Subject: lion sleeps tonight From: bob jr Date: 28 Jul 00 - 11:56 PM i cant find the lyrics here at the cat which has got to be an oversight ...how many doo-wop folks song are there? anyway if anyone knows where i can find the lyrics i would be real thankful! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Catrin Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:07 AM In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight... Sorry, thats all I know Catrin |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: bob jr Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:15 AM well thats a start... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Giac Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:18 AM Wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh, a wimoweh ...
Quoth my dear departed mother after hearing the Kingston Trio version for the umpteenth time: "I don't EVER want to hear that song in my house again!" |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: alison Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:19 AM just keep singing that.. add a heap of "wim-away"s I think there's another verse
Hush my darling don't fear my darling slainte alison |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST,buckwheat rainbow Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:30 AM in the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight; near the village, the quiet village, the lion sleeps tonight; (I learned these from Disney's "The Lion King"- I hope I got them right) in the spaceship, the silver spaceship, the lion takes control (this one's from some record or other); in the plain, the African plain, the lion hunts today (my little brother made that up- jungle wasn't accurate, and I guess hunting's more exciting than sleeping) |
Subject: Lyr Add: THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT (Wimoweh)^^ From: Sorcha Date: 29 Jul 00 - 01:05 AM THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT (Wimoweh)
Recorded by the Weavers, the Tokens, and many others
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
Hush my darling don't fear my darling |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Liz the Squeak Date: 29 Jul 00 - 05:14 AM OK, can we please echo the second posting now? I had enough of the bratling playing the sodding Lion King 4 times every afternoon. I feel the same way. LTS |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: catspaw49 Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:32 PM The only thing that NEVER slept around here was the tape of "Lion King." It broke. There is an order to the universe. Spaw |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Lena Date: 30 Jul 00 - 01:27 AM There's a version from They Might Be Giants going: In the spaceship, The silver spaceship,the lion's on the phone..... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Sorcha Date: 30 Jul 00 - 01:31 AM I, too, am sick of this song. The only reason I posted those lyrics was that I couldn't believe they weren't in the DT already.........it was an "OK, AL-right"thing. Die now, thead? Die....die, die...... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Mike Regenstreif Date: 30 Jul 00 - 09:37 AM Sorcha, a minor correction. The Weavers did not perform "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." They did "Wimoweh (Mbube)," the South African song that provided the framework for "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Mike Regenstreif |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: bob jr Date: 30 Jul 00 - 09:29 PM but as it turns out (and this is a true documented fact i went out and read all about it) the lion sleeps tonight contains more of the original lyrics for mbube (which translates as lion) the trad version has the villagers trying to sneak up on a sleeping lion to eat him ..honest...many traditionalist in north america were upset with the doo-wop version (dont know why i personally like it) until it was discovered that they had actually done their homework!! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Mrrzy Date: 31 Jul 00 - 01:41 PM We had this song by the Weavers, the one where Pete Seeger just goes nuts on howling harmony; it used to embarrass one of my sisters so much on Pete's behalf that she would flee the room if we forgot to leap up and skip this song on the record. However - sorry all - I must add this parody. Credit my nieces' grade school, in Fairfax, Virginia: In the bedroom, the mighty bedroom, John Bobbitt sleeps tonight
