Chim Chim Cher-ee

For the album by Eric Alexander, see Chim Chim Cheree (album).

"Chim Chim Cher-ee"
Song by Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke, Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber
from the album Mary Poppins (Original Soundtrack)
Released1964 (1964)
LabelWalt Disney
Songwriter(s)Richard M. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman

"Chim Chim Cher-ee" is a song from Mary Poppins, the 1964 musical film,[1] and is also featured in the 2004 Mary Poppins musical.

The song won the 1964 Academy Award for Best Original Song. In 2005, Julie Andrews included this song as part of Julie Andrews Selects Her Favorite Disney Songs.

Songwriters

The song was written by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman (the "Sherman Brothers"), who also won an Oscar and a Grammy Award for the Mary Poppins score.[1]

Inspiration

The song was inspired by one of the drawings of a chimney sweep created by Mary Poppins screenwriter Don DaGradi. When the Sherman Brothers asked about the drawing, DaGradi explained the ancient British folklore attributed to "sweeps" and how shaking hands with one or touching their sleeve could bring a person good luck.[2] In their 1961 treatment, the Sherman Brothers had already amalgamated many of the P.L. Travers characters in the creation of "Bert". His theme music became "Chim Chim Cher-ee".

In addition to the "standard" version of the song which Bert sings to the children, he sings short snippets of the song to himself at various times, with different verses specific to an unfolding plot element.

The "Mentsch" music group notes some similarities with a Yiddish song written by Itsik Manger named "Vaylu". The song also shares some sonic similarities to the Yiddish folksong, Tumbalalaika.[according to whom?]

Covers

Parodies

The song was parodied by song parodist Allan Sherman (no relation to the Sherman Brothers), using the same song title. The parody pokes fun at the American merchandise seen on TV commercials.[citation needed]

Supporters of English football teams, Millwall, West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers, sing a version of the song which is a reference to each team's local rivals, West Ham, Aston Villa and Burnley, who all wear claret and blue shirts.[citation needed]

English comedian Tim Vine played on the lyrics to the song in the title of one of his stand-up DVDs, Tim Timinee, Tim Timinee, Tim Tim To You and on the cover it features Vine dressed up as a chimney sweep.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b Roberts, Daniel (2017). British Hit Singles Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 135. ISBN 978-1-904994-10-7.
  2. ^ Chimney Sweeps : A Touch of Luck From a Sooty Sleeve Los Angeles Times By CHARLES T. POWERS an. 7, 1989 12 AM PT. Accessed online August 6, 2022
  3. ^ "RPM Magazine - March 29, 1965 - page 5" (PDF). Rpmimages.3345.ca.
  4. ^ Morley, Paul (2017). The Age of Bowie. Gallery Books. p. 125.
  5. ^ "Duke Ellington Duke Ellington Plays Mary Poppins". AllMusic. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  6. ^ "RPM Top 20 AC - August 23, 1965" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Disney Songs The Satchmo Way". Spotify. Retrieved October 10, 2019.
  8. ^ "Digital Music". Amazon.com.
  9. ^ "The Three D's (2)". Discogs.com. 1964. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  10. ^ "Visual kei bands to take on Disney songs for 'V-ROCK Disney'!". tokyohive.com. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
  11. ^ "Turin Brakes - Chim Chim Cheree". Chim Chim Cheree. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
  12. ^ [1] Archived 2014-03-29 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Coca-Cola (November 16, 2021). "Coca-Cola | Chimney | Real Magic". YouTube. Retrieved December 11, 2021.
  14. ^ "Brand new stand-up DVD coming soon!". Tim Vine.com. June 24, 2016. Archived from the original on December 23, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2017.

Further reading