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.
Fidelity Fiduciary Bank
Richard M. Sherman & Robert B. Sherman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you invest your tuppence wisely in the bank
Safe and sound
Soon that tuppence, safely invested in the bank
Will compound
And you'll achieve that sense of conquest
As your affluence expands
Who invest as propriety demands
Mr. George Banks:
May I, sir?
Mr. Dawes Sr.:
Carry on, Banks.
Mr. Banks (Mr. Dawes Sr.):
You see Michael, you'll be part of...
Railways through Africa (Exactly!)
Dams across the Nile (The ships! Tell them about the ships!)
Fleets of ocean greyhounds (More, tell them more!)
Majestic, self-amortizing canals (How it fires the imagination!)
Plantations of ripening tea
Bank Directors:
All from tuppence
Prudently, thriftilly, frugally invested in the...
To be specific:
In the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!
Mr. Banks (Mr. Dawes Sr.):
Now, Michael
When you deposit tuppence in a bank account (Go on!)
Soon you'll see (Tell them more!)
That it blooms into credit of a generous amount
Semiannually
Bank Directors:
And you'll achieve that sense of stature
As your influence expands
To the high financial strata
That established credit now commands
You can purchase first and second trust deeds
Think of the foreclosures!
Bonds! Chattels! Dividends! Shares!
Bankruptcies! Debtor sales! Opportunities!
All manner of private enterprise!
Shipyards! The mercantile! Collieries! Tanneries!
Incorporations! Amalgamations! Banks!
Mr. Dawes Sr.:
While stand the banks of England, England stands...
When fall the banks of England, England falls!
Mr. Banks:
You see, Michael, all for the lack of...
Bank Directors:
Tuppence
Patiently, cautiously, trustingly invested in the...
To be specific:
In the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!
The song "Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" from the musical "Mary Poppins" is a satirical take on the banking system and how society views it. The song features two characters, Mr. Dawes Sr. and Mr. George Banks, who are trying to convince a young boy named Michael to invest his tuppence (two pence) in the bank. They emphasize that if he invests his money wisely, it will grow and compound over time, giving him a sense of conquest and the ability to purchase various assets.
Mr. Dawes Sr. and the bank directors portray themselves as responsible and knowledgeable, claiming that they invest in ways that align with propriety and caution. However, as Mr. Banks speaks, the lengths and breadth of the bank's activities become clearer. They invest in everything from railways in Africa to shipping, canals, tea plantations, bonds, and bankruptcies. All of these endeavors are supposed to illustrate the boundless opportunities that investing wisely in the bank offers.
The song's irony and mockery lie in the fact that, despite the bank's apparent caution and care, it invests in risky and potentially harmful ventures for the sake of greater profit. The song critiques the idea that banking institutions can be trusted with people's savings and investments without question, suggesting that there is a darker, more nefarious side to banking beyond surface appearances.
Line by Line Meaning
If you invest your tuppence wisely in the bank
If you make a wise investment in the bank with your two pennies
Safe and sound
You can safely trust in the bank's security
Soon that tuppence, safely invested in the bank
Your two pennies will quickly grow in the safe and secure bank
Will compound
They will multiply through compound interest
And you'll achieve that sense of conquest
You will feel a sense of accomplishment
As your affluence expands
As your wealth grows and expands
In the hands of the directors
Managed by the bank's capable directors
Who invest as propriety demands
Who invest wisely and appropriately according to their responsibility
You see Michael, you'll be part of...
You can be part of great things, Michael
Railways through Africa (Exactly!)
Building railways in Africa for progress and profit
Dams across the Nile (The ships! Tell them about the ships!)
Constructing dams across the Nile, and profiting from ship construction
Fleets of ocean greyhounds (More, tell them more!)
Funding the production of fast ocean liners, generating profit
Majestic, self-amortizing canals (How it fires the imagination!)
Self-financing canals generating immense profit and imagination
Plantations of ripening tea
Producing tea on profitable plantations
All from tuppence
All of this from just two pennies
Prudently, thriftilly, frugally invested in the...
Invested carefully, economically, and wisely in
To be specific:
To be more precise:
In the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!
In the reliable, trustworthy bank managed by Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, and Grubbs.
Now, Michael
Now, Michael,
When you deposit tuppence in a bank account (Go on!)
When you deposit two pennies in the bank (Continue!)
Soon you'll see (Tell them more!)
You will quickly realize (Explain further!)
That it blooms into credit of a generous amount
That your money will grow into credit of a substantial amount
Semiannually
Twice a year
And you'll achieve that sense of stature
You will feel a sense of prestige
As your influence expands
As your financial influence and power grows
To the high financial strata
To the upper echelons of finance
That established credit now commands
The kind of credit that demands respect and authority
You can purchase first and second trust deeds
You can buy first and second priority bonds
Think of the foreclosures!
Think of the foreclosed properties you can profit from!
Bonds! Chattels! Dividends! Shares!
Bonds, stocks, and shares in a variety of markets
Bankruptcies! Debtor sales! Opportunities!
Opportunities in bankruptcies and debt sales
All manner of private enterprise!
All kinds of private businesses!
Shipyards! The mercantile! Collieries! Tanneries!
Investment in ship, retail, coal, and leather-related businesses
Incorporations! Amalgamations! Banks!
Incorporating, merging, and buying banks!
While stand the banks of England, England stands...
As long as the banks of England remain, the country will remain prosperous...
When fall the banks of England, England falls!
...but if the banks of England fall, the country will fall with them!
You see, Michael, all for the lack of...
You see, Michael, all of this can be lost due to a lack of
Tuppence
Just two pennies
Patiently, cautiously, trustingly invested in the...
Invested patiently, carefully, and with trust in the
To be specific:
To clarify:
In the Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank!
In the reliable, trustworthy bank managed by Dawes, Tomes, Mousely, and Grubbs.
Contributed by Ian B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.