disney Records on February 26, 2008.

Review & Highlights

This number works like a neon sign in a smoky nightclub. The lyrics hit fast, the groove snaps hard, and Ursula sells domination as if it were haute cuisine. Onstage, the bit lands as comic menace. On record, it’s a juicy character study that practically winks at you between brass stabs. You hear the plot clicking into place while the band rides a sly shuffle. Twice over, the lyrics underline motive and appetite, letting you savor the villain before the scheme turns the story.

Personal take: I remember first spinning the cast album and laughing at the delicious asides, then clocking how the arrangement keeps tightening the screws. It’s funny, then suddenly feral. That swing section isn’t window dressing - it’s Ursula’s pulse.

Key takeaways: character first; comedy with teeth; rhythm section driving the snark; text paints the trap.

Verse 1

We open on legacy and grievance. Ursula frames her banishment and name-checks family politics, all while the orchestra struts in minor-key glam.

Chorus

The hook isn’t tender - it’s a toast to tyranny. Each “good times” hit functions like a drumhead oath, making the objective plain.

Exchange/Bridge

Flotsam and Jetsam feed options, Ursula pounces on the weakness. The patter tightens, the orchestration brightens, and the plan sharpens to a point.

Final Build

The last section is pure appetite - trident, crown, throne - with the band roaring behind her. Curtain on intent; act one now has rocket fuel.

Song Meaning and Annotations

At heart, this is a thesis statement for a villain who prefers velvet gloves over iron fists - until the party starts. The genre blend leans Broadway belt with cabaret swing, letting punchlines ride the groove while menace hums underneath.

You know who his trident went to - don’t you, babies!

The emotional arc starts playful, then turns predatory. Jokes soften the edges until she names her target and the chord colors go darker.

possible audition cut starting with this line

As a plot engine, the lyric is economical. We get backstory, motive, and method in under five minutes, plus the seeds of Ariel’s bargain.

possible audition cut ending with this line

Production-wise, the Broadway album puts brassy reeds and rhythm section front and center, closer to a club band than a pit playing lush Disney waltz.

Alternative lyric – “And though she might get mad…”

Historically, the musical folded early film notes into canon, making Ursula Triton’s sister and amplifying palace politics. This song cashes in that lore with swagger and clarity.

You know who.

Culture touchpoints matter too. Disney villains often flirt with cabaret codes - relish, camp, crowd work - and this track embraces that lineage while staying story-true.

I want the good times back!

Message

Power tastes better when it’s performed. Ursula sells us the feast before serving the trap - a masterclass in charm weaponized.

Emotional tone

Starts jaunty, turns hungry, finishes exultant. The humor buys her permission; the plan takes the room.

Production & instrumentation

Shuffle-leaning groove, punchy horns, reed flourishes, rhythm guitar comping like a pit band that moonlights downtown. The mix favors voice over orchestra, keeping text crystal and jokes front-loaded.

Key Facts

• Artist: Original Broadway Cast of The Little Mermaid
• Featured: Sherie Rene Scott, Tyler Maynard, Derrick Baskin
• Composer: Alan Menken
• Lyricist: Glenn Slater
• Producer: Alan Menken
• Release Date: February 26, 2008
• Album: The Little Mermaid (Original Broadway Cast Recording)
• Label: Walt Disney Records
• Track #: 5
• Genre: Musical theatre, Broadway, cabaret-inflected
• Instruments: brass, woodwinds, rhythm section, strings (pit orchestra)
• Mood: sardonic, seductive, triumphant
• Length: about 4 minutes 50 seconds (album version)
• Language: English
• Music style: swing-tinged shuffle with belting
• Poetic meter: mixed, patter passages with iambic runs and trochaic hooks
• © Copyrights: © 2008 Walt Disney Records; publishing administered by Walt Disney Music Company

Questions and Answers

Who wrote “I Want the Good Times Back”?

Alan Menken composed the music and Glenn Slater wrote the lyrics.

Who performs it on the Original Broadway Cast album?

Sherie Rene Scott (Ursula) with Tyler Maynard and Derrick Baskin as Flotsam and Jetsam.

When was it released commercially?

It was released on February 26, 2008 as part of The Little Mermaid (Original Broadway Cast Recording).

Is this song used in current licensed productions?

Often no. Many licensed versions use “Daddy’s Little Angel” instead, following the show’s re-imagining after Broadway.

Was it ever a standalone single?

No formal single release is documented; it’s best known as an album track and audition favorite with widely available backing tracks.

Awards and Chart Positions

The cast album that features “I Want the Good Times Back” debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard’s Cast Albums chart, moving over 20,000 units in its first week - the strongest Broadway cast debut in over a decade at the time.

The production earned two Tony nominations including Best Original Score for Menken and co-lyricists Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and the album later received a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Show Album.

In television, ABC’s 2019 special The Little Mermaid Live! incorporated several Broadway-added numbers like “Her Voice” and “If Only” but not “I Want the Good Times Back.”

How to Sing I Want the Good Times Back?

Vocal range & key: Commonly performed in C minor, sitting comfortably for a mezzo with a chest-dominant mix. Expect a floor around low G3 and tops that flirt with B4–C5 in belt.

Style & tempo: Think nightclub swagger at a medium swing tempo. Keep the pulse buoyant, sit slightly behind the beat, and let consonants snap.

Breath & phrasing: The patter sections need sneaky breaths before rhyme payoffs. Mark breaths at bar lines where the orchestra hits - ride those accents like punchlines.

Diction & character: Chew the jokes without smearing the rhyme. Smile into the vowels on taunts, darken the color when the plan turns sharp.

Mix strategy: Chorus lines reward a muscular mix - anchor in chest, release the top on the last “back.” Save the true belt for the final build so the arc reads.

Acting beats: Clock three pivots - grievance, appetite, strategy. Each section should feel like leveling up power, not just volume.