It could be argued that without “Pineapple Princess,” from Annette Funicello’s 1960 album Hawaiiannette, there would never have been “A Spoonful of Sugar,” a “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” or a “Jolly Holiday” with or without Mary.

The Sherman brothers, Richard and Robert, were relatively unknown songwriters when they teamed up with Annette Funicello in 1958. While their first hit with Annette was “Tall Paul,” co-written with Bob Roberts (no, not that Bob Roberts), it was their 1960 hit “Pineapple Princess,” recorded by Annette and The Afterbeats, that reached #11 on the pop charts and established them solidly in the wonderful world of Disney.

After writing songs for both The Parent Trap (1961) and Summer Magic (1963) they were approached by Walt Disney to write the songs and the score for Mary Poppins (1964) and the rest is history.

They won Oscars for both “Best Musical Score” and “Best Song” (for “Chim Chim Cher-ee”), won the grammy for “Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show,” and helped make Julie Andrews a movie star.

I hope that, at the very least, Ms. Andrews sent The Afterbeats a fruit basket as a token of her apprecation.

Pineapple Princess

“Pineapple Princess,” he calls me,
“Pineapple Princess,” all day
As he plays his ukulele
On the hill above the bay.
“Pineapple Princess, I love you,
You’re the sweetest girl I’ve seen.
Some day we’re gonna marry
And you’ll be my Pineapple Queen.”

I saw a boy on Oahu isle
Floatin’ down the bay on a crocodile.
He waved at me and he swam ashore
And I knew he’d be mine forevermore.

“Pineapple Princess,” he calls me,
“Pineapple Princess,” all day
As he plays his ukulele
On the hill above the bay.
“Pineapple Princess, I love you,
You’re the sweetest girl I’ve seen.
Some day we’re gonna marry
And you’ll be my Pineapple Queen.”

He sings his song from banana trees
He even sings to me on his water skis.
We went skin-divin’ and beneath the blue
He sang and played his ukulele, too.

“Pineapple Princess, I love you,
You’re the sweetest girl I’ve seen.
Some day we’re gonna marry
And you’ll be my Pineapple Queen.”

We’ll settle down in a bamboo hut
And he will be my own little coconut.
Then we’ll be beachcombin’ royalty
On wicky-wicky wacky Waikiki.

“Pineapple Princess,” he calls me,
“Pineapple Princess,” all day
As he plays his ukulele
On the hill above the bay.
“Pineapple Princess, I love you,
You’re the sweetest girl I’ve seen.
Some day we’re gonna marry
And you’ll be my Pineapple Queen.”