The Lion Sleeps TonightA Potted History
This has to be my all-time favorite song.
Yes, it even out-does 'New York City' by They Might Be Giants
I am, in fact, so obsessed with this song that I currently have 86 different recordings of it, by 72 different artists.
They are listed below:
But first, some links:
I couldn't even hope to outdo this history of the song.
There's a less complete history here
There are lyrics to the Lebo M version here
Artist |
Song Title |
?? |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight MIDI 1 |
?? |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight MIDI 2 |
?? |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight MIDI 3 |
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Acapela2 |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Alley Cats |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Ally & Jo |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Arlo Guthrie & Pete Seeger |
Wimoweh |
Barbados |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Barbados |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Caribbean Version) |
Belvederes |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Bert Kaempfert |
Wimoweh |
Brian Eno |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Cayuga's Waiters |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Chestnut Hill Academy Hill Tones |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Chet Atkins |
Wimoweh |
Chi Rho |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Dave Newman |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Dennis Marcellino |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Dictionarioke |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Die Klipwerf Boereorkes |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Drew |
The Lion Sleeps Tonite |
Earle Mankey |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Eek-a-mouse |
The Lion Sleeps Tonite |
Eightballs |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Fabulous Delacardos |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Flying Pickets |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Helmut Lotti |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Hoja |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
James Last |
Wimoweh |
Jungle Rmble Band |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Justin Guarini |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Karaoke |
Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Karl Denver |
Wimoweh - Box Set Version |
Karl Denver |
Wimoweh - Live |
Karl Denver |
Wimoweh - Original |
Karl Denver |
Wimoweh - Reprise |
Kingston Trio |
Wimoweh |
Ladysmith Black Mambazo |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Lebo M (From The Lion king) |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Lion King (Broadway) |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Lou Christie |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Mahotella Queens |
Mbube |
Mango Groove |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Manu Dibango |
Wimoweh |
Mark Cerlo Orchestra |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Mavericks |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Miriam Makeba |
Mbube |
Nancy Griffith |
Wimoweh |
New Christy Minstrels |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Notre Dame Undertones |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Nylons |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Nylons |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Extended) |
N'Sync |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Party Animals |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
P.J. Powers Hotline |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Perikles |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Pottery Barn |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
R.E.M. |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Red Grammer (Sing-along) |
Wimoweh/The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
RIT's Eight-Beat Measure |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Rivets |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Robert John |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Rockapella |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Roger Whitaker |
Wimoweh (Lion sleeps Tonight) |
Sandra Bernhard |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Serenade |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds |
Mbube |
Stylistics |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Sugar Beats |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
They Might Be Giants |
The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) |
Tight Fit |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Timun & Pumba |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Tokens |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Tokens |
Wimoweh Reprise |
Tokens |
Wimoweh (Club Mix 89) |
Tokens |
Wimoweh (Dub Mix 89) |
Tokens |
Wimoweh (Radio Mix 89) |
Tonic Sol-Fa |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Townsmen |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Trenchcoats |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Vito and the Twilights |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Voice Male |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Weavers |
Wimoweh (Live) |
Weavers |
Wimoweh (Live Reunion) |
Weavers |
Wimoweh (Mbube) |
West India Company |
The Lion Sleeps Tonight |
Yma Sumac |
Wimoweh |
"What's the difference between 'Wimoweh' and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'?" I hear you cry?
Well, Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds released the original 'Mbube' (in 1939), which is in Zulu. The history of the song when it was brought to these shores is scattered, although it is known that the phonetic pronounciation of 'mbube' is very close to 'wimoweh', and that's where the lyric came from. The song 'wimoweh' is based quite strongly on 'Mbube'.
The Weavers did a cover in the late 1950's. The Tokens liked the tune and penned the familiar 'Lion' lyrics, and recorded the song in the very early 60's.
Not having any copyright and embarrased by the falsetto voice bit, they didn't release the song, until their record label convinced them too. The song went down a storm and hit No.1 for 3 weeks.
Karl Denver did a version or 5 of 'Wimoweh' at various stages.
Since then, there have been many, many covers of 'Lion', and some more of 'Wimoweh', too.
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