Release from drudgery

Ray, the man to know over at Grumpy's Hollow, has been writing some fantastic things about the music of Walt Disney World (see: here, oh and, of course: here, and his latest one: here). Also, I recently read this journal post over at Disfriends (sadly I could not find the actual article or author after much searching), which talked about treating everyday as if they were going to Disneyland and how, even though they were actually moving along with the daily lives, it made their days seem a little bit brighter. Then, surprisingly and quite unknowingly to your author here, these two ideas met in my neck of the woods yesterday and I was lifted from the plight of my normal day and had what could only be described as a lovely day.

To describe yesterday as lovely is laughable. I worked from sun-up to sun-down with a staff that were anything but happy, we are severely understaffed at the moment, dealt with some not so thrilled parents, and had some temper-tantrums the likes of which could make a sailor blush and a dinosaur scared. However, on my way in to work yesterday morning I happened to pop Disney’s Happiest Celebration on Earth (Disneyland version) into my CD player. There I found There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, which was picked up by my subconscious and played continuously throughout the day. I whistled the song while I put chairs down and set up breakfast for my preschool horde. I belt it out as if it were opera during our outside play time. I even hummed it on my way to a meeting I did not want to go to.

What happened? For starters I never got discouraged, and a smile was fastened firmly to my face. And my attitude seemed to spill over into even the darkest corner of my center. Staff members who normally wouldn’t have cooperated with me, or each other, seemed less confrontational after we talked. Then they began to find solutions (compromises even) on their own. Children who were looking for something, or someone, to hit, saw me and melted into my arms (arms which usually get bruises, not hugs). By the end of the evening, I was beginning to become aware of the fact that There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow had saved my day.

This song, which had just happened to fall into my personal soundtrack yesterday, not only changed my environment, but the environment of those around me. To honor this monumental accomplishment I thought I would give the spotlight over to this song today with some lyrics and a little history.

There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, another triumph by Richard and Robert Sherman, debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair as a part of the Carrousel of Progress. After the conclusion of the World’s Fair, the attraction, complete with its uplifting anthem, moved cross-country to Disneyland, where it opened in Tomorrowland in 1967. In 1973 it again made the long trip across the country to Florida, and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. From 1983 until 1994 the song was removed from the Carrousel of Progress. In its place The Best Time of Your Life could be heard, but There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow would make a triumphant return in 1994. In the interim, There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow could be heard in Horizons, which opened in 1983 and closed in 1999.


Lyrics

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
And tomorrow is just a dream away.

Man has a dream
And that's the start.
He follows his dream,
With mind and heart.
And when it becomes a reality,
It's a dream come true,
For you and me.

So, there's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Shining at the end of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow,
Just a dream away.