One of the most famous songs in Disney history has new lyrics after 60 years.

Shortly before his death in May 2024, original “It’s a Small World” songwriter Richard Sherman penned a final update to the classic boat ride’s theme song, which he and his late brother Robert Sherman (who died in 2012) originally wrote for Walt Disney’s signature attraction in 1964. Now, Disney has officially unveiled the songwriter’s latest addition to the song, including a new verse that appears at the end of an emotional short film. The last versewhich the company released Wednesday to honor Sherman’s life and legacy.

For the first time, The last verse shared the new verse in full after Sherman initially shared his final contributions to the song with Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger in the summer of 2023, months before he died the following year at age 95.

After highlighting the global impact of the song, the short film followed (directed by: Murderball(Henry Alex Rubin) features the voice of a child singing Sherman’s new verse over a piano, just after images of Sherman posing with Minnie and Mickey Mouse flash on the screen: “Mother Earth unites us in heart and mind/ and the love we give makes us humanity/Through our vast, wondrous land/When we stand hand in hand/It’s a small world after all.

The film ends with a final note dedicated to the Sherman brothers: “Thank you for making a big world seem smaller,” it says.

“As legendary creators of some of the most treasured music of the past century, the Sherman brothers will be remembered for their profound influence on our global culture,” Iger said in a press release. “Hearing Richard Sherman recite the final verse of ‘It’s a Small World’ before his death will be a moment I will remember forever. This beautiful short film is our tribute to their immense musical contributions, their memory and the countless memories they have helped create for generations of people around the world.”

The Sherman brothers’ song “It’s a Small World” was first performed as part of the “It’s a Small World” boat ride at the 1964 New York World’s Fair in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund. Due to the popularity of the ride, which takes riders on a journey on water through scenes featuring animatronic characters representing nations from around the world, Disney moved the attraction to its new, permanent home at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in May 1966.

An additional four adaptations of the ride opened in Disney parks around the world in subsequent years, including at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida in 1971, Tokyo Disneyland in 1983, Disneyland Paris in 1992, and Hong Kong Disneyland in 2008 to date Shanghai Disneyland is the only park in the company’s portfolio that does not have a repeat ride.

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Outside of their work on the Disney ride, the Sherman brothers won two Oscars and three Grammys and worked on memorable projects like Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang BangAnd The Jungle Book.

The last verse Streams Friday on Disney+ and Disney social channels, including YouTube.