"The Madness of King Scar" was a deleted song from The Lion King, which was to be sung to Nala by Scar, to the same tune as Scar's main song, "Be Prepared". After a short spoken interruption, it would be followed by the also scrapped "Be Prepared" reprise. The song was completely rewritten for the The Lion King musical and is now sung/spoken by Scar, Shenzi, Banzai, Ed, Zazu, and Nala.
In the deleted movie version, King Scar, in his delusions of power, wonders why he is not loved by the Pride, and asks Zazu what Mufasa has that he doesn't. When Zazu does (notably mentioning "respect of your species, a loving family, a devoted queen"), Scar is struck by the last suggestion (a queen), and tries to seduce Nala into becoming his queen with this song, in spite of Nala's attempts to explain to him how the Pride Lands are going to rot because of his incompetent leadership. As he comes dangerously close to her, she scratches him across his face to drive him away. Scar then comes out and try to marry her by force in front of the other lionesses. However, Nala refuses and is called to exile as punishment; the Lionesses' support of Nala lead him to call in the Hyenas, resulting in the "Be Prepared" reprise in which Nala is banished from the Pridelands.
In the musical version, King Scar worries about not being favored among the Pridelanders while dealing with the problems mentioned by the hyenas and Nal. On top of that, Scar is driven mad by the delusions he has of Mufasa's ghost. To calm his mental illness, Zazu suggests Scar gets a queen which leads Scar to choose Nala, who precisely comes in Scar's cave at that moment to try and convince him to actually do something about the problems going on that only he can fix. Not listening to her demands, he tries to seduce her in song, and she scratches him across the face as an act of refusal. Scar threatens Nala by claiming that one way or another, she will be his, resulting in her leaving the cave as he declares that Nala and the pride will be completely his no matter what.
Lyrics[]
Scar: The world is full of problems... even for a king!
It's tough at the top
I deserve a... companion
A mate, who will start
My cylinders firing with fervor
And you, my sweet thing, fit the part...
Nala: Excuse me?
Scar: A king alone is a sad situation indeed, but a king without heirs... now that's a tragedy.
Nala: You can't be serious.
Scar: I've never been more serious.
Be prepared for a stunning proposal
That power and beauty should bond
Which cannot but fail to
Ensure cries of hail to
The chief and his consort
The sine qua non sort
Of ruling ascendance
Our line of descendants
Will flow through the pride and beyond
(Nala scratches Scar's face to drive him away from her)
Scar: Ooh... Nala, Nala, Nala. You know, you really have no choice. One way or another, I always get what I want.
(Nala runs out of the cave; after a brief spoken scene, cue the "Be Prepared" reprise)
Scar: Zazu, why am I not loved?
I am that rare and awesome thing
I'm every inch a king
Yet I feel a twinge of doubt
As I go walk about
Banzai: Hey, boss!
Scar:
When my name is whispered through the pride
Is this talk of love or regicide?
Shenzi: Reggie who?
Scar:
Tell me I'm adored
Please tell me I'm adored
Banzai: Hey, boss!
Scar: Oh, what is it?
Banzai: We got a bone to pick with you.
Shenzi: There's no food, no water...
Banzai: Yeah. It's dinnertime, and there ain't no stinkin' entrées!
Scar: Oh, you and your petty complaints. You don't know what real hunger is. Day after day it gnaws at the very core of my being!
Banzai: I had that once. It was worms.
Scar: No, no, no... It's like an itch... Deep, persistent, profound...
Banzai: That's it! Worms! When they get really bad all you gotta do is... hunker down and scoot.
Scar: Thanks for the tip... Ingrates! If it weren't for me you'd be beating off buzzards for your next bite!
Shenzi and Banzai:
Yeah, you're our savior, thanks a bunch
But how about some lunch?
It doesn't matter if it's fresh
I need a fix of flesh
My bones have moved to where they've never been
They are on the outside looking in
Scar: Are you blaming me?
Shenzi and Banzai: Oh no, it's the lionesses!
Shenzi, Banzai, and Zazu:
You are so adored
Oh, you are so adored
Scar: That's more like it!
