"Step in Time" is a song in Disney's film Mary Poppins, based on the popular "Knees Up Mother Brown". It is sung by Bert and a chorus of chimney sweeps.
The version of the song featured on the Mousercise album was not only used on the Mousercise TV show, but also as a DTV music video in the 1980s, using clips from the Johnny Appleseed segment of Melody Time, How to Be a Sailor, In the Bag, The Klondike Kid, Victory Vehicles, The Old Mill, Pluto's Fledgling, Chicken Little, The Little Whirlwind, They're Off, The Cactus Kid, The Tortoise and the Hare, and Plane Crazy. It was included on Disney Sing Along Songs: You Can Fly! and Disney Sing Along Songs: Disneyland Fun as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Chip and Dale, and Roger Rabbit welcome everyone to Disneyland during their grand opening.
In the musical version, the song is reworked by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe into a number that alludes to the idea that chimney sweeps act as guardian angels in the night whenever called upon to "step in time".
Lyrics[]
Bert:
Step in time! step in time!
Chimney Sweeps:
Step in time, step in time
Step in time!
Bert:
Step in time!
Step in time, step in time
Come on, mateys, step in time
Chimney Sweeps:
Step in time!
Step in time, step in time
Step in time, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Step in time, to step in time!
Bert:
Kick your knees up!
Chimney Sweeps:
Kick your knees up, step in time
Kick your knees up, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Kick your knees up, step in time!
Bert:
Round the chimney!
Chimney Sweeps:
Round the chimney, step in time
Round the chimney, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Round the chimney, step in time!
Bert:
Flap like a birdie!
Chimney Sweeps:
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Flap like a birdie, in time.
Bert:
Up on the railing!
Chimney Sweeps:
Up on the railing, step in time
Up on the railing, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Up on the railing, step in time!
Bert:
Over the rooftops!
Chimney Sweeps:
Over the rooftops, step in time
Over the rooftops, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Step in time!
Over the rooftops, over the rooftops
Bert:
Link your elbows!
Chimney Sweeps:
Link your elbows, step in time
Link your elbows, step in time
Link your elbows, link your elbows
Link your elbows!
Chimney Sweeps:
Step in time, step in time
Step in time, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
You step in time, you step...in...time!
[instrumental interlude]
Bert:
Mary Poppins, step in time!
[instrumental interlude]
Mrs. Brill:
AH! They're at it again!
Chimney Sweeps:
They're at it again, step in time
They're at it again, step in time
They're at it again, step in time
Ellen:
Ow!
Chimney Sweeps:
Ow, step in time
Ow, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Ow, step in time
[instrumental interlude]
Chimney Sweeps:
Votes for women, step in time
Votes for women, step in time
Votes for women
Winifred Banks: Votes for women!
[instrumental interlude]
Ellen:
It's the master!
Chimney Sweeps:
It's the master, step in time
It's the master, step in time
George Banks: What's all this?
Chimney Sweeps:
What's all this!
What's all this!
What's all this!
What's all this!
What's all this!
Chimney Sweeps:
Link your elbows, step in time
Kick your knees up, step in time
Kick your knees up, kick your knees up
Kick your knees up
Kick your knees up in time!
Step in time! step in time!
Everybody, step in time!
Step in time!
Step in time, step in time
Step in time, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Get in line to step in time
Raise the rooftop
Raise the rooftop, step in time
Raise the rooftop, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Raise the rooftop, step in time
Step in time!
Step in time!
(long instrumental verse plus instrumental medley verse)
Love and laughter, steps in time
Everywhere, it's "Steps in Time"
With every song, with every rhyme
Disney's saying, "It's Steps in Time"
With every song...
With every rhyme...
Disney's saying, "It's Steps in Time"!
Steps in time!
Steps in time!
Steps in time!
Goofy:
Step in time, Step in time
Come along, people, step in time!
Chorus:
Step in time, step in time
Step in time, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Step in time, you step in time
Mickey Mouse:
Okay, kick your knees up!
Chorus:
Kick your knees up, step in time
Kick your knees up, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Kick your knees up, step in time
Goofy:
Squat like a froggy!
Chorus:
Squat like a frog and jump in time
Squat like a frog and jump in time
Down real low then let 'er go!
Squat like a frog and jump in time
Donald Duck:
Flap like a birdie!
Chorus:
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Chip and Dale:
Spin like a whirlybird!
Chorus:
Spin like a whirlybird in time
Spin like a whirlybird in time
The more you twirl, the higher you climb
Spin like a whirlybird in time
Mickey Mouse:
Trot like a horsie!
Chorus:
On all fours, trot in time
Like a horse, trot in time
Keep with the beat on your hands and feet
On all fours and trot in time
Donald Duck:
Bounce like a bunny!
