“it’s a small world” composer looks back on his big career at Disney

Jim Hill

13 years ago

It wasn't always easy directly working for Walt Disney.
Sometimes you found yourself dealing with some very weird assignments.

"My brother and I were in our office one day when we got a
phone call. 'Walt wants you down on Stage 4,' "Disney Legend Richard M Sherman
recalled during a recent phone interview. "So we hurry on down there. Walt
greets us at the door and then leads us to some seats on this darkened
soundstage. And he then says 'Okay. Turn it on.' And we're suddenly surrounded
by all of these talking tikis and singing birds."

"After a few minutes, my brother and I turn to Walt and say
'This is amazing. But what's it all for? What's this show supposed to be about?,"
Richard continued. "So Walt laughed and then said 'Well, that's why I brought
you two down here. You're going to write a song which explains to the world
what this show is actually all about.' Which is where 'In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room'
song came from. "

Mind you, this was just one of the dozens of tunes that
Richard M and Robert B Sherman wrote while they were Walt Disney Productions'
house composers during much of the 1960s and the early 1970s. So if you've ever
found yourself humming the "Winnie the Pooh" theme song and/or singing
"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," you have these two to thank.

And speaking of thanks … Hundreds of Disneyana fans are
expected to turn out in Hollywood tonight to pay tribute to Richard Sherman. This
multi-media musical showcase – which will feature appearances by Maestro
Richard Allen, international concert and recording artist Rob Richards and
Nashville pianist Alex Zsolt — will be presented
at the El Capitan Theatre. Which is a part of Tinsel Town that this Disney
Legend knows particularly well.

"The world premieres of 'Mary Poppins' and 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' – which my brother and I wrote the music & lyrics for – were
held across the street at the Chinese Theater. And the premiere of 'The Tigger Movie' was held at the El Cap," Sherman said. "So this is a part of Hollywood
that I'm very familiar with."

Now when a 83 year-old songwriter typically receives these
sorts of accolades, one would naturally assume that they've come to the end of
their career. But Richard M Sherman is not your typical 83 year-old songwriter.

"I actually wrote a song last year – 'Make Way for Tomorrow
Today' – which was used in both 'Iron Man 2' and 'Captain America,' " Richard
stated. "I also recorded a CD of my piano music, 'Forgotten Dreams.' Not to
mention performing at the Destination D event at Walt Disney World and taking
part in the 'It's a Small World: Celebrating 45 Years' panel at the D23 EXPO."

Speaking of "it's a small world" … Writing the theme song
for this Disney Park attraction was another one of those assignments that Walt
suddenly dropped in Richard & Robert's lap.

"Again we get a phone call. 'Walt needs you down on
Soundstage 4 to take a look at the UNICEF ride.' So we get down there and it's
a room full of singing dolls. Only because each of these dolls is singing the
national anthem of their own individual country … Well, it sounds just awful,"
Richard laughed. "So Walt turns to us and says 'I need you guys to write a song
that all of these dolls can sing. A simple round. Nothing too preachy. But make
it bouncy. And I need this yesterday. This 'UNICEF Salutes the Children'
attraction opens at the New York World's Fair in 9 months."

So Richard and Robert retreat to their office on the Disney
lot and quickly try to come up with a tune.

"Now you have to remember that this was the 1960s at the
height of the Cold War. A time when it seemed like we were always minutes away
from blowing everything up. Which wouldn't be a very smart thing to do because
there is just one moon and one golden sun and a smile means friendship to
everyone," Sherman recalled. "And just like that, that song flowed out of my
brother and I. Its message is so simple and sincere. It's a small world after
all. So let's be nice to one another and not blow each other up."

The Brothers Sherman with some of the props from "it's a small world."
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved

But because 'it's a small world' came together so quickly
(Richard and Robert literally wrote this entire tune over a single lunch hour),
the brothers didn't initially think that this song was any good. So they spent
the rest of that afternoon laboring over alternate theme songs for this
attraction.

"But now here comes Walt. We can hear his footsteps coming down
the hallway. And my brother turns to me and says 'Play the first one.' I say
'Really? The simple one?" And he says 'Yes.' So as Walt walks into our office,
I'm at the piano singing 'it's a world of laughter, a world of tears, it's a
world of hopes, it's a world of fears …," Richard remembered. "So Walt listens
to the song and then says 'Play it again.' So I play it again. Walt then says
'Follow me.' So we get in his car and drive over to Glendale. Where we then
play this song for the Imagineers. And they get all excited and start talking
about how we can play it in a minor key during the Japanese & China section
of the ride so that the song then sounds authentically oriental … "

"And nine months later, 'it's a small world' – the
Imagineers ditched that awful 'UNICEF Salutes the Children of the World' name which
this attraction originally had in favor of our song title – opens at the 1964
New York Worlds Fair. And it's the hit of the Fair," Sherman smiled. "And
nobody knew that this song was something that my brother and I wrote on the fly
because Walt needed something yesterday."

But the strength of "it's a small world" (i.e. that it's a
seemingly simple song with a heartfelt sentiment which is also immediately
catchy) is a strength that runs through many of Richard & Robert Sherman's
very best songs. But at the same time, while they were working as the house
composers at Disney, the Shermans never deliberately tried to write a catchy,
commercial tune. They were always trying to find the very best way to service
the ride or the show that Walt had assigned them to work on.

"Like when we worked on 'Mary Poppins.' All of the songs we
wrote for that movie serviced the story. They all arose naturally from the
characters or the situations that they found themselves in," Sherman said.
"That's why my favorite compliment that I ever got for 'Mary Poppins' was when
a friend of mine walked out of a preview screening and said to me 'Well, that
didn't have a lot of music, did it?' And I then told him that 'Mary Poppins'
has 14 songs and 12 reprises. It just didn't seem like a lot of music while you
were watching that movie because those songs were all woven into the thread of
that story."

Sadly, that sort of
craftsmanship seems to be in short supply these days. Which is why it's nice
that music fans are coming together tonight in Hollywood at the El Capitan
Theatre to look back at Richard M Sherman's career. Which is kind of ironic,
given that – as the man wrote "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" – Richard
is always one who keeps an eye on the future.

"My brother and I wrote a Broadway musical, 'Busker Alley,'
that almost made it into New York. We were out-of-town in Tampa, literally
ready to move this musical to Broadway when our star – Tommy Tune – injured
himself while he was onstage performing and then couldn't continue with the
show," Sherman stated. "I'm still trying to get that show produced on Broadway.
Jim Dale did a benefit concert version of 'Busker Alley'that everyone just
loved. So who knows? It may yet happen."

Which is just what you'd expect from the guy who wrote these
optimistic lyrics for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." Which (hopefully) will resonate with all
those who really struggled to get through 2011:

So when it gets distressing it's a blessing
Onward and upward you must press
Till up from the ashes, up from the ashes grow the roses of success