“Memory… is the diary that we all carry about with us.” Oscar Wilde
Memories: The Lion Sleeps Tonight… Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Happy Hippo & Stan – “The lion sleeps tonight“
The Lion Sleeps Tonight… Lyrics from lyrics.net submitted by Naj Uyanik
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In 1939, when Solomom Linda and The Evening Birds sang and recorded his famous song – Mbube – for the South African Gallo Record Company, he had no idea that it would eventually earn millions for others, and be recorded internationally by many well known singers of the century; fromThe Weavers, The Tokens, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba, to TheKingston Trio. The original song evolved into other versions; particularly two popular versions, Wimoweh (US charts, 1952,#6) performed by The Weavers, and The Lion Sleeps Tonight (US charts #1,1961,UK #11) by The Tokens. Much has been said on how Solomon was cheated out of royalties but more on that later. My memory of the song is tied to my mother… Read on.
“Gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.”Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Memories: The Lion Sleeps Tonight… Setting Sun
Solomon Linda’s Original Evening Birds – Mbube (ORIGINAL VERSION OF WIMOWEH)
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight
My siblings and I gathered in the living room. Mother had called us to come downstairs for a surprise. I’ve always hated surprises but when your mother calls… well, it’s a surprise alright. We sat on the carpeted floor and looked expectantly at our mother who was ensconced in a comfortable stuffed armchair. She smiled at us, “Now be quiet,” she whispered and then said nothing more. We sat and waited; waiting and wondering when the shit would hit the fan or the surprise would land… Finally, when I thought it might be time to say something to mother, who, by the way, was busy sewing another baby outfit, she got up and turned the radio on. It crackled, buzzed, and then filled the room with melodious voices.
“Yesterday is but today’s memory, and tomorrow is today’s dream.”Khalil Gibran
Memories: The Lion Sleeps Tonight…
Miriam Makeba – Mbube – The Lion sleeps Tonight 1960
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Hush my darling, don’t fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush my darling, don’t fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
At first, we weren’t sure what was going on, but then we heard the announcer (what we’d call a DJ today) say something to the effect of “Ladies and gentlemen, today we bring you a few new contestants. Each will sing a favorite song of their choosing and you can call in and nominate your favorite singer in the group. First up is Mr X from XYZ.” Mr. X sang a popular song. I think it wasI’m Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver. We thought Mr. X was quite good… Then the announcer paused for a commercial break, came back on the air and announced the next performer… “Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome Mrs… Yes, it was Mother! And her song of choice? The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
“In memory everything seems to happen to music.” Tennessee Williams
Memories: The Lion Sleeps Tonight… Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh, Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh, Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh…
The Weavers – Wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
♫ ♪ ♬Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh, Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh♫, ♫Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh…♫ ♪ ♬ Mother’s voice filled the air. We were shocked and then stifled fits of laughter… Only my mother would be daring enough to thwart the social mores of her tight-knit community, and sing a popular song in a contest on the radio. ♫ ♬Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh, Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh, Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh… In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight… ♫ ♬ She sang Happy Hippo’s version and put all her passion and pride in that song. As her voice got stronger, it took on a tone of defiance. ♫♩Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh… Hush my darling, don’t fear my darling, The lion sleeps tonight…♫♩ At the end of the song, we applauded loudly and assured Mother she should and would win. From then on, The Lion Sleeps Tonight became one of my favorite songs and has remained so for years. More below!
“Time and memory are true artists; they remould reality nearer to the heart’s desire.” John Dewey
Memories: The Lion Sleeps Tonight…
The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight (1969 clip)
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh, wimoweh
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
Ee-e-e-um-um-a-weh
I’d love to say my mother did win the contest, but I don’t remember the final outcome. It didn’t matter anyway. What mattered was my mother’s boldness in a time when many among her milieu stayed home, burying their voices and dreams in endless housework. It was a revelation to see that side of her emerge, and she continued to surprise us with moments like this as she paid more visits to TV and Radio stations for one contest or some other adventure…
As for Solomon, he died poor at age 61 in 1962. Other record companies bought and sold rights to the song. Eventually in 2004, Solomon’s family sued Disney to get compensation for his song. The following three news pieces shed some light on the story: The Lion Sleeps Tonight. BBC World Service Documentaryby Paul Gambaccini first broadcast 16th July 2010; Penniless singer’s family sue Disney for Lion King royalties; and Family of ‘Lion Sleeps Tonight’ Writer to Get Millions
by Felix Contreras| NPR.org. Thankfully, his family won a settlement and the song remains popular around the world.
What about you? What are your thoughts? What musical memories do you hold dear? Have you heard music that triggered an old memory? What was the song? What do you remember? Do share! Thank you.
*Please bear with me as I recover… and continue to catch up on your blogs and commenting. Thank you all for your patience!
Positive Motivation Tip: Good memories add to our joy and sense of belonging to something more; something greater than ourselves. Reminisce!
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All photos Lion sleeps byJurvetson,Setting Sun by Andre Abu, Sleeping lion by Fammy, Another Lion Sleeps by MrsWoman, via Flickr. Female lion with mouth open via Wikipedia.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
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