The song is performed soon after the Beast saves Belle from the wolf attack, and their initially shady relationship begins to blossom into a friendship. Small hints of romance are beginning to be seen as well.
The lyrical content of the song strongly emphasizes upon the fact that Belle and the Beast are beginning to fall in love. The main characters are beginning to think maybe something was absent within the first few hours Belle and the Beast met, causing them to clash. But now that the "something" is here, the love is flowing in a more stable pattern. The other servants are touched by the romance before them, and Mrs. Potts doesn't allow Chip to find out until he is older.
Belle:There's something sweet And almost kind But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined And now he's dear, and so unsure I wonder why I didn't see it there before
Beast:She glanced this way I thought I saw And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw No it can't be, I'll just ignore But then she's never looked at me that way before
Belle:New and a bit alarming Who'd have ever thought that this could be True that he's no Prince Charming? But there's something in him that I simply didn't see
Lumiere:Well, who'd have thought? Mrs. Potts:Well, bless my soul Cogsworth:Well, who'd have known? Mrs. Potts:Well, who indeed? Lumiere:And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own? Mrs. Potts:It's so peculiar. Lumiere/Mrs. Potts/Cogsworth:We'll wait and see, a few days more There may be something there that wasn't there before
Cogsworth: You know, perhaps there's something there That wasn't there before Chip: (Spoken) What? Mrs. Potts:There may be something there that wasn't there before Chip: (Spoken) What's there, mama? Mrs. Potts: (Spoken) Shh! I'll tell you when you're older.
Belle:There's something sweet And almost kind But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined And now he's dear, and so unsure I wonder why I didn't see it there before
Beast:She glanced this way I thought I saw And when we touched she didn't shudder at my paw No it can't be, I'll just ignore But then she's never looked at me that way before
Belle:New and a bit alarming Who'd have ever thought that this could be True that he's no Prince Charming? But there's something in him that I simply didn't see
Lumiere:Well, who'd have thought? Mrs. Potts:Well, bless my soul Cogsworth:Well, who'd have known? Mrs. Potts:Well, who indeed? Lumiere:And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own? Mrs. Potts:It's so peculiar. Lumiere/Mrs. Potts/Cogsworth:We'll wait and see, a few days more There may be something there that wasn't there before
Cogsworth: You know, perhaps there's something there That wasn't there before Mrs. Potts:There may be something there that wasn't there before
Seemingly, Paige O'Hara, the voice of Belle, had trouble singing the "New and a bit alarming" part of the song because it was rather high for her vocal range. So Alan Menken and Howard Ashman told her to sing it like Grammy-winner Barbra Streisand, and it obviously helped.
The first song "Belle" has said character express her fantasies with the lyrics, "Oh, isn't this amazing. It's my favorite part because, you'll see. Here is where she meets Prince Charming, but she won't discover that it's him till chapter three". Later, the tune is reprised during this song when she sings, "New and a bit alarming, who'd have ever thought that this could be? True, that he's no Prince Charming, but there's something in him that I simply didn't see." It is basically a retelling of the story Belle had read, with herself, unknowingly, as a character in it.
Scenes from the song (particularly the snowball fight and their being in front of the fireplace) were used for the endings of Issues 3 and 13 of the Beauty and the Beast comic line by Marvel Comics.
In the 1991 film, Belle and the Beast's lyrics are sung offscreen, but in the remake, they are sung onscreen.
A documentary on the DVD states that the song was written to replace "Human Again", after it was dropped.
Enchanted Christmas:Angelique • Forte • Fife Belle's Magical World:Webster • Crane • Le Plume • Witherspoon • Chandeleria Deleted Characters:Clarice • Marguerite • Belle's Sisters • Belle's Suitors • Belle's Mother Sing Me a Story with Belle:Harmony • Big Book • Lewis and Carol Book Characters:Countess de la Perle • Thunder • Love • Death Remake:Cadenza • Jean Potts • The King • The Queen
Broadway:No Matter What • Me • Home • How Long Must This Go On? • If I Can't Love Her • Maison Des Lunes • A Change in Me Enchanted Christmas:Stories • As Long As There's Christmas • Don't Fall in Love • A Cut Above the Rest Belle's Magical World:A Little Thought • Listen With Our Hearts Live-Action Film:Aria • How Does A Moment Last Forever • Days in the Sun • Evermore
Locations
Beast's Castle • Library • Belle's Cottage • Village • Ballroom • The Black Forest • Tavern • The West Wing • Belle's Room
