“In the jungle, the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight”

These lyrics are from the well-known song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. Originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title “Mbube” for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Find out more at the Wikipedia entry The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

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In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle the quiet jungle
The lion sleeps tonight

Wee heeheehee weeoh aweem away
Wee heeheehee weeoh aweem away

Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the quiet village
The lion sleeps tonight

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Having danced to this myself in my youth I know the song well – although there are many versions by several artists (more then a hundred). The version I am most familiar with is by Tight Fit.

The history behind the song is fascinating and it would be worth your time to learn more about the original artist and the subsequent copyright issues that followed.

“Mbube” wasn’t the most remarkable tune, but there was something compelling about the underlying chant, a dense meshing of low male voices above which Solomon yodelled and howled for two exhilarating minutes, improvising occasionally. The third take was the best, achieving immortality when Solly took a deep breath, opened his mouth, and improvised the melody that the world now associates with these words:

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight.^[1]

Find out more here How American music legends made millions off the work of a Zulu tribesman who died a pauper. Or you can find the movies A Lion’s Trail (trailer).

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If you are looking for a Jungle or Animal inspired cake, please get in touch and I would love to help you create the cake of your dreams!