How many times have you heard or sang the popular Disney song ‘it’s a small world’ from the attraction by the same name? I know we used to drive our parents crazy with it when we would make our treks to Walt Disney World years ago. Now the Library of Congress is adding this famous song to their National Recording Registry this year.

This song, along with 24 other recordings, will be added this year after the public nominated about 1,000 different recordings to be considered.

Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden explained the purpose of the registry:

“The National Recording Registry reflects the diverse music and voices that have shaped our nation’s history and culture through recorded sound. The national library is proud to help preserve these recordings, and we welcome the public’s input. We received about 1,000 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry.”

The famous Disney song is included among other recordings in the 2022 list of inductees that span decades and various genres.

“The latest selections named to the registry span from 1921 to 2010. They range from rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop and country to Latin, Motown, jazz, and recordings of history as it happened. In addition to the musical selections, the new class includes the famous speeches of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, WNYC’s broadcasts on 9/11 and a podcast interview with comedian Robin Williams.”

‘It’s a Small World” was first introduced at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York as the song from the ride ‘it’s a small world’ presented by Walt Disney as “Pepsi’s tribute to UNICEF.”

The song, written by the Sherman brothers, was recorded by the Disneyland Boys Choir in 1964.

Here’s the write-up from the Library of Congress website:

“Richard B. and Robert M. Sherman’s song “It’s a Small World” was first heard at 1964-1965 World’s Fair in New York, as the soundtrack to a ride created by Walt Disney for Pepsi Cola’s tribute to UNICEF. There, guides, costumed as Disney characters, helped visitors into small boats that took them through tunnels peopled by brightly-colored puppets representing children from around the world, who cheerfully sang it to them. Today, the same experience can be had at Disneyland in California, where the ride was moved and reconstructed after the Fair closed at the end of its second season in October, 1965. Since then, the song has been heard daily ever since, as well as at other Disney theme parks, making it one of the most widely heard and remembered songs of all time. The motto of the 1964-65 World’s Fair was “Peace, Through Understanding,” but, day by day in the middle of the 1960s, there seemed to be less and less of that in the world. Still, the ride and the song became two of the most hopeful things about the Fair, and it has endured. During the Fair’s first season, the song was only available on a 7” disc at the Fair itself, but was later distributed to stores between the Fair’s two seasons, and eventually became part of an album of the same name.”

I think that “it’s a small world” is iconic and relevant in so many ways. With ties to Walt Disney, UNICEF, and Pepsi, as well as versions of the attraction in various parks.

Now the Main Street Electrical Parade will feature new floats with Disney characters done in the attraction’s signature style.

This is like what is seen on the Disneyland version of the attraction. It’s just fitting (and a little bit convenient) that it was chosen this year.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Source: Library of Congress

Hat tip to Chip and Co.