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:05 PM Heard a part of that story today. It was on CBC Radio One's program Richardson's Roundup. http://radio.cbc.ca/programs/roundup/home.html The story was told just after 3PM Atlantic time. IF you hurry, over to CBC's page with all the audio feeds, you can locate the one for Edmonton or Calgary right now, and it should be on, or to CBC's Vancouver or Victoria stations, where it will be on in an hour or so. Enjoy. IF someone does hear it, and catches the story, would you put it up here? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 16 Aug 01 - 05:22 PM I found it online. Thank you to Pete Curry for his dauntless research and providing the following history of "Wimoweh" : The song known as "Wimoweh" (and later as "The Lion Sleeps Tonght") was written by Zulu singer and entertainer Solomon Linda, who recorded it with his vocal group, the Evening Birds, in a studio in South Africa in 1939. Linda titled the song "Mbube," which is Zulu for "The Lion." The lyrics translate something like "Lion! Ha! You're a lion?," and grew out of an incident in the groups' boyhood when they used to chase lions that were stalking their fathers' cattle. By 1948, the song had sold in the neighborhood of 100,000 copies in South Africa. (It became so popular that Zulu choral music became known collectively as "Mbube Music.") "Mbube" then made its way to the U.S. in a package of ten 78s, sent to the Decca company by a local South African recording company with the hope that Decca might be interested in releasing some of the recordings in the U.S. Decca wasn't interested, and was about to trash the package when it was rescued by Alan Lomax who brought the recordings to his friend Pete Seeger. Seeger liked "Mbube," especially its soaring falsetto part, and started transcribing it. The Zulus were chanting "uyimbube, uyimbube," but Pete thought it sounded like "awimbooee," or "awimoweh" and that's how he wrote it down. He taught "Wimoweh" to his group, the Weavers, who recorded it on a 45-rpm single b/w "Old Paint" for Decca in 1952. The song was later featured on the immensely popular 1957 Vanguard LP, "The Weavers at Carnegie Hall," which propelled it into the Folk Revival. (The Weavers credited the song to "[26] Paul Campbell," which was a pseudonym for the group.) The Kingston Trio included "Wimoweh" on their 1959 LP, "From the Hungry i" LP, and their label credits read, "Trad., adapt. & arr./Campbell-Linda." In 1961, the song was recorded by the Tokens under the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," with English lyrics by George Weiss. (The credits for this version went to Weiss and the two producers of the recording, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore.) The original Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds' recording of "Mbube" can be heard on the Rounder CD, "Crocodiles, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Solomon Linda & The Evening Birds & Others: Mbube Roots--Zulu Choral Music from South Africa, 1930s-1960s." SOURCE: Pete Seeger, "The Incompleat Folksinger" (1972); "In the Jungle" by Rian Malan, "Rolling Stone," May 25, 2000; additional research by Peter J. Curry.
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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: pavane Date: 17 Aug 01 - 03:00 AM I seem to remember Karl Denver having a hit in the UK with Wimoweh about 1960 |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler Date: 17 Aug 01 - 06:40 AM The (UK) Spinners used to get their audiences doing "Wimoweh, wimoweh" on one side and "Hey up boy, Wimoweh" on the other, and another group (was this a triangular auditorium??) doing "Hey up, hey up, hey up etc with one member of the group leading each section while Tony Davis did the Pete Seeger "wailing". RtS (I last heard it live in St Lucia done by the local folkish duo who did it without the wailing!) |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST,Ritchie Date: 17 Aug 01 - 07:36 AM Black Mmbaso, did an excellent version at the Beverley Folk Festival with various added sound effects.mmmmmm. regards Ritchie. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Tig Date: 17 Aug 01 - 07:57 AM Yuek!!!! When I was at college we always did our drama warm up exercises to this and everytime I hear or think of it I STILL go into them!!!!!!!!! WHY did I open this thread? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST Date: 17 Aug 01 - 09:08 AM I don't care what you all think I'm with Ayn Rand..'Wimoweh' gives me goose bumps. There, I've said it and I'm glad,you hear? |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 17 Aug 01 - 11:00 AM Guest, it does. It, I think, is meant to. