Wimoweh
(a.k.a. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight")
Words & Music:
Solomon Linda
Well, it has taken until
the 21st century for Solomon Linda to get his due. He wrote this song in 1939 in South
Africa for his own a capella quartet, The Evening Birds. It became a hit record in the 1940s,
but apartheid limited his negotiating power such that he eventually sold the
rights to the song to Gallo records in the 1950s for roughly $1.70. Finally, his three daughters won 25% of
all past & future royalties in a March 2006 court settlement.
The original song was based
on the traditional Zulu song "Mbube Wimoweh" (literally, "the
Lion sleeps"). It has been
recorded by this name or the Xhosa variant "Wimoweh" by Miriam
Makeba, The Weavers, Karl Denver, Dave Newman, The Tokens, Tight Fit &
Ladysmith Black Mombazo & others.
George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti & Luigi Creatore are often given
credit for writing this song. It's
nice to finally credit the original songwriter.
Correspondent Dan M.
relates that it is supposedly about Chaka Zulu. It is he who is the Lion and, like Bran the Blessed or King
Arthur, is sleeping until needed again by his people.
[first 2 lines are usually a capella, although chords are
given]
G C G D
Weee-dee-dee-dee, da-dee-dee-dee-dee, a-wee-um-bumblay. [2x]
CHORUS:
G C
Uyimbube, Uyimbube, Uyimbube, Uyimbube,
G D
Uyimbube, Uyimbube, Uyimbube, Uyimbube. [2x]
G C G D
In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.
In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight
CHORUS: [plus
a canticle section over the Uyimbubes...]
Near the village, the peaceful village, the lion sleeps tonight.
Near the village, the quiet village, the lion sleeps tonight.
CHORUS:
Hush my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.
Hush my darling, don't fear, my darling, the lion sleeps tonight.
CHORUS:
*Uyimbube = "You're a Lion" in Zulu. Pronounced as "oo-yim-bweh-beh" and often misheard (and misspelled) by English speakers as "a-wimoweh".