The Sherman Brothers wrote more motion-picture musical song scores than any other songwriting team in film history, working for Walt Disney during the last six years of his life. Film scores of the Sherman Brothers include Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Jungle Book and The Aristocats.
Life and work
Robert and Richard Sherman began writing songs together in 1951 on a challenge from their father, Tin Pan Alley songwriter Al Sherman. The brothers wrote together and with different songwriting partners throughout the rest of the decade.
In 1958, Robert founded the music publishing company Music World Corporation, which later enjoyed a landmark relationship with Disney's BMI-affiliated publishing arm, Wonderland Music Company. That same year, the Sherman Brothers had their first top-ten hit with "Tall Paul," sung by Mouseketeer Judy Harriet on the Surf Records label and then covered by Mouseketeer Annette Funicello. The success of this song yielded the attention of Walt Disney, who eventually hired the Sherman Brothers as Staff Songwriters for Walt Disney Studios. The first song they wrote on personal assignment by Walt Disney was "Strummin' Song" in 1961. It was used in the Annette Funicello made-for-television movie called The Horsemasters.
While at Disney, the Sherman Brothers wrote more motion-picture musical scores than any other songwriters in the history of film. They also wrote what is perhaps their best-known song, "It's a Small World (after all)" for the 1964 New York World's Fair. Since then, some have claimed that this has become the most translated and performed song on Earth, although this is largely justified by the fact that it is played continuously at Disney's leisure park rides of the same name.
In 1965, the Sherman Brothers won two Academy Awards for Mary Poppins, which includes the songs "Feed The Birds," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," and the Oscar-winning "Chim Chim Cher-ee." Since Mary Poppins' premiere, the Shermans have subsequently earned nine Academy Award nominations, two Grammy Awards, four Grammy Award nominations, and an incredible 23 gold- and platinum-certified albums.
Robert and Richard Sherman worked directly for Walt Disney, completing the scores for the live-action musical films The Happiest Millionaire and The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band until Disney's death in 1966. Since leaving the company, the brothers have worked freelance as songwriters on scores of motion pictures, television shows, theme-park exhibits, and stage musicals.
Their first non-Disney assignment came with Albert R. Broccoli's motion picture production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 1968, which garnered the brothers their third Academy Award Nomination.
In 1970, the Shermans returned to Disney for a brief stint where they completed work on The Aristocats and Bedknobs & Broomsticks. The latter film garnered the brothers their fourth and fifth Oscar Nominations, respectively. 1972 saw the release of Snoopy Come Home, for which the brothers received a Grammy nomination.
In 1973, the Sherman Brothers also made history by becoming the only Americans ever to win First Prize at the Moscow Film Festival for Tom Sawyer, for which they also authored the screenplay.
In 1976, “The Slipper and the Rose” was picked to be the Royal Command Performance of the year. The performance was attended by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. A modern musical adaptation of the classic Cinderella story, "Slipper", also featured songs, score, and screenplay by the Sherman Brothers. Two further Academy Award nominations were garnered by the brothers for the film. That same year the Sherman Brothers received their star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" directly across from Grauman's Chinese Theater.
The Sherman Brothers' numerous other Disney and non-Disney top box office film credits include The Jungle Book (1967), The Aristocats (1970), The Parent Trap (1961), The Parent Trap (1998), Charlotte's Web (1973) , The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh (1977), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Bedknobs & Broomsticks (1971), and Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (1992).
Outside the motion-picture realm, their Tony Award-nominated smash hit Over Here! (1974) was the biggest-grossing original Broadway musical of that year. The Sherman Brothers have also written numerous top selling songs including "You're Sixteen," which holds the distinction of reaching Billboard's #1 spot twice: first with Johnny Burnette in 1960 and then with Ringo Starr fourteen years later. Other top-ten hits include "Pineapple Princess," "Let's Get Together," and more.
In 2000, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song score for the Disney film The Tigger Movie. This film marked the brothers' first major motion picture for the Disney company in over 28t years.
In 2002, Chitty hit the London stage, receiving rave revues. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is currently the most successful stage show ever produced at the London Palladium, boasting the longest run in that century-old theater's history. On April 28, 2005, a second Chitty company premiered on Broadway (New York City) at the Hilton Theatre. The Sherman Brothers wrote an additional six songs specifically for the new stage productions. A successful third company of Chitty is currently touring throughout the United Kingdom.
In 2003, four Sherman Brothers' musicals ranked in the Top 10 Favorite Children's Films of All Time in a British nationwide poll reported by the BBC. The Jungle Book (1967) ranked at #7, Mary Poppins (1964) ranked at #8, The Aristocats (1970) ranked at #9, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) topped the list at #1.
In recent years, with Robert's move to London, England, United Kingdom, the brothers have written many new songs for the stage musical presentations of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Mary Poppins, produced collaboratively by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh.
For their contributions to the motion picture industry, the Sherman brothers have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6918 Hollywood Blvd. and were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 9, 2005. On November 16, 2006, Mary Poppins premiered at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway.
On November 17, 2008 the Sherman Brothers received the National Medal of Arts which is the highest honor conferred upon artists or patrons of the arts by the United States Government. The award was presented by United States President, George W. Bush in an East Room ceremony at The White House.
A Man Has Dreams
Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To carve his niche in the edifice of time
Before the mortar of his zeal
Has a chance to congeal
The cup is dashed from his lips
The flame is snuffed aborning
He's brought to wreck and ruin in his prime
Do you know what I think? It's Mary Poppins! From the moment she stepped into the house, things began to happen to me!
