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|attractions = [[Fantasmic!]] ([[Tokyo DisneySea]])<br>[[Celebrate the Magic]]<br>[[Remember... Dreams Come True|Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland]] |
|attractions = [[Fantasmic!]] ([[Tokyo DisneySea]])<br>[[Celebrate the Magic]]<br>[[Remember... Dreams Come True|Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland]] |
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|games = ''[[The Lion King (video game)|The Lion King]]''<br>[[Disney INFINITY (series)|''Disney INFINITY'' series]] (instrumental) |
|games = ''[[The Lion King (video game)|The Lion King]]''<br>[[Disney INFINITY (series)|''Disney INFINITY'' series]] (instrumental) |
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− | |albums = ''[[The Lion King (soundtrack)]]<br>[[Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic]] - Volume I<br>[[Disney's 75 Years of Music & Memories]]<br>[[The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording]]<br>[[The Best Disney Album in the World ...Ever!]]<br>[[Now That's What I Call Disney]]<br>[[Disney Classics|Disney Modern Classics]]<br>[[The Legacy Collection: The Lion King]]'' |
+ | |albums = ''[[The Lion King (1994 soundtrack)|The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]<br>[[Classic Disney: 60 Years of Musical Magic]] - Volume I<br>[[Disney's 75 Years of Music & Memories]]<br>[[The Lion King: Original Broadway Cast Recording]]<br>[[The Best Disney Album in the World ...Ever!]]<br>[[Now That's What I Call Disney]]<br>[[Disney Classics|Disney Modern Classics]]<br>[[The Legacy Collection: The Lion King]]'' |
|composer = [[Elton John]] |
|composer = [[Elton John]] |
||
|lyrics_by = [[Tim Rice]] |
|lyrics_by = [[Tim Rice]] |
Revision as of 04:41, 3 September 2019
"Circle of Life" is the opening song of Disney's 1994 animated film, The Lion King, composed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. It was performed by Carmen Twillie (female vocals) and Lebo M (opening Zulu vocals) as the film's opening song. Elton John also sang a pop version of it with the London Community Gospel Choir, which was included in the film's soundtrack and made into a music video.
As Mufasa himself explains later in the movie, the "Circle of Life" that the song refers to is the delicate balance of nature (predators eat prey, predators become grass when they die, prey eat the grass). Scar's reign disrupted the Circle of Life, which was restored when he died. Likewise, a plot point in The Lion Guard is for Kion to learn how to properly protect the Circle of Life.
Plot
The song takes place at the very beginning of the film, the dawn of Simba's presentation. As the song progresses, various animal herds travel through the Pride Lands to gather at Pride Rock. There, Rafiki meets up with the current King of the Pride Lands, Mufasa and his mate Sarabi. After blessing their newborn cub, Simba, Rafiki lifts him up high for all the animals to see, and the animals bow before their future king.
The song reprises at the end of the film after Simba has taken the throne, the death of Scar, and avenging Mufasa. Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub, Kiara, recalling the opening. In The Lion King 1½, the song is used again.
In The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, the Circle of Life song does not play throughout the entire movie, but the concept is still pivotal to the story. The Circle of Life is at incomplete state because Simba's pride and the Outsiders were separated due to Simba's prejudice against Scar's followers and Zira's hatred for Simba even though they're supposed to be one and the same. To unite the two prides, Mufasa has Rafiki unite Kiara and Kovu together. However, Simba breaks the Circle of Life when he exiles Kovu believing he was involved in the ambush set by Zira, forbidding Kiara from getting near him which was Mufasa's paw prints that he himself must follow. After Kiara and Kovu manage to unite the prides, the Circle of Life is restored to its former glory and peace was brought back to Pride Rock once again.
In Disneytoon's 2004 direct-to-video film The Lion King 1½, Timon and Pumbaa are watching this musical number in a dark theater when Timon suddenly uses a remote control to fast forward to where they appear in the film. Pumbaa argues that it shouldn't go out of order and attempts to rewind it back to the beginning. They start fighting over control of it until they agree that it should tell their side of the story. Throughout the rest of it, it is occasionally interrupted to have them comment on whatever is happening.
Lyrics
Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba
Sithi uhm ingonyama
Ingonyama
Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama
Siyo nqoba
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (repeats throughout verse)
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Se to kwa)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala (Asana)
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life!
(Busa verse)
Busa le lizwe bo
Busa le lizwe bo
Busa le lizwe bo
Lethu busa ngoxolo
Is'khathi sifikile (Sifikile)
Is'khathi busa iyo (Ndabezitha bo)
Is'khathi sifikile (Maye babo)
Busa lomhlaba
Is'khathi sifikile (Ihei)
Is'khathi sifikile (Sifikile)
Busa Simba
Busa Simba
Ubuse ngo xolo (Ngo xolo)
Ubuse ngo thando (Ngo thando)
Ubuse ngo xolo (Siyacela baba)
Ubuse ngo thando
Ubuse ngo xolo...
