Fidelity Fiduciary Bank

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"Fidelity Fiduciary Bank" is a song from Walt Disney's film Mary Poppins, and it is composed by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

It is a song sung by the stodgy old bankers, lead by the "Elder Mr. Dawes" (Dick Van Dyke), to the two children Jane and Michael, in the bank. It is sung in an attempt to get Michael Banks to invest his tuppence in the bank. As the song continues the pressure is on Michael and Jane's father, a junior clerk at the bank, to sway Michael. When Michael refuses to give the Elder Mr. Dawes the tuppence, Dawes takes it from him. Michael protests very loudly, which causes panic and mayhem. A run on the bank ensues.

The song is not present in the stage musical version of the score.

A verse which Mr. Banks sings:

Railways through Africa
Dams across the Nile
Fleets of ocean greyhounds
Majestic, self-amortizing canals
Plantations of ripening tea

The origins of this verse come from an essay by C. C. Turner titled 'Money London' in the book edited by G. R. Sims called Living London (London: 1903):

It is not possible to realise without much thought the industrial power that is wrapped up in money London. Railways through Africa, dams across the Nile, fleets of ocean greyhounds, great canals, leagues of ripening corn – London holds the key to all of these, and who can reckon up what beside.