Disney unveils new ‘It’s a Small World’ lyrics by the late Richard Sherman

One of the most recognizable songs in Disney history has 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 theme song that he and his late brother, Robert Sherman (who died in 2012), originally created for Walt Disney’s signature attraction in 1964. Now Disney has officially revealed the singer’s final addition to the song, including a new verse that appears at the end of an emotional short film, The last versewhich the company released Wednesday to honor Sherman’s life and legacy.

For the first time, The last verse shared the new verse in full after Sherman originally 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 on screen: “Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind/And that love , we give, make us humanity/Through our vast wondrous land/When we stand hand in hand/It’s a small world after all.”

The film ends with a 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 treasured music of the last century, the Sherman Brothers will be remembered for their profound influence on our global culture,” Iger said in a press release. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the last verse of ‘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 association with the United Nations Children’s Fund. Due to the popularity of the ride—which takes riders on a water-based journey through scenes of animatronic characters representing nations from around the world—Disney moved the attraction to its new permanent home at Disneyland in Anaheim, California in May 1966.

Four more 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 that does not have a repeat ride.

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In addition to their work on the Disney tour, the Sherman brothers won two Oscars and three Grammy Awards and worked on memorable projects such as Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bangand The Jungle Book.

The last verse streams Friday on Disney+ and Disney’s social channels, including YouTube.