Practically Perfect Lyrics – Mary Poppins

Song Overview

Song Credits

• Featuring: Laura Michelle Kelly (Mary Poppins), Harry Stott (Michael), Charlotte Spencer (Jane)
• Producers: David Caddick, Anthony Drewe, George Stiles
• Words & Music: George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
• Album: Mary Poppins – Original London Cast (Track 5)
• Release Date: September 13, 2005
• Genre: West End show-tune / orchestral pop-musical
• Musical & Orchestra Director: Nick Davies
• Instrumentation highlights: Banjo, flute, clarinet, French horn, tuba, upright bass, brushed drums, bright piano
• Label: Walt Disney Records / Cameron Mackintosh Ltd.
• Language: English
• Copyright © 2005 Walt Disney Music Company & Cameron Mackintosh Ltd.

Song Meaning and Annotations

First impressions matter—especially when you descend by umbrella. “Practically Perfect” serves as Mary Poppins’ calling-card: a brisk two-step full of polite hubris, brass ribbons, and a wink you can almost hear. The verses read like a résumé sung over a jaunty carousel, establishing a nanny whose confidence is as starched as her collar.

Musically, Stiles threads tin-whistle flourishes and oompah-tuba pulses that evoke Edwardian parks on a breezy Sunday. Yet beneath the pastel cheer runs a subtle rag-time swing, hinting that this governess might bend reality at will. Dramatically, the number sits moments after Mary sails in; it reassures Jane and Michael while teasing them—yes, I’m prim, but watch this trick.

The lyric’s Victorian diction—“spit-spot-spic and span”—mirrors etiquette manuals of 1910 London, yet Drewe’s wordplay (“Each virtue virtually knows no bound”) pushes the tongue into playful knots. That friction between propriety and play defines Mary: she is order and wonder simultaneously.

Verse 1

“By the time the wind has blown the weather-vane around / I’ll show you if I can”

Time, wind, direction—Mary bundles meteorology and intent, promising swift results before the chimney pots settle. The internal rhyme of blown / shown keeps the phrase airborne.

Refrain

“I’m practically perfect in every way”

Notice the hedging adverb. Practically spares her from arrogance, leaving a sliver of humility that audiences find endearing—and believable.

Dialogue Break

Kelly’s easy banter (“Not temperamental?” / “Never”) lets the children audition her. Role reversal creates comic tension: employer interviewing employee, yet also vice-versa.

Bridge

“Running like an engine that’s just been freshly oiled!”

A whiff of modernity—motors, mechanisms—creeps into Edwardian domesticity, foreshadowing the show’s eventual leaps into animated fantasy.

Finale

“By the time I leave here you both will be the same”

The mission statement. Mary is a catalyst: not merely caretaker but transformer, intent on polishing souls as neatly as boots.

Similar Songs

1. “My Favorite Things” – Julie Andrews, The Sound of Music
   Both songs introduce a heroine via lists: Mary lists virtues; Maria lists comforts. Each tune spins quick-step rhythms and triplet cadences that feel like skipping downhill, signalling optimism while acknowledging challenges ahead.
2. “When You’re Good to Mama” – Queen Latifah, Chicago
   Contrasting in morality yet parallel in self-advertisement, Mama Morton’s jazz strut and Mary Poppins’ genteel patter share the conceit of a woman setting her rules. Both employ call-and-response to charm their “clients.”
3. “Astonishing” – Sutton Foster, Little Women
   Jo March’s pledge to be “astonishing” echoes Mary’s perfection gambit. Orchestras swell, high belts soar, and personal manifestos turn into show-defining earworms that propel the plot.

Questions and Answers

Why the phrase “practically perfect” instead of just “perfect”?

The qualifier keeps Mary relatable—flawless characters bore audiences. It also plants a tiny comedic loophole she can exploit when things get messy.

What musical devices convey Mary’s poise?

Steady two-beat bass lines suggest composure; clipped woodwind arpeggios flutter like her parasol—controlled grace with playful edges.

How do the children influence the lyric?

Jane and Michael’s interjections break the monologue, turning it into an interview that humanises Mary while showcasing her quick wit.

Does the song foreshadow plot themes?

Yes—self-improvement, discipline, and balance. Mary’s vow to make the kids “the same” anticipates their journey toward empathy and responsibility.

Who arranged the orchestration?

William David Brohn tinted the score with banjo plucks and ballroom strings, marrying Edwardian civility to Broadway sparkle.

Fan and Media Reactions

Forum veterans call this track “the ultimate nanny slam-dunk”—proof positive that a self-introduction can double as an earworm. Bloggers marvel at Laura Michelle Kelly’s crystalline diction; parents confess their kids start tidying toys unprompted after hearing it. One reviewer likened the tune to “a cup of strong tea served with a mischievous wink,” while London theatregoers still recall the audible gasp when Mary’s measuring tape unfurled on opening night.