"What a Day in London" is a song from the direct-to-video Disney film, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. The song is sung by Pocahontas and the London townspeople soon after Pocahontas and John Rolfe arrive. This is mostly about Pocahontas' excitement of the new place she finds in London and the initial people's reaction to her. They all seem to have various and differing reactions that are both positive and negative.
For example, one mentions that she seem sweet and means well, another says they will rue the day. One woman refers to her as a "child" and others refer to her as a "woman." A woman mentions that she envies Pocahontas's hair. Another man mentions that she has very rare beauty and is impressed by her appearance, which angers the woman next to him (presumably his wife) and she criticizes that Pocahontas is "barely dressed." Another woman mentions to her friends that Pocahontas has already "won the men."
She's also described as wild, brave, strong, and adventurous throughout the song.
Lyrics[]
Lampkeeper:
The sun comes up
The lamps go down
The day begins in London town
Father:
There's tea to brew
Mother:
And buns to bake
Mother & Father:
And some who just refuse to wake
Shopkeeper 1:
While shops are stocked and flocks are fed
Shopkeeper 2:
The midnight men drift home to bed
School Teacher:
School bells chime
And church bells ring
Peasants:
Children whine
Peddlers sing
Chorus:
What a day in London
Come and see who's here
Everyone knows someone
They come from far and near
They bring their geese, their finest fleece
To please the keenest eye
And hope and pray someone will say
"There's something they might buy"
Shopkeeper 3:
With pigs to slop
Shopkeeper 4:
And fish to gut
Shopkeeper 3:
It ain't exactly heaven, but
Beggar:
We thank the Lord
And kiss the ground
For bed and board in London town
Butler:
The upper crust lie fast asleep
Maid:
But some of us has got floors to sweep
Butler & Maid
One day's like the day before
Soldier 1:
Can't complain
Soldier 2:
If there's no war
Chorus:
What a day in London
Everything's for sale
Cabbages and onions
Man 1:
(gasps) Look up!
Woman 1:
Who's that, that girl up in the tree?
Old Man:
It's not a tree!
It's moving, see?
Woman 2:
Good grief, what can it be?
Man 2:
Look there, I swear
She's flying through the air
Woman 3:
She must be wild
Woman 2:
She's just a child
Woman 4:
I wish I had her hair!
Pocahontas:
My heart is pounding like a drum. I can't believe my eyes
In London, people seem to come in every shape and size
So many paths I wonder how they find their way
So many signs I wonder what they really say...
London is everything I've heard and more
London is nothing like I've seen before
Music and feathered hats and roofs that shine
With flags flying higher than a pine
Man 4:
She seems so sweet
She means us well
Man 5:
Size 20 feet
Woman 5:
How can you tell?
Undertaker:
We'll rue this day you wait and see
William Shakespeare:
What is "to be or not to be"?
Pocahontas:
How do they build their huts so tall?
Can this be all one tribe?
The things they sell, the things I smell
I never could describe
These cakes taste just like berries picked this very day
The sound a river makes still takes my breath away...
London's as busy as a hive of bees
Grandmother Willow would just love these trees
Crowded and loud but so exciting too
With colors, I never even knew!
All:
What a day in London, nothing strange at all
Kid:
Except a girl with
Someone maybe ten feet tall
Chorus:
This day's become a day
No one is likely to forget
A day we'll all remember
As the day two worlds have met
Man 1:
Such beauty's rare
I'm quite impressed!
Pocahontas:
London is everything I've heard and more
Woman 6:
One musn't stare
She's barely dressed!
Pocahontas:
London is nothing like I've seen before
Man 6:
The strength of ten that's what I heard
Woman 7:
She's won the men just take my word
Woman 8:
A brave young thing to venture here
Pocahontas:
Music and feathered hats and roofs that shine
Fortune Teller:
It will be an adventure, dear
Pocahontas:
And flags flying higher
Puppet 1:
Perhaps some brew to quench your thirst?
Pocahontas:
Than a pine
Puppet 2:
Not with you, I saw her first!
Crowd:
What a day in London
History was made
Take away the mystery
Then you're not afraid
We've seen a girl
Pocahontas:
I've seen a world
Crowd:
We never dreamed we'd see
Pocahontas:
I never dreamed I'd see
Pocahontas & Crowd:
What an extra special day
Unique in truly every way
How wonderful this London day
turned out to be!
Trivia[]
- William Shakespeare made a cameo appearance where he is seen singing with the townspeople and after holding a skull, he is seen writing something, probably the plot for his next masterpiece, Hamlet. However, in real life, Shakespeare died before Pocahontas came to England.