February 2, 2023 – Johannesburg, South Africa
“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, The lion sleeps tonight”.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight is arguably the most popular South African song of all time.
The melody has soothing qualities; the music and lyrics assure the listener that, for the moment, their earthly predators are asleep
The original version was entitled Mubube, which means lion in the isiZulu language. It was written by a herdsman named Solomon Linda. Linda took inspiration from traditional stories and from his childhood spent herding cattle. He composed and sang Mubube as a lullaby. The song promises a sleepy child that a lion stalking the family’s cattle has been chased away, along with all other worldly cares.
Hush, my darling, don’t fear, my darling,
The lion sleeps tonight.
Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds recorded Mubube in 1939 for Gallo Records. The band was paid 10 shillings (about $2) for the record, and it became the property of the recording company.
Mubube was a local hit, but in the days before mass media the song never achieved popularity outside of South Africa.
In 1951 The Weavers recorded the song as Wimoweh, a mishearing of the isiZulu word Uyimbube, which means “you are a lion”. Wimoweh was an international sensation, but it took another decade and another makeover to propel the song to the top of the charts. American lyricist George David Weiss arranged the tune for doo-wop band The Tokens in 1961. He added the English lyrics: “In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight”. The song went to number one worldwide and remains in copyright to this day.
Countless artists have recorded The Lion Sleeps Tonight, many of them achieved fame and fortune using Solomon Linda’s words and melody.
Disney adopted the song for the popular movie The Lion King, which earned it millions in box office receipts.
Solomon Linda’s share of the 10 shillings he earned selling the song to Gallo Records never went very far. Linda died penniless in Johannesburg, in 1962. The family couldn’t afford a tombstone.
The Lion Sleeps Tonight is a standard. It is sung around campfires, in concert halls, and shower stalls across the globe. Thanks to Solomon Linda, when we need reassurance our go-to metaphor is often …
…a sleeping lion.
Solomon Linda received posthumous recognition in 2014 on a South African postage stamp.
We spent the first full day of our adventure at The Saxon Hotel, recovering from 20+ hours of travel weariness. The Saxon’s sumptuous rooms have healed visitors whose fatigue far exceeded our jet lag. Nelson Mandela lived here after his release from prison in 1990. He composed his memoir Long Walk to Freedom while strolling the ten lush acres surrounding the hotel. Bill and Hillary Clinton also stayed at The Saxon when Bill was President, Oprah took in the spa during her stay.
Truly, we are sleeping among lions.
Kelly Powis
Love this!
G
It appears colonization takes many forms. Another good piece.