Mary Poppins?
Yes, yes, of course!
My world was calm, well-ordered, exemplary
Then came this person, with chaos in her wake
And now my life's ambitions go with one fell blow
It's quite a bitter pill to take
It's that Poppins woman! She did it!
I know the very person you mean. Mary Poppins, she's the one wot sings...
A spoonful of sugar that is all it takes
It changes bread and water into tea and cakes
A spoonful of sugar goes a long, long way
'Ave yourself a 'ealthy 'elpin ev'ry day
An 'ealthy 'elping of trouble if you ask me!
You know what she did? I realize it now! She tricked me into taking Jane and Michael to the bank. That's how all the trouble started!
Tricked you into taking the children on an outing?
Yes.
"Outrageous!" A man with all the important things you have to do. "Shameful!"
You're a man of 'igh position, esteemed by your peers
And when your little tykes are cryin', you 'aven't time to dry their tears
And see them grateful little faces smilin' up at you
Because their dad, 'e always knows just what to do
Well I, look I...I don't think I...
Like you say, Guv'nor...
You've got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone
Though child'ood slips like sand through a sieve
And all too soon they've up and grown
And then they've flown
And it's too late for you to give
Just that spoonful of sugar to 'elp the medicine go down
The medicine go down, medicine go down
Just a spoonful of sugar 'elps the medicine go down
In a most delightful way...
The song "A Man Has Dreams" from Mary Poppins is a reflective number that speaks of the futility that life can bring to a person's ambitions. The lyrics detail a man's aspirations to achieve greatness by carving his niche in the edifice of time. But before he can even start, the hopes he had were dashed and he is brought to ruin in his prime. The song expresses a sadness that although life can seem to make sense when it is orderly and well-structured, it can be easily disrupted by chaos in any form. This is represented by the character of Mary Poppins in the Mary Poppins film, who brings disorder to a man's world and ruins his carefully ordered life.
The song's lyrics are arranged in five separate verses, each with a different tone and story to tell, but all interconnected by the theme of shattered dreams. The first verse tells the story of a man's aspirations to achieve greatness but finds his cup dashed from his lips and flame snuffed aborning. The second verse describes how the arrival of Mary Poppins has disrupted life's order and the ambitions of the man in question. The third verse highlights the indifference of the man towards family and how he ignores his children's needs, which is contrasted with the grateful faces of children whose dads know how to care for them. The fourth verse is a cautionary tale, a reminder to cherish life's moments before it is too late, and time slips by. Finally, the last verse returns to the theme of Mary Poppins and the idea of a just a spoonful of sugar being necessary to help the medicine go down in a most delightful way, which serves as a metaphor for dealing with life's disappointments.
Line by Line Meaning
A man has dreams of walking with giants
A man strives to achieve greatness and make a mark on the world.
To carve his niche in the edifice of time
To make a lasting impact on history and be remembered for his accomplishments.
Before the mortar of his zeal
Before his enthusiasm has a chance to solidify and become established.
Has a chance to congeal
Has a chance to thicken and become fixed.
The cup is dashed from his lips
His hopes and dreams are suddenly and cruelly taken away from him.
The flame is snuffed aborning
The fire of his passion and ambition is extinguished before it has a chance to burn bright.
He's brought to wreck and ruin in his prime
His hopes and dreams are destroyed when he is at the peak of his potential and the world is his oyster.
My world was calm, well-ordered, exemplary
I had a comfortable and predictable life that was respectable and admirable in society's eyes.
Then came this person, with chaos in her wake
Then Mary Poppins arrived, disrupting my orderly existence and bringing unpredictability and upheaval in her wake.
And now my life's ambitions go with one fell blow
Mary Poppins has destroyed my dreams and aspirations with a single blow.
It's quite a bitter pill to take
It's difficult and painful to accept this sudden change and loss of control in one's life.
A spoonful of sugar that is all it takes
All it takes is a little bit of sweetness to make difficult things easier to bear.
It changes bread and water into tea and cakes
It can turn a simple and plain experience into something enjoyable and pleasant.
A spoonful of sugar goes a long, long way
A little kindness and positivity can make a big difference in someone's life.
'Ave yourself a 'ealthy 'elpin ev'ry day
Take a moment to be kind and generous every day.
You're a man of 'igh position, esteemed by your peers
You have achieved a respectable and respected position in society.
And when your little tykes are cryin', you 'aven't time to dry their tears
When your children are upset, you may not have the time to comfort them and make them feel better.
And see them grateful little faces smilin' up at you
But when you do take the time to be there for your children, their happiness and appreciation make it all worthwhile.
You've got to grind, grind, grind at that grindstone
You have to work hard and persistently to achieve success.
Though childhood slips like sand through a sieve
Even though childhood passes quickly and can easily slip away, you still need to focus on your goals.
And all too soon they've up and grown
And before you know it, your children have grown up and moved on with their lives.
And then they've flown
And then they have left your nest and ventured out into the wider world.
And it's too late for you to give
At that point, it's too late to go back and give them the time and attention they needed when they were growing up.
Just that spoonful of sugar to 'elp the medicine go down
Just a little bit of kindness and sweetness can make difficult situations more bearable.
The medicine go down, medicine go down
It can make hard things easier to bear.
Just a spoonful of sugar 'elps the medicine go down
A little bit of positivity and kindness can have a big impact.
In a most delightful way...
And it can make things more enjoyable and pleasant in the process.
Contributed by Colton W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.