Chorus:
Bounce like a bunny, hop in time
Bounce like a bunny, hop in time
Wiggle your nose, your tail and toes
Bounce like a bunny, hop in time
Goofy:
Roar like a rocket!
Chorus:
Roar like a rocket, 'round the room
Roar like a rocket, 'round the room
Zoom on up and touch the moon
Roar like a rocket, 'round the room
Mickey Mouse and Friends:
Step in time, step in time
Step in time, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
When you step in time, you step in time
Sweep 1: Brush away the dirt and soot
Sweep 2: Brush away the tears
Sweep 3: Cobwebs that aren't swept away
Sweep 4: Hang around for years
Sweeps: In all weathers up all hours
We can see for miles
Our idea of heaven is
A night out on the tiles
We may look a motley crew
Smudged with tar and grime
But when you need a helping hand
Women: We Try to step in,
try to step in just in time
Men: Try to step in, step in
just in time
Bert: We will step in.
(Step in time)
Bert: we will step in
(step in time)
Bert: never need a reason
never need a rhyme
Bert and small group:
We will step in. Step in time
Over the rooftops step in time
Over the rooftops step in time
Never need a reason
Never need a rhyme,
Over the rooftops step in time
All: Watch your step, but step in time.
Watch your step, but step in time.
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Watch where you step, but step in time
Kick your knees up, step in time.
Kick your knees up, step in time.
Never need a reason never need a rhyme.
Kick your knees up, step in time.
Mary Poppins: Childhood is a step in time,
Parenthood's the same.
Mary/Bert: Never miss a chance to get it right.
Bert: Don't it seem a perfect crime
Don't it seem a shame
Mary: when the steps aren't going
As smoothly as they might
All: that's when we step in, step in time.
That's when we step step, in time!
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme.
That's when we step in, step in time!
(interlude)
All: Step! Step! Step! Step! Step!
Link your elbows, step in time!
Link your elbows step in time!
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme.
Link your elbows step in time!
Link your elbows step in time!
Step in time, step step in time!
(interlude)
Mary: Just remember when you're low, feeling in the wars
Sweeps: Someone’s up your chimney
Mary: And it isn't Santa clause!
Sweeps: If you need us, if you don't
Doesn't make much odds
We’ll be watching over you.
Brushes brooms and
(Brushes brooms and brushes brooms)
Brushes, brushes
Brooms…
Bert: And rods!
Over the rooftops!
(over the rooftops)
I'm movin' up in the world!
(over the rooftops, over the rooftops)
Top o' the evenin' to ya!
(over the rooftops)
ALL: Over the rooftops step in time,
Over the rooftops step in time.
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme.
Bert: Over the rooftops, step in time!
Sweeps: Link your elbows, step in time
Link your elbows, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Link your elbows, step in time!
Kick your knees up, step in time.
Kick your knees up, step in time.
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme.
Kick your knees up, step in time.
Oh! Step in time
(step in time)
Spoken/shout: STEP! STEP! STEP!
Step in time
(step in time)
All: STEP! STEP! STEP!
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme.
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme.
If you kick your knees up,
kick your knees up,
kick your knees up,
kick your knees up
Spoken/shout: Step (x17)
Never need a reason if you step in time!
Kick your knees up, step in time
Kick your knees up, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Kick your knees up, step in time!
Link your elbows, step in time
Link your elbows, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Link your elbows, step in time!
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Flap like a birdie, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Flap like a birdie, step in time!
Step in time, step in time
Step in time, step in time
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Never need a reason, never need a rhyme
Step in time, you step...in...time!
Other Versions[]
| Performer(s) | Title(s) | Translations(s) | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neritan Liçaj | Albanian | ||
| Ézio Ramos (VHS version) Marcelo Coutinho (DVD version) |
Brazilian Portuguese | ||
| Salvador Escamilla | "Pisa a tiempo" | Castilian Spanish | |
| Ladislav Běhůnek | ? | ? | Czech |
| Lars Bom | Danish | ||
| Ben Cramer | Dutch | ||
| Antti Pääkkönen | Finnish | ||
| Michel Roux | "Prenons le rythme" | French | |
| Harry Wüstenhagen | "Schritt und Tritt" | German | |
| דרור קרן (Dror Keren) |
Hebrew | ||
| Oreste Lionello | "Tutti insieme" | Italian | |
| 山寺宏一 (Kōichi Yamadera) |
"踊ろう、調子よく" (Odorō, Chōshi Yoku) | Let's dance rhythmicaly | Japanese |
| Arturo Mercado | "Al compás" | Latin Spanish | |
| Johannes Joner | Norwegian | ||
| Wojciech Paszkowski | "Raz i dwa" | Polish | |
| Florian Ghimpu | Romanian | ||
| Алексей Иващенко (Aleksey Ivashchenko) |
Russian | ||
| Stefan Frelander | "Gå i takt" | Swedish |
Videos[]
