The experience: The world’s most impacting earworm

The trick: Inventing a song so positive in nature that it’s literally unforgettable

Believe it or not, the music of It’s a Small World could have been worse. While a famous online poll once chose the titular song as the most annoying earworm ever, Disney originally had different plans. As the “little boat ride” would pass through each country, the puppets were expected to play the applicable national anthem. One of the Shermans described the end result as “one horrible cacophony,” and their friend, Walt Disney, pressed them to craft a piece of music that would save the day.

Given the time constraints, what the Shermans achieved with It’s a Small World is among the greatest accomplishments in theme park history. Pressed for time and with only vague details about the attraction that they knew only as an international boat ride, they locked on a single concept. With all the global infighting during the Cold War, the folks politicking missed something obvious. We all share the same sun and moon, no matter the matter where we hold citizenship.

The lyrics quickly flowed from there.

Image: Disney

Still, the Shermans faced an uphill battle during the creative process. Uncle Walt had warned them that any lyrics that they wrote had the following stipulations: “It had to be simple and translatable, and yet it had to be repeated so often over a 14-minute ride that it couldn't be boring.” Instructions like that are how we wind up with “Who Let the Dogs Out.” Somehow, the talented duo tapped into the same vein of optimism as Blair had. Ultimately, a song that they figured would be forgotten the instant the 1964 World’s Fair ended has now been played more than any other piece of music ever. And they should get bonus credit for predicting the social media era half a century out with the lyric, “There’s so much that we share.”

PS: You can read more about the Sherman Brothers and their impact on Disney here.

Miscellany

Image: DisneyDisney was so appreciative of the contributions of Mary Blair that she earned a spot on the ride. She’s flying from a balloon in the Eiffel Tower scene in Paris. Look for a blonde woman wearing glasses. Otherwise, she might blend in with the other 300+ dolls that comprise the attraction.

One of the explanations for the ubiquity of the song is that Disney never copyrighted it. As a celebration of inclusion, Uncle Walt and the Sherman Brothers chose not to do so, making it a gift to the world.

Pepsi was the original sponsor for the ride, but it was supposed to have a different name. They were trying to honor a popular charity with their attraction. The awkward title for the World’s Fair was Pepsi-Cola Presents Walt Disney’s “It’s a Small World” – A Salute to UNICEF and all the World’s Children. Call it The Phantom Menace for short.

Twenty-nine different countries are represented on the attraction, and the song is performed in five languages. As long as you speak English, Italian, Japanese, Spanish or Swedish, you can understand it. Whether that’s a net positive is in the eye of the beholder.

Flickr (license)

To take a memorable “little boat ride” in 1964, you had to pay 95 cents as an adult or 60 cents as a child. That’s the equivalent of $7.40 and $4.67 today. More than 10 million attendants at the 1964 World’s Fair happily paid the price of admission for It’s a Small World.

As a concession to branding, Disney added 37 of their licensed characters to the Disneyland (i.e. original) version in 2008. Each of them resides in the appropriate country, so you’ll see Mulan (and Mushu!) in China, Lilo and Stitch in the South Seas, and so forth.

Finally, here’s something you can track the next time you ride It’s a Small World. To reinforce the lyrics and the concept, each section includes a sun and a moon. You’ve probably been too busy looking at the dolls and scenery to notice, though.