It's a Small World (song)

"It's a Small World" is the theme song of the Disney Parks attraction of the same name. It was written by the Sherman Brothers in 1963.
A cover version is performed by Baha Men for the Around the World in 80 Days soundtrack.
==History==
"Children of the World" was the working title of the attraction Walt Disney only called "the happiest cruise that ever sailed" (and never "It's a Small World"). The attraction's tentative soundtrack design featured each national anthem, playing all at once, which resulted in a cacophonous noise. Walt demonstrated the miniature mock-up to his staff songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. As he and the Sherman Brothers walked through Walt said, "I need one song." A single song for the attraction which could be easily translated into many different languages and which could be played in all round. The Sherman Brothers wrote "it's a small world (after all)" in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which influenced the song's message. They first presented "it's a small world (after all)" to Walt by singing in counterpoint while walking through the mock-up. In the spirit of international unity, "it's a small world (after all)" was sung and recorded in various studios around the world – by a church choir in London, TV performers in Mexico City, a school chorus in Rome, and by local children from Tokyo and California.
This song is arguably the single most performed and most widely translated song on earth, and has been regarded as "a gift to the children of the world." The song's tune and lyrics have been claimed to be the only Disney creations never to be protected by copyright, when this is in error, as the song was indeed copyrighted in 1964 and renewed in 1991. Despite this, however, the song has appeared as a demo on various keyboards, as a jingle played by ice cream trucks, and on miscellaneous other musical devices worldwide.
The song being considered annoying by some people is referenced in The Lion King. When Scar assumed the throne of Pride Rock and took Zazu as his prisoner, he makes him sing songs to him, preferably those with a little "bounce" in it. Zazu sings "It's a Small World", only to be immediately cut off by Scar, who clearly despises the song. Also, in the Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama, Dr. Drakken is shown using a torture chamber, where a man is trapped in a room with singing dolls performing this song.
In addition to The Lion King, part of the song was hummed by Timon in The Lion King 1½ while waiting for Pumbaa with the snacks before he accidentally picked his nose.
The song was also performed on The Muppet Show in the Spike Milligan episode, paying tribute to the Muppets' favorite country: Disneyland. The set mimics the Mary Blair-designed sets of the ride and the characters that are singing the song bob up and down in a manner similar to that of the ride's animatronic figures.
The song can also be heard in Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep in Disney Castle, as well as in Epic Mickey and Kinect: Disneyland Adventures (in that game, the attraction is a mini game where the players must follow the same dances as the dolls). In Disney Universe, after completing all of the worlds, HEX sings a rock version of this song. In the Disney Infinity series, the song plays when the "Skies of the World" power disc is used.
Several versions of the song appears on the Disney's Sing-Along Songs volumes Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah, Disneyland Fun, and Let's Go to Disneyland Paris. A modified version appeared in Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom as "It's a Bug's World".
Fan 3 covered "It's a Small World" on Disneymania 3, but she made up her own rap verses and hooks. Baha Men previously sang "It's a Small World" on Disneymania 2, and the end credits of Around the World in 80 Days. The song is also featured on We Love Disney and has been used in Disney On Ice shows. In Ant-Man, Luis can be heard whistling it while undercover.
It was partly sung in The Golden Girls episode "Two Rode Together", in the tune of the song "".
It is briefly heard in the 2023 film Haunted Mansion on the piano in Crump Manor.
At the 2024 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, as part of the panel "Jolly Holiday: A D23 Celebration of Richard M. Sherman", Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that before his passing, Richard Sherman had shared with him a new verse of the song that he had written.
==Lyrics==
<tabber>
Standard and Disney's Sing-Along Songs version=
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world (x2)
|-|Unreleased third verse=
It's a world of wonder, a world of worth
And in years to come we'll know peace on earth
We will open our eyes
And we'll all realize
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
|-|Disney Studio Chorus version=
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes, it's 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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world 
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears (It's a small world after all)
It's a world of hopes, it's a world of fears (It's a small world after all)
There's so much that we share (It's a small world after all)
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world
A small world after all!
|-|Holiday version=
(Jingle Bells verse)
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Ha ha ha!
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to sing a sleighing song tonight!
Oh, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hope 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!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world!
(Islands variant of Jingle Bells)
Splashing through the foam in a seahorse we sashay
O'er the reefs we go
Laughing all the way
Ha ha ha!
Shells on bubbles gleam
Making treasures bright
Oh, what fun it is to sing a mermaid song tonight!
