The Roses of Success

"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 modify a car that floats or face the consequences. The other imprisoned inventors sing this song in the hopes that they might cheer up the despondent "Grandpa" who is cheered up and is singing along, but in the end the car collapses. The song is also featured prominently in the 2002 and 2005 stage musical versions of the film. In American TV broadcasts of the 1968 motion picture, this song is often cut to fit into the allotted, two-hour time slot. The other song that is sometimes alternatively cut is "Lovely Lonely Man".

"Rose" lyrics in Sherman Brothers songs

• 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

Life philosophy

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

1. "A Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins
2. "A Man's Gotta Be (What He's Born to Be)" from Tom Sawyer
3. "Brass Rings and Daydreams" from The Magic of Lassie
4. "Enjoy It!" from In Search of the Castaways
5. "Fortuosity" from The Happiest Millionaire

Literary sources

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