"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" is a song from the Disney

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...

 1946

1946 in film

The year 1946 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*November 21 - William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives premieres in New York featuring an ensemble cast including Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, and Harold Russell.*December 20 - Frank Capra's It's a...

 live action

Live action

In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...

 and animated movie Song of the South

Song of the South

Song of the South is a 1946 American musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the Uncle Remus cycle of stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The live actors provide a sentimental frame story, in which Uncle Remus relates the folk tales of the...

, sung by James Baskett

James Baskett

James Baskett was an American actor known for his portrayal of Uncle Remus, singing the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in the 1946 Disney feature film Song of the South, for which he was given an Honorary Academy Award, making him the first male performer of African descent to receive an Oscar.- Career...

. With music by Allie Wrubel

Allie Wrubel

Allie Wrubel was an American composer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Wrubel attended Wesleyan University and Columbia University before working in dance bands. He began his musical career in Greenwich Village, New York where he roomed with his close friend James Cagney...

 and lyrics by Ray Gilbert

Ray Gilbert

Ray Gilbert was a lyricist.Gilbert is best remembered for the lyrics to the Oscar winning song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from the film Song of the South, which he wrote with Allie Wrubel in 1947.He married, in 1962, actress Janis Paige.Daughter, actress and singer Joanne Gilbert, July...

, "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song

Academy Award for Best Original Song

The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...

. It was the second in a long line of Disney songs to win this award, after "When You Wish upon a Star

When You Wish upon a Star

"When You Wish upon a Star" is a song written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version of the song was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the...

" from Pinocchio

Pinocchio (1940 film)

Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...

.

For many years the song was part of an opening theme medley for the Wonderful World of Disney television program and it has often been used in other TV and video productions by the studio. It is one of many popular songs that features a bluebird ("Mr. Bluebird on my shoulder"), epitomized by the "Bluebird of Happiness

Bluebird of happiness

The mythology of the bluebird of happiness has deep roots that go back thousands of years. Indigenous cultures across the globe hold similar myths and beliefs about the bluebird. It is a widely accepted symbol of cheerfulness, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, new births, the...

," as a symbol of cheer.

Cover versions

• The Kingsmen
  The Kingsmen
  The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
  
   sang this song during a special episode of Fibber McGee and Molly
  Fibber McGee and Molly
  Fibber McGee and Molly was an American radio comedy series which maintained its popularity over decades. It premiered on NBC in 1935 and continued until its demise in 1959, long after radio had ceased to be the dominant form of entertainment in American popular culture.-Husband and wife in real...
  
  to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the show's sponsor, S.C. Johnson Company The rendition of the song mentions the sponsor within the lyrics "It's true/It's actual/Everything is Johnson's Wax-ual."
• Johnny Mercer
  Johnny Mercer
  John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
  
   had a #8 hit with his rendition of the song in 1947.
• Guy Mitchell
  Guy Mitchell
  Guy Mitchell, born Albert George Cernik, was an American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia...
  
   released a cover in 1961.
• Connie Francis
  Connie Francis
  Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
  
   recorded the song in 1962 for her album Connie Francis sings Award Winning Motion Picture Hits.
• Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
  Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
  Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans was an early 1960s vocal group produced by Phil Spector, and was initially conceived as a vehicle for the lead vocals of Bobby Sheen, who took the stage name Bob B. Soxx...
  
  , a Phil Spector
  Phil Spector
  Phillip Harvey "Phil" Spector is an American record producer and songwriter, later known for his conviction in the murder of actress Lana Clarkson....
  
  -produced trio from Los Angeles, recorded this song in late 1962, hitting #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
  Billboard Hot 100
  The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
  
   in 1963. This version peaked at #45 in the UK Singles Chart
  UK Singles Chart
  The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
  
   in 1963.
• Freddie and the Dreamers
  Freddie and the Dreamers
  Freddie and the Dreamers were an English band who had a number of hit records between May 1963 and November 1965. Their stage act was based around the comic antics of the 5-foot-3-inch-tall Freddie Garrity, who would bounce around the stage with arms and legs flying. The group remained active...
  
   included the song in their 1963 like-titled album, Freddie and the Dreamers
  Freddie and the Dreamers (album)
  Freddie and the Dreamers is the eponymous debut album from the British Invasion band from Manchester, England. It was released in the United Kingdom in 1963, peaking at number five in the UK Albums Chart and reaching number 19 in the US albums chart on May 22, 1965...
  
