You know the song. Honestly, everyone does. It’s that infectious, high-pitched "wimoweh" that starts up the second Timon and Pumbaa strut onto the screen. It feels like the ultimate feel-good anthem of the 90s. But when you hear The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King, you’re actually listening to one of the most legally contested and ethically messy pieces of music in history. It isn't just a Disney song. It’s a decades-long saga of a South African Zulu singer who died with almost nothing while his melody became a global goldmine.
The Original Roar: Solomon Linda and Mbube
Most people think Disney wrote it. They didn't.
Back in 1939, a man named Solomon Linda was working as a cleaner at a record company in Johannesburg. He was a singer by night, leading a group called the Evening Birds. One evening, in a drafty studio, he improvised a melody. He sang the word Mbube (Zulu for "lion") over a driving, rhythmic bassline. During the third take, he let out a soaring, falsetto improv that would eventually become the famous "In the jungle, the mighty jungle" melody.
He was paid a flat fee for the recording. Legend says it was about 10 shillings—roughly two dollars at the time. He died in 1962 with less than $25 in his bank account. His family couldn't even afford a headstone for his grave.
The song traveled. It was "discovered" by Pete Seeger of The Weavers, who misheard "Mbube" as "Wimoweh." He thought it was a traditional folk song and didn't realize it had a living composer. Then came the Tokens in 1961. They added the English lyrics about the sleeping lion. By the time The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King hit theaters in 1994, the song had already been through dozens of hands, none of which belonged to Solomon Linda's daughters.
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How Disney Handled the Lion
When Disney produced The Lion King, they didn't just use the song; they turned it into a personality trait for Timon and Pumbaa. It’s the soundtrack to their carefree "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle. However, because the song was credited to George David Weiss, Luigi Creatore, and Hugo Peretti (the guys who wrote the English lyrics for The Tokens), the royalties were flowing into American pockets.
Disney wasn't the "villain" in the sense that they stole it directly—they licensed it legally from the people who claimed to own it. But the optics were terrible. You had a massive American corporation making millions off a melody that was undeniably Zulu in origin, while Linda’s descendants were living in poverty in South Africa.
It took a massive exposé by South African journalist Rian Malan in Rolling Stone magazine to wake the world up. He tracked the song's lineage and showed exactly how much money was being generated. We are talking about tens of millions of dollars. The discrepancy was gut-wrenching.
The Legal Battle That Changed Everything
The fight for the rights to The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King became a landmark case for African intellectual property. In 2004, the estate of Solomon Linda sued Disney. The timing was perfect because the Lion King stage musical was touring the world, raking in cash at every stop.
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It was a David vs. Goliath situation.
The lawyers used a loophole in British colonial law (which still applied in South Africa) called the Dickens Amendment. It basically says that 25 years after a creator's death, their rights should revert to their heirs. It was a long shot. But it worked. In 2006, a settlement was reached. While the exact numbers are secret, the Linda family finally began receiving royalties. They could finally put a headstone on Solomon’s grave.
Why the Song Still Matters Today
Musicologists study this song because it represents a specific style called Isicathamiya. This is the a cappella tradition that eventually gave us Ladysmith Black Mambazo. When you hear the "wimoweh" part, you’re hearing a phonetic misunderstanding of "Uyimbube," which means "You are a lion."
It’s ironic. The song is about a lion sleeping, but the melody itself was a "sleeping" giant that eventually woke up the global legal community to the exploitation of African artists.
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Common Misconceptions About the Track
- Disney wrote the melody: Nope. Solomon Linda did in 1939.
- The lyrics are traditional: Only the "Mbube" part is. The "mighty jungle" lyrics were written in New York in the 60s.
- The song is about the movie: It was actually a hit for 30 years before Simba was even a sketch on a storyboard.
- It’s just a funny Timon and Pumbaa moment: For the Linda family, it was a multi-generational struggle for dignity.
The song is beautiful. It’s catchy. But it’s also a reminder that behind every "classic" track, there’s often a person whose name isn't in the credits. Next time you watch the movie and that scene comes on, listen to the falsetto. That’s Solomon’s voice, echoing through time.
How to Respect the Legacy
If you're a creator or just a fan of the music, there are ways to engage with this history without just feeling guilty. Knowledge is the first step.
- Listen to the original: Search for "Mbube" by Solomon Linda and the Evening Birds. It’s raw, powerful, and much more haunting than the Disney version.
- Support African Music Rights: Organizations like SAMRO (Southern African Music Rights Organisation) work to ensure modern artists don't face what Linda did.
- Check the Credits: When buying covers of the song, look for Solomon Linda's name. If he isn't credited, you’re looking at an old-school print that’s ignoring the true creator.
- Teach the context: If you're a teacher or a parent, tell the kids where the song came from. It makes the movie more meaningful.
The story of The Lion Sleeps Tonight from The Lion King ended with a victory, but many other songs from that era are still trapped in legal limbo. Understanding this one case helps us appreciate the "mighty jungle" of the music industry a little better. It’s about making sure the lion doesn't just sleep, but gets the credit he deserves.