"Mother Earth and Father Time" is introduced in the story by Charlotte and sang a second time in the movie as Charlotte is dying. According to "The Annotated Charlotte's Web" by Peter F. Neumeyer, some fans of the book are not in favor of the song's placement in the movie because it ruins E. B. White's strong words from the book, "...And she didn't move again." which many people find extremely moving. The Sherman Brothers' father, songwriter Al Sherman, believed the "Charlotte's Web" song score, and "Mother Earth and Father Time" in particular, to be the brothers' finest work. The lyric addresses the idea of thinking about one's life. In the storyline the song is sung by Charlotte at the end of her life. Ironically, Al Sherman died shortly after the movie was released.