"Following the Leader" is a song where John plays follow the leader with Michael and the Lost Boys from Disney's 1953 animated feature film, Peter Pan.
This song was included on 3 VHS tapes: Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, Disney's Sing-Along Songs: On My Way, and the UK edition of Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Circle of Life.
Lyrics[]
Lost Boys and John:
Following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader
Wherever he may go
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee day
Tee dum, tee dee it's part of the game we play
Tee dum, tee dee, the words are easy to say
Just a teedle ee dum a teedle ee do tee day
Tee do, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee dum
We're one for all, and all of us out for fun
We march in line and follow the other one
With a teedle ee do a teedle ee di tee dum
(whistle verse)
Following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader
Wherever he may go
We're out to fight the Injuns, the Injuns, the Injuns
We're out to fight the Injuns
Because he told us so
Tee dum, tee dee a teedle ee do tee day
We march along and these are the words we say:
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle de dum dee-day
Oh, a teedle ee dum a teedle ee do tee day
Oh, a teedle ee dum a teedle ee-do-tee-day
Following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader wherever he may go
We won't be home 'til morning, 'til morning, 'til morning
We won't be home 'til morning because he told us so
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee doe tee day
We're out for fun and this is the game we play
Come on, join in and sing your troubles away
With a teedle ee dum a teedle ee doe tee day
Tee dum, tee dee a teedle ee do tee day
We march along and these are the words we say:
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle de dum dee-day
Oh, a teedle ee dum a teedle ee do tee day
Oh, a teedle ee dum a teedle ee-do-tee-day
Kids: Tee dum, tee dee a teedle ee doe tee day
Tee dum, tee dee, it's part of the game we play
Tee dum, tee dum, the words are easy to say
Just a teedle ee dum, a teedle ee doe tee day
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee doe tee di
We march along and follow the other guy
Each thing he does the rest of us have to try
With a teedle ee doe a teedle ee doe tee di
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader wherever he may go
We won't be home 'til morning, 'til morning, 'til morning
We won't be home 'til morning because he told us so
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee doe tee day
We're out for fun and this is the game we play
Come on, join in and sing your troubles away
With a teedle ee dum a teedle ee doe tee day
We're off to see the tigers, the tigers, the tigers
We're off to see the tigers and this is what we'll do
We may bring back a million, a trillion, a zillion
We may bring back a million, or maybe one or two
Tee dum, tee dee a teedle ee doe tee day
We march for fun and these are the words we say
Tee dum, tee dee a teedle ee doe tee day
Oh, a teedle ee dum a teedle ee doe tee day
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader wherever he may go
We won't be home 'til morning, 'til morning, 'til morning
We won't be home 'til morning, because he told us so
Tee dum, tee dee a teedle ee doe tee dum
We're one for all, and no one can stop for fun
We march in line and follow the other one
With a teedle ee do a teedle ee di tee dum
With a teedle ee do a teedle ee di tee dum
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader wherever he may go
We won't be home 'til morning, 'til morning, 'til morning
We won't be home 'til morning because he told us so
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee doe tee day
We're out for fun and this is the game we play
Come on, join in and sing your troubles away
With a teedle ee dum a teedle ee doe tee day
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader wherever he may go
Tee do, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee dum
We're one for all, and all of us out for fun
We march in line and follow the other one
With a teedle ee do a teedle ee di tee dum
We're following the leader, the leader, the leader
We're following the leader wherever he may go
We won't be home 'til morning, 'til morning, 'til morning
We won't be home 'til morning because he told us so
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee day
Tee dum, tee dee it's part of the game we play
Tee dum, tee dee, the words are easy to say
Just a teedle ee dum a teedle ee do tee day
Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee dum
We're one for all, and all of us out for fun!
We march in line and follow the other one
With a teedle ee do a teedle ee do tee dum!
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- At the end of the version heard on Disney's Sing-Along Songs: Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah, additional children's vocals are provided for the last chorus when sung by Professor Owl's pupils.
- On Disney Sing Along Songs: Disneyland Fun and Pongo and Perdita, two major changes are made.
- The song is sung in a lower key.
- The original lyrics saying "We're off to fight the Injuns, the Injuns, the Injuns..." is changed to "We won't be home 'til morning, 'til morning, 'til morning..." because the former was deemed by the Disneyland Fun producers and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as "offensive and racist to Native Americans".
- The rhinoceros, who appears briefly in the song sequence, makes a small cameo appearance with all the other Toons at the end of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.
- An instrumental version of the song is briefly heard at the beginning of both Return to Never Land (specifically at the beginning where Tinkerbell flies through a long cloud with shadows of Michael, the Lost Boys, and John inside it), and The Pirate Fairy.
- Mickey plays an instrumental trombone version during his introduction sequence to Thursday's "Circus Day" on the original Mickey Mouse Club series.
