Feed The Birds – Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews)

I was watching a documentary on PL Travis, the author of Mary Poppins, and her relationship with Walt Disney who took her stories and made them into the iconic movie starring Julie Andrews. It seems there is always a sub plot to all these most famous stories, PL Travis was a complicated character and her books much darker than the animated film. The story of their relationship and PL Travis attempts to stop Walt Disney making his masterpiece has also been turned into a movie, Saving Mr. Banks. Personally I prefer that film even more than Mary Poppins itself as it gives you a glimpse into how they made the amazing Disney films back in the day. The storytelling and settings were as clever as the game changing animation techniques they developed, but the part that fascinates me personally is how the Sherman Brothers came up with the amazing music that's featured throughout the film. Taking the plot and dialogue and crafting that into songs with meaning and purpose.

Mary Poppins is basically a kids film, but when you start understanding the influences that brought the ideas and characters to PL Travis you realise there are quite a few adult themes going on here. Loss, disappointment, lack of love and failure. Amongst all the songs, most of which are very joyous and uplifting is this strange little song. It's shown as the children's nanny explaining to them that not everyone in life has it easy, some people have to fight for every crumb. I think it's such a clever way to portray hardship and setting it on the steps of St. Pauls makes the whole thing believable. Sadly this song is still as relevant today as back in the distance past that Mary Poppins is set in. The full orchestra piece with all the strings and haunting melody makes the whole thing sound anything but childish.

Favourite lyric : Though her words are simple and few / "Listen, listen", she's calling to you