This is a very special classic song of the day extra, in honor of songwriter Richard Sherman, who passed away yesterday. He was 95 years old. Together with his older brother Robert, they composed a legion of songs for Walt Disney films, theme parks, and artists The list is too long to in full, but here are some of the highlights:
- Chim Chim Cher-ee
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (song)
- Feed the Birds
- Femininity
- I Love to Laugh
- I Wan’na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)
- It’s a Small World (After All)
- Jolly Holiday
- Let’s Go Fly a Kite
- My Own Home
- The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band
- The Parent Trap
- Pineapple Princess
- Someone Like Me
- A Spoonful of Sugar
- Step in Time
- Summer Magic
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
- Teamwork
- That Darned Cat
- West o’ the Wide Missouri
- What’s Wrong with That?
- Winnie the Pooh
- The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers
- Your Heart Will Lead You Home
You probably know most of these tunes from your childhood. I certainly watched my share of Disney movies when I was a kid from the backseat of the family station wagon at either the Lafayette Road or Westlake drive-in theaters. I heard and knew and loved all of them, thanks to Richard and Roger Sherman.
Walt Disney’s personal favorite tune of theirs, and mine too, is “Feed the Birds” from Mary Poppins, sung by Mary herself, Julie Andrews. It is a marvelous piece of songwriting, concise yet incredibly moving. I can’t ever listen to it without tearing up a little.
So RIP Mr. Sherman, I’m sure you and your brother are gathered around a piano somewhere right now, possibly playing “Feed the Birds” for Walt himself, like they used to do every Friday afternoon in his office. “Play it,” Walt would say, and they would.
