‘Peter Pan & Wendy’ Offers Some Catchy New Sea Shanties

in Disney, Music

Peter Pan

Credit: Disney

Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) is finally streaming on Disney+, which means their soundtrack is now available on Spotify. And you’d be surprised to learn that it features a few sea shanties performed by Captain Hook’s pirates.

Captain Hook in Peter Pan & Wendy
Credit: Disney

Related: Tinker Bell Loses Iconic Glow in Live-Action ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’

Sea shanties are a long-honored tradition among merchant vessels, sung by workers on ships dating all the way back to the mid-19th century. Among those merchant vessels were pirates, the most dangerous outlaws of the seven seas. But although they were violent, they loved to sing a good tune. The popularity grew with pirate books such as  Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and Disneyland‘s Pirates of the Caribbean.

More notable is the song introducing Captain Hook’s crew in Walt Disney’s Peter Pan (1953). “A Pirate’s Life” is a short but sweet sea shanty that essentially sums up why these nefarious sea dogs love being pirates.  As is the case with most pirate sea shanties.

Disney’s lates live action, Peter Pan & Wendy (2023), continues this tradition by adding two new sea shanties to their soundtrack. Both are preformed by the pirates on Captain Hook’s ship.

The first of the two is titled Behemooth, which is most likely a reference to the behemoth beast found in the Bible, a form of the primeval chaos-monster created by God at the beginning of creation. The song is a warning about sea monsters. “Dark and quiet are the devils of the deep, so slow and silent so you’re swollowed in your sleep. With a tail and a tooth, and I’m telling you the truth, you’ll be wallowing in the belly of a behemooth”. While the song seems more disturbing than cheery, it’s quite catchy.

Peter Pan & Wendy
Credit: Disney

The next sea shanty is slightly more depressing, with the title Ode to the Falling. This one is a dirge, which means a sober song expressing mourning or grief. The pirates sing of an alligator and confronting the creator, sinking deeper as you stare at the reaper. Already knowing the plot, it’s obvious who’s death this song is about.

Peter Pan (1953)
Credit: Disney

Related: Jude Law Claims He Was Miserable and Moody on the Set of ‘Peter Pan’

While its great to get some new original songs, there is one song that is missing from the live-action version. Fans won’t find  You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly! on the soundtrack, which is the most iconic Peter Pan song, if not one of the most iconic classic Disney songs.

Have you seen Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) on Disney+ yet? Let us know in the comments. 

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