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The songs of Disney’s 1994 animated blockbuster The Lion King had all of it. “Circle Of Life” was a philosophical introduction to the story of Simba, a younger lion, and his journey as he succeeds his father as King of the Pride Lands. “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” is a highlife-infused romp, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” introduces some romance to proceedings, and “Be Prepared” is a slinky and foreboding slice of villainy. But all nice Disney movies want some comedian aid, and there’s few higher examples than “Hakuna Matata.”
The Lion King’s songs had been written by rock nice Elton John and the celebrated lyricist Tim Rice (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph & His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat). Rice was no stranger to Disney, having contributed lyrics to composer Alan Menken’s songs for the 1992 hit Aladdin after the passing of authentic lyricist Howard Ashman. When it got here to writing the songs for The Lion King, Menken was in any other case engaged, so Rice turned to John. In his 2019 autobiography, Me, John recalled Rice’s authentic pitch, “Ten years after we’d last written a song together, Tim Rice phoned up out of the blue, asking me if I was interested in working with him again. Apparently, Disney were making their first animated film based on an original story rather than an existing work, and I was intrigued…. The songs had to tell a story. The plan was that we wouldn’t write the usual Broadway-style Disney score, but try to come up with pop songs that kids would like.”
Listen to “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King soundtrack now.
The pair struck gold with “Hakuna Matata” – an upbeat ditty sung by a meerkat named Timon (voiced by Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa the warthog (Ernie Sabella). The tune options at a pivotal level within the film, with Timon and Pumbaa providing Simba recommendation whereas he grows from a cub to an grownup lion. “It had to introduce them, had to be about their way of life [and what] they wanted to teach Simba, an impressionable young cub,” Rice advised Vulture in 2014. “They represent a different aspect of life. It’s not all about lions and prides.”
When John agreed to the collaboration, the pair cooked up materials for The Lion King (initially often called “King Of The Jungle”) from their respective places, faxing lyrics and sending demos throughout the Atlantic. But “Hakuna Matata” took a while to get proper. Director Ron Minkoff revealed in a 2014 interview with Projector And Orchestra that the primary model of the tune was referred to as, “He’s Got It All Worked Out,” “which was a similar idea, but Timon was singing about how Pumbaa had mastered the idea of taking it easy.” Another early model was referred to as “Warthog Rhapsody,” a tune that shared lyrical and melodic concepts with “Hakuna Matata” and ultimately appeared on Rhythm Of The Pride Lands, a Lion King sequel album launched in 1995.
The turning level got here when Rice regarded to Disney’s previous for inspiration, as Minkoff recalled, “We ended up in a big meeting with Tim, trying to figure out what the new song was going to be about. Tim said, ‘What we should really have is like a ‘Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo’ [a beloved song from the Cinderella soundtrack]. Roger, who had been in Africa on a research trip, said, ‘There’s this great expression – Hakuna Matata.’ Tim said, ‘That’s a good idea. Sounds good. Rolls off the tongue.’ So he went off and wrote a new lyric, sent it to Elton, and Elton wrote a new demo.”
The staff knew that they had it. “Hakuna Matata” is a phrase in Swahili, a typical language spoken all through Kenya and Tanzania, which means “no worries” – the perfect motto for Timon and Pumbaa. John wrote a jaunty, catchy melody to accompany Rice’s witty lyrics. Finishing touches had been utilized by composer Mark Mancina.
“Hakuna Matata” was a spotlight of The Lion King and have become a lot beloved in its personal proper. It was nominated for Best Song on the 1995 Academy Awards however misplaced out to “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” not a nasty end result for John and Rice. Writing concerning the tune in Me, John was sometimes wry, “At the risk of being big-headed, I’m pretty sure that in a list of the greatest songs ever written about warthogs who fart a lot, mine would come in somewhere near the top.” But the singer was clearly happy with the movie, later telling Rolling Stone, “The Lion King changed my life. “It gave me the opportunity to write for the stage. It gave me more strings to my bow. Up until that point, I was just doing records, videos, and touring. Of course, nobody knew it was going to be this big. I’m so proud to be involved in it, and I have Tim Rice to thank for it.”
Listen to “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King soundtrack now.
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