  .
• The Hollies
  The Hollies
  The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
  
   recorded a version in 1963 with their original drummer. It is only available on the compilation, The French EP Collection, Vol. 1.
• The Dave Clark Five
  The Dave Clark Five
  The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
  
   recorded the song for their first UK album, A Session with The Dave Clark Five
  A Session with the Dave Clark Five
  A Session with The Dave Clark Five is the debut UK album from the Dave Clark Five.The album hit number #3 in the UK. It features the single "Can't You See That She's Mine" and covers of "Rumble" by Link Wray & His Men, "On Broadway" by The Drifters, and "Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah".Ten of the twelve tracks...
  
  in 1964.
• Doris Day
  Doris Day
  Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
  
   recorded the song in 1964 for her album With a smile and a song
  With a Smile and a Song (album)
  With a Smile and a Song was an album, featuring Doris Day and Jimmy Joyce and the Children's Chorus, recorded from July 7 to 14, 1964 and released by Columbia Records on October 19, 1964...
  
  .
• Louis Armstrong
  Louis Armstrong
  Louis Armstrong , nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana....
  
   recorded an LP
  LP album
  The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
  
   called Disney Songs The Satchmo Way in 1968 featuring a number of Disney songs including "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah."
• The Gaylettes, a Jamaican ska group, covered the song in the late 1960s.
• The Jackson 5
  The Jackson 5
  The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
  
   covered it as the first song on their first LP, Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5
  Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5
  Diana Ross Presents the Jackson 5 is the debut album from Gary, Indiana-based soul family band The Jackson 5, released on the Motown label in December 1969...
  
  in 1969.
• Muppet
  The Muppets
  The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
  
   bunnies perofrmed this song on a 1980 episode of The Muppet Show
  The Muppet Show
  The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
  
  .
• Steve Miller
  Steve Miller (musician)
  Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
  
   included a version on his Born 2 B Blue album (1988).
• Actor Chevy Chase
  Chevy Chase
  Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase is an American comedian, writer, and television and film actor, born into a prominent entertainment industry family. Chase worked a plethora of odd jobs before moving into comedy acting with National Lampoon...
  
   sings this song in the 1989 Universal Pictures
  Universal Pictures
  -1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
  
   comedy film
  Comedy film
  Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
  
   Fletch Lives
  Fletch Lives
  Fletch Lives is a 1989 comedy film starring Chevy Chase. It was directed by Michael Ritchie with a screenplay by Leon Capetanos based on the character created by Gregory Mcdonald. Fletch Lives was released by Universal Pictures. It is a sequel to the 1985 film Fletch.- Plot :Chevy Chase once again...
  
  .
• Sun Ra
  Sun Ra
  Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
  
   included a version on his Second Star to the Right album (1989).
• On the direct-to-video/album release Simply Mad About the Mouse in 1991, a rotoscoped Ric Ocasek
  Ric Ocasek
  Ric Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
  
   sings the song.
• Paula Abdul
  Paula Abdul
  Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
  
   recorded the song with a pop twist to it for the album "For Our Children" in 1992.
• The Australian children's show Play School
  Play School (Australian TV series)
  Play School is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is the longest-running children's show in Australia, and the second longest running childrens show in the world. An estimated 80% of pre-school children under six watch the...
  
   recorded a version of the song for the album Play School in the Car.
• Mannheim Steamroller
  Mannheim Steamroller
  Mannheim Steamroller is an American music group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey, known primarily for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.-Beginnings:...
  
   covered the song on their 1999 album, Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse
  Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse
  Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse: Unique Musical Creations Based on Disney Songs is a music album by Mannheim Steamroller, released by Walt Disney Records and American Gramaphone in 1999 on CD and DVD.-Track listing:# "Chim Chim Cher-ee" – 2:31...
  
  .
• A Eurobeat
  Eurobeat
  Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
  
  version of the song was created for Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Mix]] in 2000. The artist is Domino
  Alessandra Mirka Gatti
  Alessandra Mirka Gatti is an Italian Eurobeat singer.- Career :Alessandra Mirka Gatti first got a name in Italo Disco when she met Giancarlo Pasquini in the late 1980s...
  
