To celebrate Disneyland's 70th birthday today, Disney has changed one of its iconic attractions.
And the change is happening on both coasts. Starting today, the It's a Small World ride at Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida includes a new verse by composer Richard Sherman.
It's a Small World debuted at the 1964 New York World's Fair before moving to Disneyland at the fair's conclusion. Other versions of the ride have been installed at Disney theme parks around the world, starting with the Walt Disney World installation in 1971. The ride's theme song has become one of the world's most famous "earworms," as a tune that worms into your head and stays there.
Composed by Richard and Robert Sherman, the song has had two verses, in addition to its, uh, unforgettable chorus:
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all
Debuting on the ride today, Sherman's last verse puts a touch more responsibility upon the listener.
Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind
And the love we give makes us humankind
Through our vast wondrous land
When we stand hand in hand
It's a small world after all
The world might be small, but we need to show some love if we are to be good, human inhabitants of it. And reaching out to others is the start. That's a solid message, well worth considering... if anyone is listening to these new lyrics. You can hear them in the finale of this ride-through video from today.
Disney is celebrating the Sherman Brothers and their most famous composition by showing "The Last Verse" short film in "So Much That We Share: A Tribute to the Sherman Brothers" in the Main Street Cinema.
For more coverage of Disneyland's 70th anniversary celebration today, please see my wrap-up in Disneyland celebrates its 70th birthday.
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