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"Chim Chim Cher-ee" is the Oscar winning song from Mary Poppins, the 1964 musical motion picture. It was originally sung by Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. "Chim Chim Cher-ee" is also featured prominently in the award winning Cameron Mackintosh/Disney stage musical of the same name which premiered in London at the Prince Edward Theatre in 2004. Mary Poppins premiered on the Broadway stage on November 16, 2006. The song is sung in the Mary Poppins scene of The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

In 2005, Julie Andrews included this song as part of "Julie Andrews Selects Her Favorite Disney Songs".

Songwriters

The song was written in by Robert B. Sherman & Richard M. Sherman (the "Sherman Brothers") who also won an Oscar and a Grammy for Mary Poppins' song score. The Mary Poppins score is one of the consistently best selling scores of all time.

Inspiration

The song was inspired by one of the drawings of a chimney sweep created by Mary Poppins' screenwriter, Don DaGradi. When asked about the drawing by the Sherman Brothers, DaGradi explained the ancient British folklore attributed to "sweeps" and how shaking hands with one could bring a person good luck. 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.

Covers

• The influential modern jazz saxophonist John Coltrane was fond of the song, and covered it on his 1965 album The John Coltrane Quartet Plays.

• Louis Armstrong covered the song on his Disney Songs The Satchmo Way LP^[1].

• Mannheim Steamroller covered the song on their 1999 album, Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse.^[2]

• Joe Pernice covered the song (as "Chim Cheree") on his 2009 solo album "It Feels So Good When I Stop".

Parodies

The song was parodied by song parodist Allan Sherman, using the song's same title. In his version, he pokes fun at American merchandise seen on TV commercials.

Supporters of English football teams, Millwall, Birmingham City and Blackburn Rovers, sing a version of the song which is a reference to each teams local rivals, West Ham, Aston Villa and Burnley, who all wear claret and blue shirts.

Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-oo!

We hate those bastards in claret and blue

West Ham fans also sing an alternative version which predates the Millwall one

Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-oo!

We are those bastards in claret and blue

Supporters of English football team, Watford, sang a version, comparing the quality of centre-back Danny Shittu to renowned England centre-back Sol Campbell.

Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim cher-oo!

Who needs Sol Campbell when we've got Shittu?

Home fans sang this song about Jurgen Klinsmann, a German footballer, played for Tottenham Hotspur for two brief spells in the 1990s. The reference is to Tottenham's reputation as a Jewish-supported club, which is a topic up for debate. Nevertheless, Spurs fans, Jewish and non-Jewish, have adopted the title and refer to themselves as "the Jews."

Chim chiminey

Chim chiminey

Chim chim chero-oo!

Jurgen was a German, but now he's a Jew

Aside from another Dick Van Dyke song being referenced in this film, Jim Carrey also famously parodies this song in Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

It is possible that this song inspired the song "Miyarabi's Prayer" (King Caesar's Song) in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla.

In the Spongebob Squarepants episode "Selling Out," Mr. Krabs sings a song about money called 'Cha-Ching' that has a similar tune and lyrics to the Chim Chim Cher-ee song.

Literary Sources

• Sherman, Robert B. Walt's Time: from before to beyond. Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.

References