Frank Churchill (October 20, 1901 in Rumford, Maine - May 14, 1942 in Newha… Read Full Bio ↴Frank Churchill (October 20, 1901 in Rumford, Maine - May 14, 1942 in Newhall, California) was a U.S. composer of popular music for films. He wrote most of the music for Disney's 1937 movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, including "Whistle While You Work" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come". The latter (without the Larry Morey lyrics) became a jazz standard covered by various jazz greats including Oscar Peterson, Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck.
His other works include co-writing Dumbo and Bambi his last work he did. He killed himself at his ranch north of Los Angeles and is buried in Glendale's Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

Whistle While You Work
Frank Churchill Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the work begins to pile up,
And your temper starts to rile up,
That's the time a fellow needs a song.

Doctor, Banker, Butcher, Baker,
You can be a merry maker,
If you'll keep on singing all day long.

If you're hanging in suspense from eight till five,
And you want to keep the sense of humor alive.
Just, whistle while you work (whistle)
Put on that grin and start right in,
To whistle loud and long.

Just hum a merry tune (hum)
Just do your best,
Then take a rest and sing yourself a song.

When there's too much to do,
Don't let it bother you,
Forget your trouble, try to be just like a cheerful chick-a-dee,
And whistle while you work (whistle)

Come on get smart

Tune up and start
To whistle while you work.

Overall Meaning

Frank Churchill's song "Whistle While You Work" was featured in the Walt Disney animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The song encourages listeners to adopt a positive attitude toward their work by whistling, humming, or singing a happy tune. In the opening lines of the song, the lyrics suggest that work can pile up and cause frustration, but that singing can help to alleviate these feelings. The song then presents a series of occupations, from doctor to baker, as examples of people who can stay cheerful by singing.

The lyrics reinforce the idea that work can be enjoyable and that one can find satisfaction in doing a good job. The song implies that the way one approaches their work can greatly affect their experience of it. The lyrics suggest that by maintaining a positive attitude and embracing the joy of singing, one can transform their work into a more enjoyable experience. In fact, the song implies that one need not even wait for a break or a change of pace, but can continue to sing and work at the same time.

Line by Line Meaning

When the work begins to pile up,
When you've got a lot of work to do,

And your temper starts to rile up,
And you're starting to get upset,

That's the time a fellow needs a song.
That's when you need to start singing.

Doctor, Banker, Butcher, Baker,
No matter what your profession,

You can be a merry maker,
You can be happy and cheerful,

If you'll keep on singing all day long.
If you keep singing throughout the day.

If you're hanging in suspense from eight till five,
If you're stuck at work all day,

And you want to keep the sense of humor alive.
And you want to stay in a good mood.

Just, whistle while you work (whistle)
Just start whistling.

Put on that grin and start right in,
Smile and get started,

To whistle loud and long.
To whistle a happy tune loudly and for a long time.