  .
• Stevie Brock
  Stevie Brock
  Stephen Ray "Stevie" Brock is an American pop singer. He grew up outside of Dayton, Ohio. Brock began singing when he was two years old. At eight, he wrote his first song...
  
   sings this song on DisneyMania Vol. 2
  DisneyMania 2
  - Track listing :# Jump5 - "Welcome" - 3:15# Raven-Symoné - "True to Your Heart" - 3:45# Baha Men - "It's a Small World" - 2:44# The Beu Sisters - "He's a Tramp" - 2:56...
  
   CD in 2004.
• Aly & AJ sings this song on DisneyMania Vol. 3
  DisneyMania 3
  -Track listing:# Raven-Symoné - "Under the Sea" - 3:15# Jump5 - "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" - 3:04# Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson - "A Whole New World" - 4:11...
  
   CD in 2005.
• Miley Cyrus
  Miley Cyrus
  Miley Ray Cyrus is an American actress and pop singer-songwriter. She achieved wide fame for her role as Miley Stewart/Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel sitcom Hannah Montana....
  
   sings this song on DisneyMania Vol.4
  DisneyMania 4
  Disneymania 4 is the fourth in the Disneymania series. This is the album debut of many current stars on Disney Channel, like Miley Cyrus from Hannah Montana...
  
   CD in 2006.
• Japanese singer Ami Suzuki
  Ami Suzuki
  is a female singer, songwriter, actress and DJ from Zama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Having been discovered at the talent TV show Asayan, Suzuki was one of the most popular female singers as an idol in the late 1990s....
  
   sings this song for a Disney Music Store Japan special promotion in December 2006.
• Diana Ross & The Supremes recorded a version of this song for their unreleased album, Diana Ross & The Supremes Sing Disney Classics.
• John Tartaglia
  John Tartaglia
  John Nicholas Tartaglia is an American singer, actor, dancer, puppeteer.Tartaglia was born in Maple Shade, New Jersey, U.S.. He joined Sesame Street's puppetry team at the age of 16 part-time, performing as a right hand and many minor characters, including Phoebe and being the backup for Kevin...
  
   and the cast of Johnny and the Sprites
  Johnny and the Sprites
  Johnny and the Sprites is a musical television show aimed for preschoolers that airs every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" program of The Disney Channel. The show was created for, is produced by, and stars John Tartaglia . The show's theme song was written by Stephen Schwartz...
  
  will cover this for Disney Music Block Party.
• British comedian Bill Bailey
  Bill Bailey
  Bill Bailey is an English comedian, musician and actor. As well as his extensive stand-up work, Bailey is well known for his appearances on Black Books, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Have I Got News for You, and QI.Bailey was listed by The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy in...
  
   performs a "Portishead" version of the song in his Part Troll show as a proposed new British national anthem.
• The Mummies
  The Mummies
  The Mummies are an American garage punk band from San Mateo, California formed in 1988.-Showmanship:Originally hailing from San Mateo, California, the band was formed by Trent Ruane , Maz Kattuah , Larry Winther and Russell Quan . They became a key part of San Francisco's burgeoning garage punk...
  
   cover the song on the album, Death by Unga Bunga!!

Public usage

The song is heard during the finale of the popular Disney theme park ride Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain is a themed log flume attraction at Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort, based on the characters, stories and songs from the 1946 Disney film Song of the South...

, and can be found on many official albums:

• The Disney Collection: the Best-Loved Songs from Disney Motion Pictures, Television, and Theme Parks (1987/1991/2006 CD)
  The Disney Collection: the Best-Loved Songs from Disney Motion Pictures, Television, and Theme Parks
  The Disney Collection: the Best-Loved Songs from Disney Motion Pictures, Television, and Theme Parks is a series of CDs which were released three times. The first was a two volume set released in 1987 from Disneyland Records. The second time was released in 1991 as a three volume set from Walt...
  
  
• The Official Album of Disneyland and Walt Disney World (1991 CD)
• Disneyland/Walt Disney World: The Official Album (1997 CD)
  Disneyland/Walt Disney World: The Official Album (1997 CD)
  Disneyland/Walt Disney World: The Official Album was the official album for Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 1997. Out of print.-Track listing:#"Fantasyland Castle Medley" - Fantasyland Castle – 5:48#*When You Wish Upon a Star#*Once Upon a Dream...
  
