The Place Where Lost Things Go

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"The Place Where Lost Things Go"
Song by Emily Blunt / Pixie Davies / Nathanael Saleh / Joel Dawson
from the album Mary Poppins Returns: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
ReleasedNovember 26, 2018
Recorded2017
GenreSoundtrack
Length3:43
LabelWalt Disney
Songwriter(s)

"The Place Where Lost Things Go" is a song from the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns which was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The song was performed by Emily Blunt as the titular character, while a reprise of the song was performed by Blunt's co-stars Pixie Davies, Nathanael Saleh, and Joel Dawson.

Context and history

The song acts as "the film's central ballad".[1] It is a lullaby in which Mary Poppins (Blunt) tells to the children Annabel (Davies), John (Saleh), and Georgie Banks (Dawson), whose mother died before the events of the film, about "the place where lost things go", and that their mother is there watching over them.[2] Blunt felt that the song's message that "nothing’s gone forever, only out of place" is "so important for the world we’re in right now, with a lot of kids feeling a lot of loss".[3]

Shaiman said that the song's idea of "a place where the lost things go" was something that "stuck in [his and Wittman's] heads" when planning the song.[2] Unlike most songs in the film, the song wasn't re-written by Shaiman and Wittman, as they felt it was "a sure-fire hit from the start".[2] Shaiman and Wittman were inspired for the song's central idea by P. L. Travers' novels that inspired both the film and its predecessor, in which Mary Poppins takes Jane and Michael Banks (who in the film are Annabel, John, and Georgie's father and aunt, respectively) to the Moon, where they meet the Man in the Moon, who tells them that, in the dark side of the Moon, are the things that get lost.[3]

Release

"The Place Where Lost Things Go" was released, along with the rest of the film's soundtrack, on December 7, 2018.[4] On November 26, 2018, a clip from the film featuring Blunt's version of the song was released on Disney's YouTube channel.[5]

Other versions

Shaiman performed the song during an event hosted by Sirius XM.[6] During the 91st Academy Awards, Bette Midler performed the song, with Shaiman performing the song's music on piano.[7]

Accolades

Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref(s)
Academy Awards February 24, 2019 Best Original Song Nominated [8]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[9] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Mary Poppins Returns – Press Kit" (PDF). wdsmediafile.com. Walt Disney Studios. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Shaw Roberts, Maddy (January 25, 2019). "'The Place Where Lost Things Go' from Mary Poppins Returns: who wrote it and has it won an Oscar?". Classic FM. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Snetiker, Marc (January 22, 2019). "The inspiration behind the Oscar-nominated Mary Poppins Returns song, 'The Place Where Lost Things Go'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  4. ^ "Mary Poppins Returns original Motion Picture Soundtrack Today". Burbank, California: Walt Disney Records. PR Newswire. December 8, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  5. ^ McPhee, Ryan (November 26, 2018). "Listen to Lin-Manuel Miranda and Emily Blunt in 2 Full Numbers From Mary Poppins Returns". Playbill. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  6. ^ Tube, Stage. "VIDEO: Marc Shaiman Performs 'The Place Where Lost Things Go' From MARY POPPINS RETURNS". BroadwayWorld.com.
  7. ^ "Bette Midler Gives Heartfelt Performance of "The Place Where Lost Things Go" at the Oscars". E! Online. February 25, 2019.
  8. ^ "Oscar Nominations 2019: The Complete List". Variety. January 22, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  9. ^ "American single certifications – Emily Blunt – The Place Where Lost Things Go". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 23, 2023.