I Wan'na Be Like You

"I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song)" is a song sung by King Louie, Baloo and Mowgli from Walt Disney's 1967 film, The Jungle Book. The song was sung by Louis Prima and written by songwriters Robert and Richard Sherman.

Richard Sherman said he and his brother aimed for a jazz sound, with a Dixieland-like melody. The instrumentals were originally recorded by Prima - who also played the trumpet - and his band, Sam Butera & The Witnesses, but the music was replaced by one written by the film's composer, George Bruns, and orchestrated by Walter Sheets. The "scat dialogue" between Baloo and King Louie was the result of two recording sessions. Louis Prima recorded first, with the intent that Baloo - played in his recording by Butera - would simply repeat what Louie scatted, but Phil Harris decided not to imitate Prima's recording and made up his own. The song was released the same date as the motion picture itself.

Lyrics
King Louie: Bu-ba-do-do-do-be-do

Now I'm the king of the swingers, whoa The jungle VIP I've reached the top and had to stop And that's what botherin' me I wanna be a man, mancub And stroll right into town And be just like the other men I'm tired of monkeyin' around!

Oh, ooh-bee-doo, (Oop-dee-wee) I wanna be like you-hu-hu (Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow) I wanna walk like you (Cheep) Talk like you (Cheep) To-o-oo! (Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo) You'll see it's tru-u-ue (Shoo-be-dee-doo) An ape like me-e-e (Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee) Can learn to be Hu-u-uman To-o-oo!

[Speech] Mowgli: Gee, cousin Louie, you're doin' real good. Louie: Now here's your part of the deal, cuz. Lay the secret on me of man's red fire. Mowgli: But I don't know how to make fire!

Louie: Now don't try to kid me, mancub I made a deal with you What I desire is man's red fire To make my dream come true! Give me the secret, mancub Come on, clue me what to do Give me the power of man's red flower So I can be like you!

Baloo: HEY! De-zop-ba-ronie Hap-da-dee-ba-lat Da-dat-dat-non Hey, a-baby-dot-doo Zaba-doo-doo-day-doo-bop Doo-boo-doo-day, ze-bonz Za-bop-bop-bobby

King Louie: Za-bah-doo-dee!

Baloo: Well, a-ree-bah-naza

King Louie: He-beh-do-beh-doy

Baloo: Well, a-lah-bah-zini

King Louie: Wadahlabat-boodalabat

Baloo: Seebahlalat-dodie

King Louie: Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Baloo: Well, a-ha ha ha ha

King Louie: Rrrrahr-rrrahr!

Baloo: Gettin' mad, baby!

Monkey: Hall-owallo-a-la la

Baloo: Mahata alottado

Monkey: Hodolata-deetle-do

Baloo: Do-zootle-dot-dot-dot-dot-dot

King Louie Gingle do doot do do do doot

Baloo: Zeep-i-doo-da hab a daah

Louie, Baloo and Mowgli (variously): You hoo hoo! (Oop-dee-wee) I wanna be like you-u-u! (Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow) I wanna walk like you! (Cheep) Talk like you (Cheep) To-o-oo! (Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo) You'll see it's tru-u-ue! (Shoo-be-dee-doo) Someone like me-e-e (Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee) Can learn to be Like someone Like me (Take me home, daddy!) Can learn to be Like someone Like you (One more time!)

Baloo: Yeah! Can learn to be Like someone Like me-e! Cee-de-do-bop-bop Bada-doodle Dot-andot-andot-andot-andot... (Man...)

Cover versions
Kenny Ball and His Jazzmen released a single of "I Wanna Be Like You" (without an apostrophe in the title) in 1968 and it also featured on their 1969 album King Of The Swingers. Pinky and Perky recorded a version for their Film Parade album in 1970 and also released the song as a single. On the 1990 collection "Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films," the song appears on "Medley Two" as recorded by Los Lobos, who play the song occasionally in their live shows. On 4 May 1994 Phish performed a truly Phish-styled version at The Metropolis Concert Hall in Montreal, Quebec. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy did a cover of this song on the Swingers soundtrack, even though the song does not appear in the film. The band later released the song on their 1999 album, This Beautiful Life. Voodoo Glow Skulls recorded a ska version of the song for the 2002 Japanese-Exclusive album Dive into Disney. The Jungle Book 2, released in 2003, featured the band Smash Mouth playing the song during the end credits of the film; the song also appeared on the film's soundtrack and in the first Disneymania volume. In the Australian version, Nikki Webster covers the song, which is also featured on her Best of album. A version by the Turnpike Cruisers appeared on the second Blood on the Cats LP. The 2005 album, En Vivo by Gabriel Ríos, contains a cover of the song. In 2007, a pop rock cover was recorded by the Jonas Brothers for Disneymania 5. Los Lobos recorded a version for the tribute album Stay Awake: Various Interpretations of Music from Vintage Disney Films; this version also appeared on the compilation album Just Another Band From East L.A. - A Collection.