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Amergin Date: 17 Aug 01 - 11:03 AM What I heard was that the lion was a reference to Chaka Zulu who is sleeping and is supposed to wake up in the time of his people's most dire need....and that Solomon would yell out You are the Lion...basically telling his people to wake up..... |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST,Genie Date: 07 Sep 01 - 01:46 AM Pete Seeger was interviewed on PBS on Labor Day, and he talked about Wimoweh, among other things. I think he said that the chanting "uyimbube, uyimbube " (pronounced "wi mbube") means the lion (mbube) is sleeping, but that most people in singing it slurred it into "wimoweh." By the way, Mnzy, I loved the "Wienerwhack" song. Is there more of it? Genie |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: john c Date: 08 Sep 01 - 01:26 AM If you ever get the chance to hear the original Wimoweh by above-mentioned Soloman Linda, grab it! It´s absolutly astounding - miles away from the usual kitsch versions we all know and hate. Gently rocking with some tremendous vocal acrobatics from the lead singer. I just love it! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Jim Dixon Date: 23 Jan 02 - 01:44 PM Found at The South African Rock Music Digest, Issue Number 27:
THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT (WIMOWEH) A traditional Zulu folk-song titled 'Mbube' was recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda's Original Evening Birds. Since then it has been known variously as 'Wimoweh' and 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. Adapted in 1951 by Paul Campbell with English words by Roy Ilene and recorded by The Weavers as 'Wimoweh'. Revised in 1961 by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, George Weiss and Albert Stanton and recorded by The Tokens, a New York-based folk, country-and-western teenbeat vocal quintet, who had a million-seller with this song re-titled 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight'. It was US #1 for 3 weeks and reached #11 in UK. Recorded by Karl Denver in 1962 titled 'Wimoweh' and went to UK #4. It was recorded a few more times during the 60s, notably by Bert Kaempfert on his Swinging Safari album which reached UK #20 in 1966. Recorded in 1971 by Robert John, and reached #3 on the US charts in January 1972. Another million-seller. Also recorded in 1972 by Dave Newman and achieved UK #34. Recorded by Tight Fit in 1982 and went to UK #1. Appeared as a brief excerpt sung by Timon and Pumbaa in Disney's animated classic The Lion King in 1994. Released as a full version by Lebo M in 1995 on the Rhythm Of The Pridelands CD - a cash-in release after the success of the Lion King movie.
Other artists who have recorded versions of varying quality include: There is a 3-part article called "Where Does the Lion Sleep Tonight?" published in "3rd Ear Music." (Apparently originally written for "Rolling Stone.") This is a fascinating story about the problems of copyright, correct attribution, and collecting royalties on "folk" songs. The article is too long to copy and paste here, but I urge you to read it. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Susanne (skw) Date: 23 Jan 02 - 07:58 PM Thanks for pointing us to the article. However, the author has forgotten (or never heard) The Spinners' version, complete with audience mass singing. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Richard Wright Date: 24 Feb 03 - 10:57 PM Just an addition to George Seto & Jim Dixon's excellent posts. Last night on CBC television, The Passionate Eye, there was a 90 minute film on this song with many versions being sung. The story is told in the above posts, except that George Weiss became rich and Solomon Linda and his family have never received a dime. A South African journalist is trying to get Weiss etc. to cough up some money for Linda's family. Peter Seeger is interviewed and says he got the song from Linda's record via a Decca rep--I think it was Lomax. He does not remember if he got any royalties, but he did not send anything to Linda. Linda died in poverty in 2000 (I think). Excellent film and great to hear the early version, and to hear his daughter's singing the song recently. Classic story. Everyone made buckets of money, particularly Weiss, except the poor black originator. Weiss would not be interviewed for the film, but there is a clip of him on a TV show saying "I wrote the song". Richard Wright |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 24 Feb 03 - 11:18 PM It is ALL about skills....in this case MARKETING~!
Ignorance and poverty are a common demoninator.
