Disney reveals new, moving ‘It’s a Small World’ lyrics crafted just before original writer’s death

One of the most recognizable songs in Disney history has received a new set of lyrics after 60 years.

Just before his death in May 2024, original “It’s a Small World” songwriter Richard Sherman penned a final update to the classic boat ride’s theme song he and his late brother, Robert Sherman (who died in 2012), initially crafted for Walt Disney’s signature attraction in 1964. Now, Disney has officially unveiled the songsmith’s final addition to the song, including a new verse that appears at the end of an emotional short film, The Last Verse, that the company released Wednesday in honor of Sherman’s life and legacy.

For the first time, The Last Verse shared the new verse in its entirety, after Sherman initially shared his final contributions to the song with Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in the summer of 2023, months before he died the following year at age 95.

After highlighting the song’s global impact, the short film (directed by Murderball‘s Henry Alex Rubin) incorporates the voice of a child singing Sherman’s new verse over a piano, shortly after images of Sherman posing with Minnie and Mickey Mouse flash onscreen: “Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind/and the love we give makes us humankind/Through our vast wondrous land/When we stand hand-in-hand/It’s a small world after all.”

The film ends with one final note dedicated to the Sherman brothers: “Thank you for making a big world feel smaller,” it reads.

“As the legendary creators of some of the most cherished music of the past century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound impact on our global culture,” Iger said in a press statement. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse to ‘It’s a Small World’ before he died will be a moment I will carry with me forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immeasurable musical contributions, their memory, and to the countless memories they helped create for generations of people around the world.”

The Sherman brothers’ “It’s a Small World” song first debuted as part of the It’s a Small World boat ride at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund. Due to the popularity of the ride — which takes riders on a water-based journey through scenes featuring animatronic figures representing nations from around the world — Disney moved the attraction to its new, permanent home at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. in May 1966.

An additional four adaptations of the ride opened in subsequent years at Disney parks around the world, including at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Fla. in 1971, Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, Disneyland Paris in 1992, and Hong Kong Disneyland in 2008. To date, Shanghai Disneyland remains the only park in the company’s portfolio to not feature an iteration of the ride.

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Outside of their work on the Disney ride, the Sherman brothers won two Oscars and three Grammys, and worked on memorable projects like Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and The Jungle Book.

The Last Verse streams Friday on Disney+ and Disney’s social channels, including YouTube.