This is the catchiest tune in the whole film. It is so simple and yet so inexplicably endearing. Bert nearly steals the whole film from Mary Poppins with this song, showing his cheery disposition, but also hinting at the underlying injustice – “the social ladder has been strung”. Pavement Artist is the same tune, but set to different lyrics. No wonder then that Chim Chim Cheree won an Academy Award for Best Song in 1965.
II. Feed the Birds
Walt Disney’s favourite song, Feed the Birds is the ultimate Song Queen of Mary Poppins and another example of the Sherman Brothers’ genius. Meaningful, with its veiled message that calls for compassion, social justice, and to pay attention to those that are vulnerable and disadvantaged, Feed the Birds is that quiet, reflective moment that this film needs, especially since it was accused of sugar-coating the hardship that people from the lower classes go through.
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