Toon Talk Special: The 101 Greatest Disney Songs - Part 1 of 2
Page 7 of 11
#26 - "A Spoonful Of Sugar"
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game!"
Lead Vocals: Julie Andrews as
Mary Poppins
Source Album: Mary Poppins Original Soundtrack
Behind the Music:
- The Shermans wrote 35 songs over 2 years for Mary Poppins, with 13 used in the final film.
- The original first song for Mary Poppins was "The Eyes
of Love", a simple lullaby.But Andrews suggested a more upbeat melody for her initial
number, and the result was this song. An unreleased demo recording of "The Eyes of
Love" is available on the soundtrack. - This song was inspired by Robert's son, who explained how he was given the Salk vaccine in school:a lump of sugar with the medicine inside.Thus the phrase "a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" was born.
#27 -
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious"
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious
If you say it loud enough, you'll always sound precocious
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!"
Vocals: Julie Andrews as Mary
Poppins, Dick Van Dyke as Bert and The Pearlie Chorus, featuring Richard M. Sherman and J.
Pat O'Malley
Source Album: Mary Poppins Original Soundtrack
Behind the Music:
- The song was inspired by the Sherman's childhood experiences in a summer camp in the Adirondack Mountains, where they and their campmates had their own "special word".
- This "nonsense song" became a pop hit, appearing on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Sherman Brothers
#28 - "Feed The Birds (Tuppence
A Bag)"
Mary Poppins - 1964
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Look down as she sells her wares
Although you can't see it, you know they are smiling
Each time someone shows that he cares"
Lead Vocals: Julie Andrews as
Mary Poppins
Source Album: Mary Poppins Original Soundtrack
Alternate Tracks: Michelle Nicastro deftly blends "Feed the
Birds (Tuppence a Bag)" and "Chim Chim Cher-ee" in a moving medley on Reel
Imagination.
Behind the Music:
- Walt's personal favorite.The Shermans would often visit Walt on Friday afternoons, and he always requested them to play this song on his office piano. After Walt passed away, they would still visit his office and play it for him.
- An unreleased demo of this song can be heard on the soundtrack.
#29 - "Chim Chim Cher-ee"
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
'Tween pavement and stars
Is the chimney-sweep world"
Vocals: Dick Van Dyke as Bert,
Karen Dotrice as Jane Banks, Matthew Garber as Michael Banks and Julie Andrews as Mary
Poppins
Source Album: Mary Poppins Original Soundtrack
Behind the Music:
- Inspired by a picture in P.L. Travers' original book of a happy-go-lucky chimney-sweep.
- The film won two Oscars (for this song and for Best Musical Score - Substantially Original), two Grammys (for Film Score and Children's Album) and a Golden Globe nomination (for Best Score).
- An unreleased demo recording of this song is heard on the soundtrack.
- The Mike Curb Congregation offer a "lovin' spoonful" of sugar in their Mary Poppins medley, made up of all four of these songs, on their Walt Disney's Greatest Hits album.
#30 - "Winnie The Pooh"
Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Where Christopher Robin plays
You'll find the enchanted neighborhood
Of Christopher's childhood days"
Vocals: The Disney Studio Chorus
Source Album: The Best of Pooh & Tigger, too
Alternate Track: The Chieftans provide a Celtic feel to their cover
version on Take My Hand: Songs from the Hundred Acre Wood.
Behind the Music:
Debuted in Winnie the Pooh & the Honey Tree, and was heard in each subsequent Pooh short.