The Roses Of Success

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Anton Rogers as "Grandpa" along with the other "inventors" in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang dancing and singing "The Roses Of Success" written by Robert and Richard Sherman.

"The Roses Of Success" is an "up tempo" song and musical number from the popular 1968 Cubby Broccoli motion picture, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. In the film it is sung when "Grandpa Potts" (played by Lionel Jeffries) is caught in the Vulgarian inventors' workshop and is forced to create a car that both floats and flies or face the consequences. The other imprisoned inventors sing this song in the hopes that they might cheer up the despondent "Grandpa". The song is also featured prominently in the 2002 and 2005 stage musical versions of the film.

[edit] Trivia

• The Sherman Brothers often write songs with the word "Rose" included in the title. This may be due to "Rose" having been their mother's name. Some Sherman Brothers titles include the following:

1. "The Roses Of Success" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2. "A Rose In A Bible" from Huckleberry Finn
3. "The Slipper and the Rose Waltz" from The Slipper and the Rose
4. "A Rose Is Not A Rose" from The Magic of Lassie

• In American TV broadcasts of the 1968 motion picture, this song is often cut to fit into the alloted, two hour time slot. The other song that is alternatively cut is "Lovely Lonely Man".

• This song is one of many "life philosophy songs" which were written by the Sherman Brothers. Some others include:

1. A Spoonful of Sugar
2. A Man's Gotta Be (What He's Born To Be)
3. Brass Rings and Daydreams
4. Enjoy It!
5. Fortuosity

[edit] Literary Sources

• Sherman, Robert B. Walt's Time: from before to beyond, Santa Clarita: Camphor Tree Publishers, 1998.