After nearly 60 years of Disneyland’s staple, the iconic “It’s a Small World” ride has won a new set of lyrics for a new generation of park visitors.
Disney Parks today announced on its blog that the updated lyrics will premiere at Disneyland in time for the park’s 70th anniversary. The poem was written by the late composer Richard M. Sherman before his death on May 95th last year. The new lyrics were first released in the short film “The Last Verse” last November. The heart/and the love we give us will become humanity/through our vast, mysterious land/when we stand hand in hand/it is, after all, a small world. ”
As part of Disneyland’s anniversary, the short film “The Last Verse” will be performed daily at the Main Street Cinema Theatre. The park will also unveil the Walt Disney audio animatronic figure before becoming part of the “Great Moment with Mr. Lincoln” rotation.
Sherman and his brothers wrote the original song for Ryde’s original 1964 debut, “It’s a Little World.” After the ride became popular at the New York World Fair, he moved to Disneyland in 1966, and has since stayed in Anaheim, California, bringing visitors from all over the world with animatronics.
Sherman and his brothers were nominated for nine Oscars in the 60s and 70s, and won the song “Mary Poppins” with the song “Chim Chim Shell A.” They were also nominated for musical works for “Chat Chat Bang,” “Bed Knob and Broom,” “Tom Sawyer,” “Slippers and Rose: The Story of Cinderella,” and “The Magic of Lassie.”
Starting July 17th, the company will debut at the Disneyland “It’s Amall World” attraction.