  
• Walt Disney World Resort: Official Album (2000 CD) - as part of the ride's soundtrack
• Official Album: Walt Disney World Resort Celebrating 100 Years of Magic (2001 CD)
  Official Album: Walt Disney World Resort Celebrating 100 Years of Magic (2001 CD)
  Official Album: Walt Disney World Resort Celebrating 100 Years of Magic was the official album for Walt Disney World during the 100 Years of Magic celebration in 2001. It is identical to the 2000 edition, except it has an extra CD with a new track...
  
   - as part of the ride's soundtrack
• Disneyland Park: The Official Album (2001 CD)
  Disneyland Park: The Official Album (2001 CD)
  Disneyland Park: The Official Album was the official album for Disneyland in 2001. Two versions of this album were released with one containing the extra track "Parade of the Stars"...
  
   - as part of the ride's soundtrack
• A Musical History of Disneyland (2005)
  A Musical History of Disneyland (2005)
  A Musical History of Disneyland is a CD boxed set collection of music from Disneyland, spanning opening day to the present. Released on May 5, 2005 in honor of Disneyland's 50th Anniversary, it is the biggest release in Walt Disney Records' history....
  
   - as part of the ride's soundtrack
• The Disneyland Resort: Official Album (2008) - as part of the ride's soundtrack
• Children's Yesteryear Favourites (2008) - through CRS Records

Another place it has been used is the Disney play, "Alice in Wonderland Jr.", with one small lyric change, "Mr. Bluebird" becoming "Mr. Bubble"
It is also played during the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show as the show train pulls into Main Street Station.
The song has also been used in parades at the theme parks:

• Remember the Magic Parade - the soundtrack can be found on Disneyland/Walt Disney World Music Vacation
  Disneyland/Walt Disney World Music Vacation
  Disneyland/Walt Disney World Music Vacation was a 2-CD set only released in Japan in 1997. Out of print.-Disc one:# "Light Magic" – 16:06#*; DREAM OUR DREAMS FANFARE / OPENING / PLAY ON#:* Dream Our Dreams Fanfare#:* Dream Our Dreams Opening Play On...
  
  .
• Share A Dream Come True Parade
  Share A Dream Come True Parade
  Share a Dream Come True is a parade that was shown daily in Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom as a part of the 100 Years of Magic Celebration. The parade featured unique snow globe style floats. More than 110 cast members put on the parade daily at 3 p.m. from Frontierland to Main Street,...
  
   - the soundtrack can be found on Magic In The Streets: Parade Memories (2001 CD)
  Magic In The Streets: Parade Memories (2001 CD)
  Magic In The Streets: Parade Memories is the soundtrack for the three parades and the "Suite of Dreams" created for the 100 Years of Magic celebration at Walt Disney World...
  
  .
• Disney Stars And Motorcars Parade - the soundtrack can be found on Magic In The Streets: Parade Memories (2001 CD)
  Magic In The Streets: Parade Memories (2001 CD)
  Magic In The Streets: Parade Memories is the soundtrack for the three parades and the "Suite of Dreams" created for the 100 Years of Magic celebration at Walt Disney World...
  
  .

The song is also the station melody for the Maihama station of the Keiyo Line

Keiyo Line

The is a railway line connecting Tokyo and Chiba, Japan, running mainly along the edge of Tokyo Bay. It is operated by the East Japan Railway Company .It provides the main rail access to the Tokyo Disney Resort and the Makuhari Messe exhibition center...

 in Chiba

Chiba, Chiba

is the capital city of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is located approximately 40 km east of the center of Tokyo on Tokyo Bay. Chiba City became a government designated city in 1992. Its population as of 2008 is approximately 960,000....

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. Directly south of Maihama station lies Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland

is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Its main gate is directly adjacent to both Maihama Station and Tokyo Disneyland Station. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and opened on April 15, 1983...

.

Also, BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...

 DJ Chris Evans starts his breakfast show on BBC Radio 2 with "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" each weekday morning in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

.

External links

• Covering the Mouse - Cover versions of "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah"
• Zip A Dee Doo Dah Lyrics