The Life I Lead
Encyclopedia
"The Life I Lead" is a song from the 1964 Walt Disney
film Mary Poppins
, composed by Richard M. Sherman
and Robert B. Sherman
. Academy Award winning music arranger, Irwin Kostal
used the theme from this song as the leit motif of the protagonist
, "George Banks" as it most expresses the way he "marches" through life.
The song is first sung as George Banks (played by David Tomlinson
) marches into the front door of his home, "returning from daily strife to hearth and wife". The song is reprised several times throughout the film, with Julie Andrews also singing a verse. The final reprise is sung when Banks thinks he has lost everything. The music is now more somber and is retitled, "A Man Has Dreams
". This song is considered a Patter Song, meaning that this song is half spoken and half sung in rhythm, similar to Rex Harrison's songs in "My Fair Lady", or some of the songs by Noel Coward.
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
film Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
, composed by Richard M. Sherman
Richard M. Sherman
Richard Morton Sherman is an American songwriter who specializes in musical film with his brother Robert Bernard Sherman....
and Robert B. Sherman
Robert B. Sherman
Robert Bernard Sherman is an American songwriter who specializes in musical films with his brother Richard Morton Sherman...
. Academy Award winning music arranger, Irwin Kostal
Irwin Kostal
Irwin Kostal was an American musical arranger of films and an orchestrator of Broadway musicals.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Kostal opted not to attend college, instead teaching himself musical arranging by studying the symphonic scores available at his local library...
used the theme from this song as the leit motif of the protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, "George Banks" as it most expresses the way he "marches" through life.
The song is first sung as George Banks (played by David Tomlinson
David Tomlinson
David Cecil MacAlister Tomlinson was an English film actor. He is primarily remembered for his roles as authority figure George Banks in Mary Poppins, fraudulent magician Professor Emelius Browne in Bedknobs and Broomsticks and as hapless antagonist Peter Thorndyke in The Love Bug.-Early life:Born...
) marches into the front door of his home, "returning from daily strife to hearth and wife". The song is reprised several times throughout the film, with Julie Andrews also singing a verse. The final reprise is sung when Banks thinks he has lost everything. The music is now more somber and is retitled, "A Man Has Dreams
A Man Has Dreams
"A Man Has Dreams" is a song from Walt Disney's film Mary Poppins, written by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman. The song melody is a slowed down version of "The Life I Lead" which serves as Banks' leit motif as he was tired...
". This song is considered a Patter Song, meaning that this song is half spoken and half sung in rhythm, similar to Rex Harrison's songs in "My Fair Lady", or some of the songs by Noel Coward.
- Some lyrics of the song say:
- Lyricist, Robert B. ShermanRobert B. ShermanRobert Bernard Sherman is an American songwriter who specializes in musical films with his brother Richard Morton Sherman...
was making an inside comment about his own life. Having just secured a position with the Walt Disney Company, he also purchased a home in Beverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills, CaliforniaBeverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
. The house is located at 601 North Oakhurst Drive. In the lyric, 6:01 is a reference to time. In the songwriter's personal life, it was the address of his home. Although he moved away from that house in 1969, years later a more recent owner put up a plaque which reads: "Casa Poppins" because it was in that house that Sherman lived during the writing of Mary PoppinsMary Poppins (film)Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
. The plaque is still at that location.- An adaptation of this song called "Precision and Order" is evident in the stage musical version.
- This song is the only time it is mentioned what year the film is set in; "It's grand to be an Englishman in 1910 / King EdwardEdward VII of the United KingdomEdward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
's on the throne; it's the age of men!"
Literary Sources
- Sherman, Robert B. Walt's Time: from before to beyondWalt's Time: from before to beyondWalt's Time: from before to beyond is a 252-page autobiographic, full color book by Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. It was edited by Imagineers Bruce Gordon, David Mumford and Jeff Kurtti and was published in 1998 by Camphor Tree Publishers who are out of Santa Clarita, California...
. Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.
- Lyricist, Robert B. Sherman