Sister Suffragette facts for kids
"Sister Suffragette" is a lively protest song from the 1964 Disney film Mary Poppins. It's sung by actress Glynis Johns, who plays Mrs. Winifred Banks in the movie. The song is about suffrage, which means the right to vote.
The song's tune was first part of an earlier song called "Practically Perfect," but that song was not used in the movie. Both "Sister Suffragette" and "Practically Perfect" were written by the talented Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
The lyrics of "Sister Suffragette" mention Emmeline Pankhurst. She was a very important leader who, with her daughters Christabel and Sylvia, started the Women's Social and Political Union in Manchester, England. This group worked hard to get women the right to vote. A famous line from the song is: "Our daughters' daughters will adore us, and they'll sing in grateful chorus, well done, Sister Suffragette!"
How the Song Was Created
The tune for "Sister Suffragette" came from a song called "Practically Perfect." This song was originally planned for the 1964 Mary Poppins movie but was later removed.
According to the Sherman Brothers, the songwriters, in their book Walt's Time, actress Glynis Johns thought she was going to play Mary Poppins herself. But she had actually been hired to play Mrs. Banks. This misunderstanding became clear when Johns met Walt Disney at his studio in Burbank.
Thinking quickly, Disney wanted to make Johns feel better about not getting the main role. He told her about a "terrific new song" the Sherman Brothers had written just for her. Disney called the songwriters while Johns could hear him. He told them he was taking Johns to lunch and that she was excited to hear the new song afterward.
The Sherman Brothers understood Disney's hint. They worked very fast during their own lunch break and quickly wrote "Sister Suffragette." For example, the original lyrics for "Practically Perfect" were:
I'm Practically Perfect in every way
In ev'rything I do and in everything I say
These words quickly changed into the famous lines for "Sister Suffragette":
We're clearly soldiers in petticoats
Dauntless crusaders for women's votes!
The Mary Poppins stage musical, which came out in 2004, has a song called "Practically Perfect." However, this song uses a different tune from the original movie version. The song for Mrs. Banks in the musical is called "Being Mrs. Banks."
See also
In Spanish: Sister Suffragette para niños
