The Disney Song Encyclopedia - fieldi

118 “THE LIBERTY TREE”
animated movie Bambi (1942). A female chorus sings the radiant song on the
soundtrack while animals frolic and birds whistle and chirp, all in time with the
music, and annoy Friend Owl, who is trying to sleep. In the animated video
sequel Bambi II (2006), the song is reprised by a nervous groundhog (voice of
Brian Pimental) who wakes up and doesn’t see his shadow, joined in singing
by the other forest animals.
“The Liberty Tree” is the patriotic anthem George Bruns (music) and
Tom W. Blackburn (lyric) wrote for the Revolutionary War film Johnny
Tremain (1957). After throwing the British tea into the Boston harbor, the
Sons of Liberty sing this cry for freedom as they carry lanterns through
the city and then hang them on a huge tree, calling it the Liberty Tree and
comparing its strength and endurance to that of their cause.
“Life Goes On” is the easygoing rhythm-and-blues theme song for the
television series Empty Nest (1988). George Aliceson Tipton and John Bettis
wrote the number about sharing the everyday ups and downs of life and
it was sung over the opening credits by Billy Vera and the Beaters.
“The Life I Lead” is the song of smug satisfaction that the Edwardian
banker Mr. Banks (David Tomlinson) sings throughout the film Mary Poppins
(1964). While his wife (Glynis Johns) tries to tell him that their two
children have run away again, the pompous Mr. Banks is too busy complimenting
himself on his well-ordered, civilized life to hear her. He reprises
the number later when dictating what kind of nanny they need to find, and
he sings it again, under the title “A British Bank,” when he praises the solidity
of the English banking system to Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews). Near
the end of the film, Mr. Banks sings part of the song again, with less pompous
lyrics, to the chimney sweep Bert (Dick Van Dyke) after he realizes
that his financial status is a disaster and the life he loves will be destroyed.
Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman wrote the march-like number, which
has a military flavor to it. David Haig played Mr. Banks in the 2004 London
stage version of Mary Poppins and sang only a brief section of the song
with Bert (Gavin Lee). On Broadway two years later it was sung by Daniel
Jenkins as Mr. Banks, with Lee reprising his role as Bert.
“Life with Derek Theme Song” is the bouncy lite-rock number by Gary
Koftinoff and Ron Proulx that is heard in the opening of the 2005 television
series about the changes that occur when a mother with two daughters marries
a man with two sons. The song takes the point of view of the teenager