The Age of Not Believing
Encyclopedia
"The Age of Not Believing" is a song written by Robert and Richard Sherman for the 1971, Walt Disney
musical film
production Bedknobs and Broomsticks
. Angela Lansbury
sings the song in the motion picture. In the lyrics, Lansbury's character "Eglantine" expresses how as one grows up, he loses his belief in magic. The song works on two levels, both on the microcosmic, personal level and also thematically for the whole film. For it is an insecure, adolescent Britain, entering into a new, more rational age who must learn to borrow from its own past magic in order to overcome the tremendous challenge which is before it. When the characters in the film finally learn to trust in Eglantine's magic they are able to achieve their goals and Britain is saved from the Nazis.
The song earned the Sherman Brothers an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, (though it lost to Isaac Hayes's
Theme from Shaft
). They were also nominated for Best Original Score (John Williams's
score for Fiddler on the Roof
won instead). This represented the songwriters' fourth and fifth Oscar bids, respectively.
The song was covered by the band Dodgy
in 1991 during a BBC Radio 1
session for Mark Goodier
, and can be heard on the album So Far on 3 Wheels - Dodgy On The Radi, released in 2007.
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
musical film
Musical film
The musical film is a film genre in which songs sung by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, though in some cases they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, often as elaborate...
production Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bedknobs and Broomsticks is a 1971 musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution Company which combines live action and animation and was released in North America on December 13, 1971...
. Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury
Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
sings the song in the motion picture. In the lyrics, Lansbury's character "Eglantine" expresses how as one grows up, he loses his belief in magic. The song works on two levels, both on the microcosmic, personal level and also thematically for the whole film. For it is an insecure, adolescent Britain, entering into a new, more rational age who must learn to borrow from its own past magic in order to overcome the tremendous challenge which is before it. When the characters in the film finally learn to trust in Eglantine's magic they are able to achieve their goals and Britain is saved from the Nazis.
The song earned the Sherman Brothers an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song, (though it lost to Isaac Hayes's
Isaac Hayes
Isaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
Theme from Shaft
Theme from Shaft
"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft...
). They were also nominated for Best Original Score (John Williams's
John Williams
John Towner Williams is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. In a career spanning almost six decades, he has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including the Star Wars saga, Jaws, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T...
score for Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof (film)
Fiddler on the Roof is the 1971 film adaptation of the 1964 Broadway musical of the same name, with music composed by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905, about Tevye and his Daughters. It was directed by Norman Jewison. The film won three...
won instead). This represented the songwriters' fourth and fifth Oscar bids, respectively.
The song was covered by the band Dodgy
Dodgy
Dodgy are an English power pop rock trio, that rose to prominence during the Britpop era of the 1990s, who are best known for their hits "Staying Out for the Summer", "If You're Thinking of Me", and "Good Enough"...
in 1991 during a BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
session for Mark Goodier
Mark Goodier
-Early career:Mark Goodier was born in Rhodesia . His family moved to the UK when he was a child, eventually settling in Scotland. He was educated at George Heriot's School, in Edinburgh. He became a mobile DJ in Edinburgh and then joined local station Radio Forth at the age of 19...
, and can be heard on the album So Far on 3 Wheels - Dodgy On The Radi, released in 2007.