It is practically impossible to think of a nanny floating over London without hearing a specific four-note chime. That’s the power of the music for Mary Poppins. It isn't just a soundtrack. Honestly, it’s the structural marrow of the entire 1964 film. If you stripped away the songs, you wouldn’t just lose the "magic"—you’d lose the plot. Walt Disney knew this. He spent years—decades, actually—chasing P.L. Travers for the rights, but once he had them, he didn't hand the project to a screenwriter first. He handed it to two brothers who wrote catchy tunes for a living.
Richard and Robert Sherman. They were the architects.
Most people think movie musicals start with a script and then someone sprinkles songs on top like powdered sugar. Mary Poppins was different. The music came first. For over two years, the Sherman Brothers sat in a small office at the Disney lot, banging out melodies on a piano that needed tuning, trying to find the "heart" of a character who, in the books, was actually quite cold and abrasive.
The Secret Origins of Music for Mary Poppins
The process was a total grind. You've probably heard "A Spoonful of Sugar" a thousand times, but did you know it was born out of a literal medical update? Robert Sherman’s son had received his polio vaccine at school. Back then, they didn't always use needles; they put the medicine on a cube of sugar. When Robert got home and heard this, the lightbulb went off. He realized that Mary Poppins needed a philosophy, not just a song. She needed a way to explain that discipline and joy aren't enemies.
It changed everything.
Before that, they were struggling with a song called "The Eyes of Love." It was fine. It was "pretty." But Walt hated it. He wanted something with more "snap." The "Spoonful of Sugar" breakthrough gave the music for Mary Poppins its DNA—that specific mix of Edwardian music hall energy and mid-century American pop sensibility.
Julie Andrews almost didn't take the role. She was holding out for My Fair Lady on film. When Audrey Hepburn got that part instead, Andrews headed to Disney. But she had notes. She was a singer first. She understood that her voice needed to be the anchor of the film's tonal shifts. From the staccato, rhythmic "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" to the operatic, haunting "Feed the Birds," the range is staggering.
Why "Feed the Birds" Was Walt Disney’s Soul
If you want to understand the music for Mary Poppins, you have to understand Walt’s obsession with a single song. It wasn't the upbeat ones. It wasn't the ones that won the Oscars or stayed on the radio. It was "Feed the Birds (Tuppence a Bag)."
💡 You might also like: Is Steven Weber Leaving Chicago Med? What Really Happened With Dean Archer
Walt used to visit the Sherman Brothers' office on Friday afternoons. He’d look out the window, maybe talk about the park he was building, and then he’d just say, "Play it."
And they knew.
They’d play "Feed the Birds." It’s a somber, waltz-time piece about an old woman on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral. It’s not "fun." It doesn’t advance the plot in a traditional way. But for Walt, it was the entire point of the movie. He felt it represented the idea that it doesn't take much to be kind. A little bit of bread, a little bit of love—it only costs "tuppence."
The orchestration here is key. Irwin Kostal, who handled the arrangements, used strings and a low-key choir to make the song feel massive yet intimate. It provides a necessary weight. Without it, the movie is just a series of vignettes about a magical lady. With it, it’s a film about the human condition and the things we overlook in our rush to be "important" like Mr. Banks.
The Problem With P.L. Travers
Let’s be real: P.L. Travers hated the music. She hated almost everything Disney did. She thought the songs were too sweet. She despised the "jolly holiday" vibe. During the infamous story meetings—which were recorded and later dramatized in Saving Mr. Banks—she fought tooth and nail against the musical direction.
She wanted the music for Mary Poppins to be more "British," more reserved.
The Shermans, however, were influenced by their father, Al Sherman, a Tin Pan Alley songwriter. They knew how to write hooks. They knew that for a movie to survive the test of time, the songs had to be "earworms." Travers thought earworms were vulgar. History, luckily, sided with the Shermans.
📖 Related: Is Heroes and Villains Legit? What You Need to Know Before Buying
Analyzing the "Step in Time" Chaos
Then you have the big production numbers. "Step in Time" is a twelve-minute masterpiece of choreography and rhythmic chanting. It’s basically a proto-music video.
- It uses the rooftops of London as a percussion instrument.
- The dancers (the chimney sweeps) aren't just dancing; they are creating the beat with their boots and brushes.
- The tempo increases incrementally, creating a sense of manic energy that mirrors the children's liberation from their strict household.
This wasn't easy to film. The soot was real (well, theatrical soot), the chimneys were sets, and the physical toll on the dancers was immense. Dick Van Dyke, despite his infamous "Cockney" accent which everyone still makes fun of, brought a Vaudeville physicality that made the music work. He treated his body like a musical instrument. When he sings "Jolly Holiday," he’s singing with his knees and elbows as much as his throat.
