"Children of the World" was the working title of the attraction Walt Disney only called "the happiest cruise that ever sailed" (and never "It's a Small World"). The attraction's tentative soundtrack design featured each national anthem, playing all at once, which resulted in a cacophonous noise. Walt demonstrated the miniature mock-up to his staff songwriters Robert B. Sherman and Richard M. Sherman. As he and the Sherman Brothers walked through Walt said, "I need one song." A single song for the attraction which could be easily translated into many different languages and which could be played in all round. The Sherman Brothers wrote "it's a small world (after all)" in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which influenced the song's message. They first presented "it's a small world (after all)" to Walt by singing in counterpoint while walking through the mock-up. In the spirit of international unity, "it's a small world (after all)" was sung and recorded in various studios around the world – by a church choir in London, TV performers in Mexico City, a school chorus in Rome, and by local children from Tokyo and California.
This song is arguably the single most performed and most widely translated song on earth, and has been regarded as "a gift to the children of the world." The song's tune and lyrics have been claimed to be the only Disney creations never to be protected by copyright, when this is in error, as the song was indeed copyrighted in 1964 and renewed in 1991. Despite this, however, the song has appeared as a demo on various keyboards, as a jingle played by ice cream trucks, and on miscellaneous other musical devices worldwide.
The song being considered annoying by some people is referenced in The Lion King. When Scar assumed the throne of Pride Rock and took Zazu as his prisoner, he makes him sing songs to him, preferably those with a little "bounce" in it. Zazu sings "It's a Small World", only to be immediately cut off by Scar, who clearly despises the song. Also, in the Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama, Dr. Drakken is shown using a torture chamber, where a man is trapped in a room with singing dolls performing this song.
In addition to The Lion King, part of the song was hummed by Timon in The Lion King 1½ while waiting for Pumbaa with the snacks before he accidentally picked his nose.
The song was also performed on The Muppet Show in the Spike Milligan episode, paying tribute to the Muppets' favorite country: Disneyland. The set mimics the Mary Blair-designed sets of the ride and the characters that are singing the song bob up and down in a manner similar to that of the ride's animatronic figures.
At the 2024 D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, as part of the panel "Jolly Holiday: A D23 Celebration of Richard M. Sherman", Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that before his passing, Richard Sherman had shared with him a new verse of the song that he had written. In 2025, it was announced that said verse would be added to the Disneyland version of the attraction.
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small... small... world!
It's a world of wonder, a world of worth
And in years to come we'll know peace on earth
We will open our eyes
And we'll all realize
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes, it's a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears (It's a small world after all)
It's a world of hopes, it's a world of fears (It's a small world after all)
There's so much that we share (It's a small world after all)
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world
A small world after all!
(Jingle Bells verse)
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Ha ha ha!
Bells on bobtail ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to sing a sleighing song tonight!
Oh, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hope and a world of fears
There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world!
(Islands variant of Jingle Bells)
Splashing through the foam in a seahorse we sashay
O'er the reefs we go
Laughing all the way
Ha ha ha!
Shells on bubbles gleam
Making treasures bright
Oh, what fun it is to sing a mermaid song tonight!
Oh, Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray
Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray!
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hope and a world of fears
There's so much that we share that it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all!
Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way!
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray
Jingle Shells, Jingle Shells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to glide beneath the salty spray!
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world!
(Deck the Halls verse)
Deck the halls with boughs of holly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Troll the ancient yuletide carol
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
See the blazing Yule before us
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
Strike the harp and join the chorus
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Follow me in merry measure
Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la
Heedless of the wind and weather
Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world!
It's a small world, it's a small world
It's a small world, it's a small world
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small, small, small world
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
It's a small world after all, no matter if you're big or small
Come on, everybody, let's bounce to this
Let's play some love with a little twist
It's a small world, it's a small world
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small, small, small world
(repeat until fade)
It's a world of laughter, a world of tears
It's a world of hopes and a world of fears
There's so much that we share
That it's time we're aware
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small, small world
There is just one moon and one golden sun
And a smile means friendship to everyone
Though the mountains divide
And the oceans are wide
It's a small world after all
It's a small world (Small world, small world)
After all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all
It's a small world after all...
It's a small, small world
It's a small, small world
It's a small... small... world
Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind
And the love we give makes us human kind
Through our vast wondrous land
When we stand hand in hand
It's a small world after all....
Trivia[]
This song is referenced in the Dinosaurs episode "Endangered Species", when Earl Sinclair won't sell his Graptolites to his boss Mr. Richfield, explaining that his wife's happiness means the world to him. When Richfield offers Earl $50 for them, Earl says, "It's a small world after all."
The song is also referenced by Hades in Hercules when he takes the titular character to the river Styx and remarks, "It's a small underworld after all."
In The Lion King,Zazu sings it while caged in a rib bone. Scar then cuts him off saying "No, no! Anything but that."
The Muppet Movie:The Rainbow Connection • Movin' Right Along • Never Before, Never Again • I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along • Can You Picture That? • I'm Going To Go Back There Someday • America • Finale: The Magic Store