(Circle of Life verse)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
(Enamabala wa)
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life!
Circle of... Life!
Rafiki:
Nants ingonyama, bagathithi baba!
Choir:
Stiti umm, ingonyama
Ingonyama negwengabo!
Antelope:
Mai ba bo
Haa, ingonnyama baba!
Rafiki:
Nants ingonyama, bagathithi baba, hyaa!
Choir:
Stiti umm, ingonyama
Ingonyama negwengabo!
Antelope:
Hao, kusani bo
Pheki agalela (chou!)
Rafiki:
Nants ingonyama, bagathithi baba, hyaa!
Choir:
Siti umm, ingonyama
Rafiki:
Helele
Choir:
Ingonyama
Rafiki:
Oh, sizonqoba baba helele
Choir:
Ingonyama
Rafiki:
Hayyo! Sizonqo baba
Choir:
Ingonyama baba, enamabala
Antelope:
Ingonyama! Enamabala
(Whoa, ingonyama baba, enamabala)
(Ingonyama negwenamabala continues)
Rafiki:
From the day we arrive on this planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
Hmm, there's far too much, to take in here
More to find, than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small, on the endless round
It's the Circle of Life
(Kalaliko bheki akale!)
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life
(Ingonyama negwenamabala)
(improvisation by antelope)
It's the Circle of Life
(Kalaliko bheki akale!)
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life!
(loud drumbeat)
(Busa verse)
Busa le lizwe bo
Busa le lizwe bo
Busa le lizwe bo
Lethu busa ngoxolo
Is'khathi sifikile (Sifikile)
Is'khathi busa iyo (Ndabezitha bo)
Is'khathi sifikile (Maye babo)
Busa lomhlaba
Is'khathi sifikile (Sifikile)
Is'khathi sifikile
Busa Simba
Busa Simba
Hem na iyo
Hem na iyo
Hem na nkosi bo
Busa Simba iyo
(Busa Simba iyo)
Oh busa Simba iyo
Oh busa nkosi bo
Oh busa Simba iyo
Busa Simba iyo
Ubuse ngo thando
Ubuse ngo thando
Ubuse ngo xolo
Busa Simba, Busa Simba
Ubuse ngo xolo
Ubuse ngo thando
Ubuse ngo xolo
Ubuse ngo thando
Ubuse ngo xolo...
(Circle of Life verse)
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala
(Enamabala wa)
(part of verse used in recent performances)
It's the Circle of Life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love...
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the Circle
The Circle of Life!
Circle of... Life!
(loud drumbeat)
Umm hmm
Oh ho
Oh ho
Oh ho
Oh ho
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking step into the sun
There's more to be seen than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
Some say, eat or be eaten
Some say, live and let live
But, all are agreed as they join the stampede
You should never take more than you give
In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap by faith
It's the band of hope
Till, we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life
Some of us fall by the wayside
And some of us soar to the stars
And some of us sail through our troubles
And some have to live with the scars
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rollin' high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps the great and small on the endless round
In the circle of life
It's the wheel of fortune
It's the leap by faith
It's the band of hope
Till, we find our place
On the path unwinding, yea
In the circle
The circle of life
(Chorus repeats)
On the path unwinding, yea
In the circle
The circle of life
Videos
Gallery
Trivia
- "Circle of Life" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song in 1994 along with two other songs from the film, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Hakuna Matata", though the former won the award.
- The song has become the theme of Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. At Epcot, it is featured in the attraction Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable starring characters from the film.
- In one of Disney's many self-references, it also appeared as a false beginning of Chicken Little when Buck was trying to open the movie.
- The Season 3 Phineas and Ferb song "On the Savannah" in the first part of the two-part episode "Where's Perry?" has a similar setting and is also done with African singers.
- The choral element in between the "it's the circle of life" and "and it moves us all" is an approximate "kalaliko bheki akale".
- There is a rare work-in-progress version with an alternate arrangement that appeared in both the teaser trailer included in The Fox and the Hound VHS and the original theatrical trailer that people would not find anywhere else.
- At the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner, President Barack Obama jokingly claimed he was going to show his long-form birth video, spoofing an earlier controversy about refusing to show his long-form birth certificate to prove he was, in fact, born in the United States. The opening chant was played from the film, and Simba was seen being lifted to the skies. The song was used to poke fun at Obama's Kenyan heritage.
- The song was re-recorded in 2003 by the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, a group of actors and actresses who have appeared in Disney Channel television series and original movies. The line-up was significantly different when their next re-recording, "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes", was released two years later.
- The instrumental version of the song, with the Zulu vocals still included, is heard when the player uses The King's Domain sky in the Disney INFINITY games.
- The scene of Rafiki lifting Simba can be briefly seen in an episode of Gargoyles when Hudson is flicking through channels.
- When baby Simba is introduced, he is heard purring; lions don't purr in real life.
See also