Oh, Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray
Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray!
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hope 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!
Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray
Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray!
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world!
(Deck the Halls verse)
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient yuletide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
See the blazing Yule before us
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Heedless of the wind and weather
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world!
 
|-|Baha Men version=
It's a small world, it's a small world
It's a small world, it's a small world
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small, small, small world
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
It's a small world after all, no matter if you're big or small
Come on, everybody, let's bounce to this
Let's play some love with a little twist
It's a small world, it's a small world
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small, small, small world
(repeat until fade)
|-|The Wonderful World of Songs version=
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
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
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
It's a small world (Small world, small world)
After all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all...
It's a small, small world
It's a small, small world
It's a small... small... world
|-|The Last Verse=
Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind
And the love we give makes us human kind
Through our vast wondrous land
When we stand hand in hand
It's a small world after all....
</tabber>
==Trivia==
*This song is referenced in the Dinosaurs episode "Endangered Species", when Earl Sinclair won't sell his Graptolites to his boss Mr. Richfield, explaining that his wife's happiness means the world to him. When Richfield offers Earl $50 for them, Earl says, "It's a small world after all."
*The song is also referenced by Hades in Hercules when he takes the titular character to the river and remarks, "It's a small underworld after all."
*Zazu sings it while he was caged in a rib bone, but Scar cuts him off saying "No, no! Anything but that."
*Timon hums it, while Pumbaa is out of the auditorium to get some grubs in The Lion King 1½.
*The Clock Tower boss uses a dramatic, depressing variation of the song for his boss battle in Epic Mickey.
==Gallery==
Itsasmallworld.jpg|The Muppet Show performance
317-21.jpg|Another shot from The Muppet Show's performance
It’s a small world.jpg|Hong Kong Disneyland Version
==Videos==
It's A Small World - area music loop
It's a Small World Clock Parade (From "it's a small world")-2
Disney Sing Along Songs - 1990 Disneyland Fun - It's A Small World-2
Disney Instrumental ǀ Makiko Hirohashi - It's A Small World-2
Disney Instrumental ǀ Neverland Orchestra - It's A Small World-2
Baha Men - It's A Small World-2
Baha Men - It's A Small World (Shorty Remix)-2
Disney Music Box ǀ It's A Small World-2
It's a Small World-2
Disney Peaceful Piano - It's a Small World (Audio Only)-2
Disney Eurobeat - It's a Small World-2
Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix - It's a Small World -Ducking Hardcore Mix--2
Disney Dancing Museum Music - It's a Small World-2
DDR Disney Grooves- It's A Small World-2
Disney Universe- It's A Small World After All (Ending Song)-2
Disney Universe Soundtrack - It's A Small World-2|Audio Only
Epic Mickey OST - Clocktower - By Jim Dooley-2
Epic Mickey OST - It's a Small World (End Credits)-2
Epic Mickey - It's A Small World - Dark Layer by Jim Dooley-2
Epic Mickey - It's a Small World - Neutral layer by Jim Dooley-2
Epic Mickey - It's A Small World - Light Layer by Jim Dooley-2
Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep OST - It's a Small World-3
It's a Small World-3
It's a Small World-4
It's A Small World
It's A Small World (Hawaiian Version)
【曲のみ】小さな世界 from Disney Mobile 【ミューパレ】
It's a Small World - Mickey Mouse Funhouse - Disney Junior Wonderful World of Songs - @disneyjunior
We Love Disney Artists - It's A Small World (Visualizer)
Disney Dreamlight Valley Music - "it's a small world" Pillar 01
Disney Dreamlight Valley Music - "it's a small world" Pillar 02
File:It's a Small World-5
File:It's a Small World-There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow
File:It's a Small World-6
It's A Small World-2
It's a Small World-7
It's a Small World-8
It's A Small World-3
It's a Small World-9
==External links==
*Sights and Sounds of Disney Parks: It’s a Classic Attraction. It’s Turning 50. ‘it’s a small world!’
pt-br:It's a Small World (canção)
sr-el:Svet je mali (pesma)
Category:Songs from theme park attractions
Category:Sherman Brothers songs
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Category:Kingdom Hearts songs
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Category:Kinect: Disneyland Adventures
Category:Songs in Disney Sing Along Songs videos
Category:It's a Small World
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Category:Disney Infinity
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Category:Ant-Man
Category:Songs with alternate lyrics
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Category:The Lion King
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