Alan Brough’s least favourite Sherman Brothers songs

Why does the Spicks & Specks star dislike 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang'?

First published on 21 Nov 2012. Updated on 26 Nov 2012.

This was meant to be a list of my top five Sherman Brothers songs. However I don’t actually like the Sherman Brothers. Their songs were responsible for some of the biggest embarrassments of my childhood. Embarrassments and a broken collarbone.

So here are my top five least liked Sherman Brothers songs along with the ignominies visited upon me because of them.

‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’, Mary Poppins
	When I was young I wanted to be like the Fonz from Happy Days. I decided, to achieve that level of cool, I needed a catch phrase. The Fonz had ‘Ayyyyyyyyyy’; I chose ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’. I said ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ all the time in every situation possible but it did not lead me to be treated with Fonz-like reverence. It led to me being treated with Ralph Malph-like ridicule. Thanks for not making me cool the Sherman Brothers.
‘Higitus Figitus’, The Sword in the Stone
	This is the song - from Disney’s retelling of the Arthurian legend – Merlin sings while magically shrinking all his belongings and levitating them into a small travelling case. After hearing this I ran into my room and tried to shrink my teddy and float him magically into my schoolbag. No matter how loudly I shouted ‘Higitus Figitus’ teddy didn’t shrink or fly. Thanks for showing me I wasn’t magic the Sherman Brothers.
‘I Wanna Be Like You’, The Jungle Book
	In The Jungle Book, while singing ‘I Wanna Be Like You’, apes do swing dancing atop the ruins of a once mighty jungle castle. It’s a wonderful bit and inspired me to attempt some swing dancing on our front fence. I fell off and broke my collarbone. Thanks for making me an unnecessary drain on the public health system the Sherman Brothers.
‘Everybody Wants to Be a Cat’, The Aristocats
	Nothing bad happened to me because of this song. I mainly like ‘Everybody Wants to Be a Cat’ because the gentleman who sings it, Scatman Crothers, was also in The Shining. Thanks for a slightly interesting fact the Sherman Brothers.
‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
	At school my friends and I liked to make up rude alternative lyrics to songs. One morning we sang ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ at school assembly. While the rest of the school were singing the normal, boring words my mates and I giggled as we sang ‘Titty Titty Wang Wang’. A teacher overheard us and we got in serious trouble. Thanks for making me get the strap the Sherman Brothers.