The Lion Sleeps Tonight

On 17 November 1961, The Tokens, a doo-wop group from Brooklyn, New York, released their song, The Lion Sleeps Tonight.  At that moment, the most remarkable thing about it was that their singer, Mitch Margo, was only 14 years old!  (He was 13 when he recorded the song.)  It soon hit #1 on the Billboard charts and stayed there for three weeks, forever securing their place in music history.

The song was an African song originally written in the Zulu language back in the 1920s.  The song had been popular throughout the ‘50s on the Folk circuits in America and the UK under the title, “Wimoweh.”  It had first hit the mass, English-speaking, audience nine years earlier when it was released by Pete Seeger and the Weavers.  What was new and innovative with the Tokens version in 1961 was the addition of English lyrics in addition to the Zulu ones.

“In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight…

“Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight…

“Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight…”

As time marched on, the song’s popularity would only grow.  In 1972, Robert John would cover the song, complete with the English lyrics and it would climb to #3 on the charts.  (I will play all songs mentioned in this post on Tuesday night.)  There would be other chart-topping versions and the rights to the song would eventually be acquired by Disney and a version used in the Lion King.

Those English lyrics were written by songwriter, George David Weiss.  He was hired to do so by executives at RCA Victor for the Tokens upcoming release.  Weiss had written many songs that charted and was quite prolific.  He wrote the lyrics to Louie Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.  His lyrics would forever change the title of Wimoweh to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”

The song was originally written in the 1920s in the Zulu language by South African, Solomon Linda.  The song’s title was “Mbube,” which is Zulu for “Lion.”  It was in 1938 that he recorded the song with his then group, the Evening Birds.  The title, “Wimoweh,” was actually an English mangling of the lyrics.  The chorus, “Uyimbube,” sounded like “wim-o-weh” to the average English speaker.  The line translated means “you are the lion.”

Solomon Linda, or “Solly” to his friends, was quite the celebrity in Zulu culture in the 1930s.  He was known for his music and setting cultural trends and fashions.  He wrote songs about things he said and did in his life.  Mbube was inspired by memories of chasing lions away as a teen, protecting his father’s cattle.  The lyrics translate something like, “Lion! Ha! You’re the lion!”  So much legend would rise among the English-speaking public that soon it was believed to recount a lion hunt.  I’ve seen various versions of what the lyrics were reported to say including, “Hush, hush. If everyone’s quiet, we’ll have lion meat to eat tonight.”  Untrue!

Although Apartheid would be another ten years into the future, when Solly and the Evening Birds recorded Mbube, South Africa was a very racist and segregated society.  After recording it, Solomon Linda was paid ten shillings and the record company, Gallo Records, owned the recording, and all rights, including the copyright.  Linda saw nothing wrong with that in their world.  He was paid for an honest afternoon’s work.  Ironically, Linda would work for Gallo Records for the rest of his life doing a menial job in a record-packing plant.

In the 1950s, the song became famous world-wide as the folksong, Wimoweh.  Decca Records had been paying Pete Seeger writer royalties on the song, but when he learned of the true origins of the song, Seeger demanded that Decca stop paying him and instead they were to pay Linda in South Africa.  Seeger’s payments immediately stopped but payments to Solomon Linda never started.  Pete Seeger would not learn this truth for many years.

The song was quite famous in folk music circles and made a fair amount of money.  It would be taken to the next level in 1961 when the Tokens released their famous version.  Now the fame extended world-wide in the pop and rock & roll markets.  The record would go gold and the song began earning millions, none of it seen by Linda.  Solomon Linda would die the following year, penniless and destitute, and be buried in a pauper’s grave.

The song was an amazing hit.  It is said that when Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, first heard the Tokens’ version on the radio, that he had to pull his car off to the side of the road.  Songwriter Carol King, in a flabbergasted voice, simply called it a “Motherfucker!”

Many artists have covered the song, some under the title of “Wimoweh,” but most of them as the “Lion Sleeps Tonight.”  Since the Tokens released their song in 1961, I count at least 61 versions covering it and I’m probably missing some.  Here are some notable ones that you will hear Tuesday night.

In 1964, Glen Campbell released a beautiful instrumental rendition on his 12-string guitar.

In 1969, The New Kingston Trio released a live version.  They never recorded it in the studio, but it had been a staple of their live performances since the late ‘50s.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight would again go gold in 1972, with Robert John’s cover climbing to #3 on the charts.

In 1982, British Pop/Disco band, Tight Fit, would have a #1 hit in the UK with their cover.

In 1993, R.E.M. would cover the song and it would be released as a B-side single.

In 2001, Baha Men would sample the Tokens’ release on their song, You All Dat.

In 2010, Celtica Pipes Rock! Released their instrumental cover, complete with bagpipes.

Let the Lawsuits Begin…

In 1990, the copyright for the Lion Sleeps Tonight was about to expire and during its renewal process, all sorts of claims came out of the woodwork.  The Tokens claimed that they had provided enough to the song that they should share in the writing credits.  This claim was summarily dismissed.  The entire mess would wind up in arbitration in 1991, including the Estate of Solomon Linda, who had been dead for almost 30 years.

The matter was too complex to go into here, but the result was Solomon Linda would finally be credited as the song's writer and George Weiss would be credited for the English lyrics.  Eventually, Linda's surviving daughters would receive royalty payments amounting to around $12,000, for a song that had made millions.  A bit confused as to why they were being given money, they happily accepted the cash, not knowing they had been owed anything.

In 1994, the song was used in Disney’s animated motion picture, the Lion King.  Disney acquired the rights to the song to assure its position legally.  When the song was originally recorded in South Africa, that country had not signed the International Conventions of Copyright.  Therefore, the South African copyright held no legal weight in the United States.  Disney now owned the song.

This was the beginning of a new monetary windfall for the Lion Sleeps Tonight.  The true story about the origins of the song would start to surface along with its new popularity.  Pete Seeger would write a passionate letter to the United Nations, urging them to take up the cause of international copyright.  In 2000, the BBC released a documentary, A Lion’s Trail, which brought the injustices of this song to public light.

In 2004, the Estate of Solomon Linda filed a case in the United States against Disney.  In a court of law, Disney held the upper hand.  However, the court of “public image” was another story. Disney, not wanting their name sullied, settled with his estate.  The earnings for the song are now placed in a trust for the heirs of Solomon Linda.

Join us this Tuesday at a Woman’s Touch, from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, as we celebrate what is undoubtedly the most famous song to ever come out of Africa. 

Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds, the late 1930s, about the time they recorded Mbube, Linda on the far left.