British pop singer Paolo Nutini performed "I Wanna Be Like You" at the 2007 Glastonbury Festival.

On October 23, 2010, X Factor contestant, Katie Waissel pleased the judges with her surprise selection of the song.

Craig David sang a cover of the song for an award ceremony in the U.K; the video is on YouTube.

In 2013, the most recent cover of the song was by Robbie Williams and Olly Murs for Williams's swing album Swings Both Ways.

Detail of the french version
The french lyrics are in normal type, the english translation of the french is in italic.

Je suis le roi de la danse

I am the king of Dance…

Oh, la jungle est à mes pieds

Oh, the jungle's subjected to ME

De la puissance, j'suis au plus haut !

I'm on highest level of power !

Et pourtant je dois vous envier…

Despite that I must be jealous of you…

Je voudrais devenir un homme,

I would like to become a man,

Ce serait merveilleux !

That would be wonderful,

Vivre pareil aux autres hommes

Living just like the other men,

Loin des singes ennuyeux

Far from the boring monkeys !

Oh, oobee doo

Oh, oobee-doo !

J'voudrais marcher comme vous

I'd like to walk like you,

Et parler comme vous

And to talk like you,

Faire comme vous, tout !

Do do like you, everything !

Un singe comme moi

An ape like me

Pourrait, je crois

Could, I belive,

Être parfois bien plus humain qu'vous

Be sometimes far more human than yourself !

MOWGLI: Oh, vrai cousin Louie

Oh, sure cousin Louie,

Tu fais ça très bien !

You're very good at this !

LOUIE: Et bien maintenant à toi de jouer, cousin

Well now, all's up to you, cousin !

Je veux savoir le secret du feu rouge des hommes !

I want the secret of the red fire of the humans !

MOWGLI: Mais, j'ai jamais appris à faire du feu !

Why, I never learned how to do fire !

LOUIE: Pourtant crois-moi bien, je suis pas dupe !

''Oh, believe me I'm not fooled ! ''

Si je marchande avec vous

If I make business with you,

C'est que je désire le moyen d'être

That's because I desire a way to be

Un homme, un point c'est tout A man and that is all ! Dis-moi le secret pour être un homme !

Tell me the secret that make the man a man !

Est-ce vraiment si mystérieux ?

Is it that mysterious ?

Pour moi, faire éclore la grande fleur rouge

For me, to make the great red flower hatch,

Ce serait merveilleux

It would be wonderful !

LOUIE: Ouhouhou ! J'voudrais marcher comme vou-ou-ous…

''Oohoohoo ! I'd like to walk like you-oo-oo…''

LOUIE, MOWGLI, BALOO: Et parler comme vous

And talk like you

Faire comme vous, tout

Do like you, everything

Car je l'avoue

Because, I admit it,

Quelqu'un comme moi

Someone like me,

C'est vrai, je crois peut devenir comme vous

I believe it's true, can become like you !

BALOO and THE MONKEY WITH THE WHITE HAIR: Je crois peut devenir comme moi

I believe, can become like me !

BALOO (talking): C'qu'on s'amuse ici !

How much fun do we have here !

LOUIE, MOWGLI, BALOO, ALL THE MONKEYS: C'est vrai, je crois, peut devenir comme moi !

''That's true, I believe, can become like me ! ''

BALOO (talking): Yeah !

Yeah !

LOUIE, MOWGLI, BALOO, ALL THE MONKEYS:  Je crois, peut devenir comme vous !

I believe, can become like you !

LOUIE (talking):  Encore une fois !

One more time !

BALOO (losing his disguise): C'est vrai je crois, peut devenir comme moioioioi !

That's true, I believe, can become like meee--eee !

Boudda, boudda, boudda bouddaaa… (talking) … bouda ?…

Buda, Buda, buda budaaa… (talking) …buda…

Uses in popular culture
In 2009, "I Wan'na Be Like You" was used in a British anti-smoking public information film. It showed children copying everything their parents did (for example, boys putting shaving cream on their faces, girls dressing up in their mothers' best clothes and both genders washing the car), and "I Wan'na Be Like You" is playing throughout the advertisement, but it stops when a girl puts a crayon to her mouth in imitation of her mother smoking. It stops with the voiceover saying, "If you smoke, your children are more likely to."