The Disney Song Encyclopedia - fieldi

226 “WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK”
“Whistle While You Work” is the catchy and memorable ditty by Frank
Churchill (music) and Larry Morey (lyric) that Snow White (voice of Adriana
Caselotti) sings and whistles as she and her animal friends clean up
the cottage of the dwarfs in the animated film Snow White and the Seven
Dwarfs (1937). The simple tune is one of the most recognizable in American
pop culture, mainly heard on children’s records. Artie Shaw (vocal by
Leo Watson) and Louis Armstrong each made a notable recording of the
song, and it was later recorded by Mary Martin and Barbara Hendricks with
the Abbey Road Ensemble. The number is spoofed in the modern fairy tale
movie Enchanted (2007) with the “Happy Working Song.”
“Who Am I?” is the upbeat, questioning pop ballad for the young boy
Tarzan in the animated made-for-video sequel Tarzan II (2005). Phil Collins
wrote and sings the number on the soundtrack as Tarzan tries to fit in
with different animal groups, meeting with comically disastrous results each
time. Tiffany Evans sings the number over the end credits of the movie, and
she also made a music video of it.
“Who Better Than Me” is the rocking song of friendship written by Phil
Collins for the 2006 Broadway version of Tarzan. The livewire teenage ape
Terk (Chester Gregory II) sings the bouncy number to the younger Tarzan
(Daniel Manche or Alex Rutherford) as Terk swings and frolics in the
trees, proudly explaining that there is no one more qualified to teach the
little human how to survive in the jungle. Terk and the adult Tarzan (Josh
Strickland) reprise the number later in the show when they agree to help
each other thwart the evil hunter Clayton.
“Who Killed Cock Robin?” is the mock-operatic title song from the 1935
Silly Symphony film short. Frank Churchill wrote the soaring music and
adapted a new lyric from an old English folk song about a robin cruelly
murdered. The creepy yet silly ballad is sung by a studio chorus over the
opening credits of the movie and is reprised at the trial where the burning
question is sung by the judge (voice of Billy Bletcher).
“Who Wants to Live Like That?” is the lighthearted song of philosophy
written by Foster Carling and Ken Darby for the partially animated liveaction
movie Song of the South (1946). Uncle Remus (James Baskett) sings the
sunny number about how worrying does one no good and that it is best to be
like Old Brer Possom and play dead when trouble comes. The song takes the
form of an Uncle Remus tale, complete with rustic humor and a sly moral.