Sincerely
Be it Paul Simon, Big-Dog-Rap-Daddy, or Jo-Mamma's hair-dresser. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Richard Wright Date: 25 Feb 03 - 01:38 AM Well, actually, no in this case it is not all about marketing. The original was marketed very well and sold very well in South Africa. It sold about 100,000 copies. Blacks were not allowed to collect royalties--that's what it was about. This is no more about marketing than selling a stolen car is about marketing. Weiss took money for a song he claimed to have written but did not. Soloman Linda may have been in poverty, he may have been poor, but he was not ignorant. And to suggest ignorance and poverty are a common denominator is , well, .... I guess you must be a gargoyle in poverty. Richard |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: EBarnacle1 Date: 25 Feb 03 - 02:52 PM The case was fought out extensively in court. Unfortunately, Seeger and Linda lost. Some thefts are more egregious than others, especially when there is a lot of money involved. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Charley Noble Date: 25 Feb 03 - 03:06 PM Unless I missed them in the above postings, I'd still like to see the original Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds' lyrics of "Mbube." Has anyone here taken the trouble to transcribe them? Cheerily, Charley Noble |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Richard Wright Date: 25 Feb 03 - 07:47 PM Charlie; The film did not ever directly translate the words, but some of the notes above mention the sense of the words. From what I saw the only English word used were those "written" by Weiss. Richard |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Nevada Date: 26 Feb 03 - 01:49 PM Hi Mudcatters. Try this one. A whole lotta "Wimowey's" followed by "In the kitchen the mighty kitchen, The lino sleeps tonight". Courtesy of the one & only Les Barker of course... Luv AAA x |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: MikeofNorthumbria Date: 27 Feb 03 - 12:23 PM A note for any catters who play in ceilidh bands. Wimoweh is a great tune for the Nottingham Swing - or any vigorous step-hop dance. It works especially well if you end up with the rythym section playing the "Wimoweh ... a- Wimoweh " riff while most of the lead instruments play the "In the jungle, the quiet jungle" theme against it, with your best musician improvising like crazy over the top. Try it sometime. Wassail! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Azizi Date: 03 Dec 04 - 02:14 PM As I believe it may be of interest here, I am reposting this from a thread on rock versions of traditional songs: With regard to Soloman Linda's Mbube {The Lion Sleeps Tonight}, a very interesting book that I'm reading "African Stars: Studies in Black African Performance" {Veit Erlmann;Chicago, University of Chicago Press,1991} gives a fascinating account of the composition of this song. I quote from the book: "In 1939...He [Soloman Popolo Linda]decided to take a job offer as packer at Gallo's newly opened record pressing plant in Roodepoort [South Africa]. His choir soon attracted the attention of Gallo's talent scout Griffith Motsieloa, and before long one of Linda's songs, "Mbube {Lion}(Gallo GE 829, reissued on Rounder 5052, A5) topped the list of the country's best selling recordings for the African listenership. Like most isicathamiya tunes, "Mbube" was based on a wedding song which Linda and his friends had picked up from young girls in Msinga [a very poor section of Natal, South Africa] and whose words commemorated the killing of a lion cub by the young Soloman and his herdsboy friends. While neither the words of "Mbube" nor its anchorage in a wedding song were particularly original, in the view of [Linda's group] Evening Bird member Gilbert Madonda, it was Linda's performance style in conjunction with other innovations that revolutionized migrant workers choral performance styles [referred to as "isicathamiya" and also known as "boloha" or "umbholoho"]". end of quote There was a reference in that book of the music being called "imbube" or something similar which probably came from Linda's song title. Sorry, I can't find the exact quote. Also, Amergin wrote in 2001 "I heard was that the lion was a reference to Chaka Zulu who is sleeping and is supposed to wake up in the time of his people's most dire need....and that Solomon would yell out You are the Lion...basically telling his people to wake up....." Given that the lion is considered the king of the animals, royalty {men}have have traditionally been given lion praise names.I have read that Chaka Zulu was called The Lion, and so was Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie {The Lion of Judah} to name a few. So I could certainly see Linda using this song as a coded message... This background information makes me appreciate this song more. I add my request for someone to post the Zulu to English translation of Solomon Linda's song. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Azizi Date: 03 Dec 04 - 04:49 PM I found the reference to "imbube" in the African Stars book that I mentioned earlier. That book mentions that "imubube" is the "first genuine isicathamiya style" and "its pioneer {is} Solomon Linda {page 165). "Isicathamiya" is an urban music that dates from 1891. The music was performed by & associated with Black African migrant laborers. However, isicathamiya's four part choral songs are very much indebted to Zulu wedding songs and their accompanying choreography. In the United States, Ladysmith Black Mambazo is perhaps the most well known isicathamiya group. The name of that group translates as "The Black axe from Ladysmith". If you are at all interested in African music, try to find "African Stars". It's a good read!! Also, for a very good children's CD on African music, I would recommend Ladysmith Black Mambazo's Gift of the Tortoise: A Musical Journey through South Africa.