The 2018 Sequel and the Legacy of the Sound
When Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman were tasked with writing the music for Mary Poppins Returns in 2018, they faced a nightmare. How do you follow the Sherman Brothers? You can't just copy them. That’s a parody. But you can't ignore them either.
They chose to lean into the "Music Hall" style of the 1930s.
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s "A Cover is Not the Book" is a direct descendant of "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious." It uses the same "patter song" style popularized by Gilbert and Sullivan. The new music for Mary Poppins had to feel like it lived in the same universe, even if the melodies were fresh. They used similar instrumentation—lots of brass, bright woodwinds, and that specific Disney "sparkle" in the percussion.
Is it as good as the original? Most critics say no, but that’s an impossible bar. The original soundtrack won two Academy Awards. It spent 14 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. People don't just "like" these songs; they have them hard-coded into their childhood memories.
Specific Technical Brilliance
The use of "Leitmotifs" in the 1964 film is actually pretty sophisticated for a family movie. A leitmotif is a recurring musical phrase associated with a character or idea.
👉 See also: Jack Blocker American Idol Journey: What Most People Get Wrong
- Mr. Banks: His music is rigid, march-like, and heavily brass-oriented ("The Life I Lead").
- Mary: Her themes are fluid, often played on flutes or high strings, suggesting she’s "light" and can float away at any moment.
- The Kids: Their music starts out hesitant and grows more melodic as they spend time with Mary.
When Mr. Banks’ world falls apart at the bank, the music disintegrates. It becomes dissonant. When he finally "fixes" his kite and finds his joy again, his rigid theme transforms into a soaring, melodic version of "Let's Go Fly a Kite." That is brilliant storytelling through sound.
Actionable Takeaways for Music Lovers
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of music for Mary Poppins, don't just watch the movie on a loop. There are better ways to appreciate what went into this.
- Listen to the "Lost" Songs: Check out "The Chimpanzoo" or "Practically Perfect." These were songs written by the Shermans that didn't make the final cut. They offer a window into the trial-and-error process of building a masterpiece.
- Watch the 1964 "Making of" Footage: You can find clips of the Sherman Brothers at the piano. Watching them explain how they used "Supercalifragilistic..." to represent a "word you use when you don't know what to say" is a masterclass in songwriting.
- Compare the Stage Musical: The Broadway and West End versions of Mary Poppins (produced by Cameron Mackintosh) use many of the original songs but add new ones by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. Notice how the new songs try to bridge the gap between the book’s darkness and the movie’s light.
- Read "Walt's Time": This is the definitive book by the Sherman Brothers. It’s out of print but worth tracking down. It’s full of sketches, lyric sheets, and stories about their fights with Walt and Travers.
The music for Mary Poppins remains a benchmark because it understands the balance between whimsy and melancholy. It’s not all sunshine. There’s the lonely bird woman. There’s the coldness of a father who has forgotten how to play. There’s the bittersweet departure of a nanny who knows her time is up.
That emotional honesty is why we’re still talking about it sixty years later. It’s why children who haven't even seen the movie still know how to spell a fourteen-syllable word. It’s why, when you hear that first piano chord of "A Spoonful of Sugar," you feel, just for a second, like everything might actually be okay.
To truly appreciate the craft, listen to the soundtrack on high-quality headphones. Pay attention to the woodwinds in "Stay Awake." It’s a lullaby where the lyrics tell the kids to stay awake, but the music—slow, rhythmic, and gentle—is designed to put them to sleep. It’s a musical contradiction that perfectly sums up Mary Poppins herself: a woman who says one thing but means another, all while making life a whole lot more musical.
The best way to experience the legacy is to find the original 1964 vinyl or a high-fidelity digital remaster. Listen to the "Overture." It’s a perfect four-minute summary of every emotion in the film. It starts with a bang, moves into a dream, and ends with a kite flying into the sky. It is, quite literally, practically perfect in every way.
Practical Next Steps
- Analyze the Lyrics: Take a song like "Sister Suffragette." Notice how it grounds the film in a specific historical moment (1910 London) while providing a comedic counterpoint to the domestic chaos.
- Explore the Sherman Brothers' Catalog: After Mary Poppins, listen to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or The Jungle Book. You'll start to hear their "signature"—the way they use syncopated rhythms and simple, repetitive choruses to create universal appeal.
- Visit the Locations: If you’re ever in London, go to St. Paul’s Cathedral. Stand on the steps. You won't find a bird woman, but you’ll hear the melody of "Feed the Birds" in your head. It’s unavoidable.