Chim Chim Cher-ee

"Chim Chim Cher-ee" is a song from Mary Poppins, the 1964 musical motion picture. It was originally sung by Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. "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 can be heard in the Mary Poppins scene of The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios and during the Mary Poppins segment of Magical: Disney's New Nighttime Spectacular of Magical Celebrations at Disneyland.

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 Award for Mary Poppins' song score.

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.
• The Howard Roberts Quartet covered this song in 1965.
• The New Christy Minstrels covered this song in 1965 for the title cut of their album.
• Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their album The Chipmunks Go to the Movies.
• Louis Armstrong covered the song on his Disney Songs The Satchmo Way album.
• Rex Gildo achieved Nr. 17 in the German charts with the German language Schlager music song Chim-Chim-Cheri 1965.
• Mannheim Steamroller covered the song on their 1999 album, Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse.
• Joe Pernice covered the song (as "Chim Cheree") on his 2009 solo album It Feels So Good When I Stop.
• On June 13, 1977, Led Zeppelin briefly covered this in their song, "No Quarter".
• Walt Disney Records released their first volume of jazz inspired by Disney films, with Esperanza Spalding covering Chim Chim Cher-ee. The album is titled, "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat," is copyrighted 2010, but has been released in January 2011.
• On the 2011 album V-Rock Disney, which features visual kei artists covering Disney songs, Plastic Tree covered this song in Japanese.
• In November 2011, Turin Brakes covered the song with all UK proceeds going to Shelter (charity).

Parodies

The song was parodied by song parodist Allan Sherman (no relation to the Sherman Brothers), using the song's same title. In his version, he poked fun at the 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.

Literary source

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