[Music for Little People, ISBN 1-56628-035-4]. "Mbube" is one of the songs included in that CD. Printed lyrics are also included. For all the other tunes, the Zulu words are given followed by their English translations. However, in the case of Mbube, the only Zulu words given are the refrain "Mbube mamayo". This may be because the version we are most familiar with strays so far away from Linda's original words which may not be considered politically correct now what with the lion being killed now thanks to the Lion King play and movie and probably even before. But I would have loved to have read the Zulu translation of even this nicey nice revised version. Oh well. And just because, I want to say "Right on!" to Richard Wright who posted up thread in 2003. I wish you were still posting here, Richard whoever you are and where ever you may be. We need more "voices" like yours here. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Roger the Skiffler Date: 04 Dec 04 - 06:55 AM Just heard a report on BBC radio that children of late Solomon Linda are suing Disney (TM) for royalties for using it in Lion King(TM) as they claim their father sold rights for a pittance when an uneducated migrant worker without legal advice. Sounds familiar story to African-American performers/composers of the pre-war years. Interesting to hear how they get on. RtS |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST Date: 05 Dec 04 - 04:12 AM Wow. This is so cool. I was just checking in for the first time in several months, and I find this thread, and it brought back to mind a tv special on African music featuring Ladysmith Black Mombazo. During the program, it was revealed that Weiss and company had finally been shamed/coerced/whatever into paying back royalties to the family of Solomon Linda, and re-assigning future payments to the Lindas as well. As far as them suing Disney, they better have good lawyers, because they're fighting conscience-less, corporate, greed-heads. Cheers, Owlkat. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: Azizi Date: 05 Dec 04 - 09:42 AM That's good news, Guest! Thanks for that info. More power to the Soloman Linda family and other such individuals/families who are trying to get what they should have had in the first place!! And Guest, come back more often! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST Date: 05 Dec 04 - 02:14 PM TRO Folkways, which controls one of the first rewrites of the song, has offered to pay all future royalties to the Solomon Linda family. Of course, the real money on the song itself was made in the past when the song was popular. Where did Disney get their version? Did they buy it from one of the rewrite copyright holders? Can they claim that they bought it 'in good faith' and place the guilt elsewhere? Sad as it may seem, this may be a very complex case, involving years of litigation, with much argument over rights and responsibility as a means of avoidance. The case involving "L'Annee Passee" (Rum and Coca Cola), music composed in Trinidad many years before 'Rum' by Lionel Belasco, was simple by comparison, and was finally won against Leo Feist Inc. and Morey Amsterdam. There is a thread on this case in Mudcat, 66111: Rum and Coca Cola |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: lion sleeps tonight From: GUEST,Q cookieless Date: 05 Dec 04 - 02:25 PM Lost my cookie (above)- Q |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: Mr Happy Date: 28 Feb 06 - 08:11 PM http://songsforteaching.homestead.com/PWMMbube.html |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: Azizi Date: 28 Feb 06 - 08:14 PM Thanks for posting this Mr. Happy. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: Wolfgang Date: 01 Mar 06 - 10:56 AM Disney will have to pay dearly for using this song Wolfgang |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: Azizi Date: 01 Mar 06 - 12:06 PM "COTHOZA BAFANA" – TREAD CAREFULLY, BOYS ("Cothoza bafana" is Zulu for a style of dancing associated with Isicathimiya music, the Zulu choral style pioneered by Solomon Linda. This music is also known as Mbube, after Linda's seminal 1939 recording.)" Great article, Wolfgang. I hope that this ruling really does open up the door for settlements for Bob Marley's heirs and others! |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: kendall Date: 01 Mar 06 - 01:56 PM Lions don't sleep in the jungle. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: TheBigPinkLad Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:24 PM All well and good that 'giant evil bastards' get theirs, but where's the moral victory in Disney (happy to be part of the industry of human happiness) who never screwed Linda coughing over to a third party who didn't create the song? I'm all for observing the law, but remedial and preventative punitive measures of a monetary nature would be better donated to an artistic commonwealth. Or me. ;o) |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: Little Hawk Date: 01 Mar 06 - 02:29 PM They do if they're tuckered out and there's nowhere else to sleep. |
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Lion Sleeps Tonight From: Azizi Date: 01 Mar 06 - 05:05 PM As I understand it "the third party" is the songwriter's heirs. And since the songwriter was messed over by 'giant evil bastards' who gave him a pittance for his creation, I say "more power to his family". |
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