Shenzi and Banzai:
But what I'd give for one more hit
Of wildebeest kielbasa
Or maybe hornbill on the spit...
Zazu: Oh, how I miss Mufasa!
Scar: Mufasa?! Mufasa?! How dare you! I told you never to mention that name!
Zazu: Note taken. I shall never mention "M-m-m" again.
Scar: Even in death, his shadow looms over me. There he is! No! There he is! And there!
Zazu: Calm yourself, Sire, or you'll get another one of your splitting headaches!
Scar:
I am perfectly fine!
I'm better than Mufasa was
I'm revered
I am reviled
I'm idolized
I am despised
I'm keeping calm
I'm going wild!
I tell myself I'm fine
Yes I am, no you're not
Yes I am, no you're not
I tell myself I'm fine
No you're not, yes I am, no you're not
Yes I am
No you're not
Yes, no, yes, no, who am I talking to...?
Zazu: Oh, pull yourself together, Sire!
Scar: Oh, very well. Zazu? Zazu, Zazu, Zazu...?
Zazu: Yes, Sire?
Scar: Nobody loved me, there's the rub, not even as a cub. What did my brother have that I don't have?
Zazu: Do you want the short list or the long?
Scar: Whatever!
Zazu: Well, he had adoring subjects... a loving family... a devoted queen...
Scar: That's it! I need a queen!
Zazu: A what?
Scar: A queen, man! A queen! Without a queen, what am I? A dead end, no line, no descendants, no future. With a queen, I'll have... cubs! Immortality will be mine! Immortality will be mine!
Nala: Scar.
Scar: Ah, Nala... Your timing couldn't have been more perfect. My how you've grown!
Nala: Scar, you have got to do something. We're being forced to overhunt!
Scar: She's got those assets feminine
Nala: You're the king. Control the hyenas!
Scar: I have to make her mine
Nala: You're destroying the Pridelands!
Scar: Nobility in every gene
Nala: Look, if we don't stop now... Don't you see...
Scar: She has to be my queen
Nala: ...there's still a chance for things to be all right again...
Scar
Come, sweet Nala
It's written in the stars
Nala: Wait... What are you doing? Are you listening to me?
Scar: We'll create a host of little Scars
Nala: What are you talking about?
Scar: Tell me I'm adored
Nala: Get away from me!
Scar: Tell me I'm adored!
Scar: Oh, Nala... You know how I loathe violence... One way or another, you will be mine.
Nala: Never, Scar. Never!
Scar
You belong to me
You all belong to me!
Gallery[]
Videos[]
Trivia[]
- The scene and song was cut from the original movie because Scar's mannerisms towards Nala such as him nuzzling up against her without her consent, his referring to his "cylinder firing with fervor" and other means of cat-calling during the song, him cornering her into the wall, as well as the line "You really have no choice... One way or another, I always get what I want" could be all be perceived as implied sexual harassment, which was understandably deemed unsuitable for a family film during that time.
- Like the song "Me" from the Beauty and the Beast musical, this song has the male going on about how his wife will bear only sons and do only what her husband wants, instead of viewing his wife as an equal marital partner. (However, the original version intended for the film had Scar imply that he would give her the same regency powers that he would have, effectively making her not a mere queen to him, but his co-regent).
- Scar having delusions of Mufasa's ghost has sometime been taken as implying that he felt remorse for murdering Mufasa deep down, which was also implied (although to a far lesser degree) in the final film when Simba reveals himself ("Mufasa...? No, you're dead..."). Considering Mufasa's ghost actually visited Simba at one point, it is also possible that Mufasa was genuinely haunting Scar and those weren't just hallucinations.
- The cuts to the show eliminated much of the song, including the beginning and Scar's delusions and talking to himself, making the song feel less like Scar is "mad". The song now begins when the hyenas complain to Scar.
- Scar murdering Mufasa then seeing his ghost is similar to Macbeth when Macbeth murders Banquo and starts seeing his ghost when no one else can.
- The title of this song was inspired by the name of a 1991 play named The Madness of King George.
External links[]
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