Hakuna Matata (song)
Encyclopedia
"Hakuna Matata" is a song from Disney's 32nd animated feature Timon & Pumbaa. The song is based on Timon and Pumbaa
's common catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata
, which is a Swahili
phrase. It is characterized by its simple 4/4 time
, upbeat message and catchy lyrics.
and the lyrics
by Tim Rice
. In the film the song is sung by Timon
(a meerkat
voiced by Nathan Lane
), Pumbaa (a warthog
voiced by Ernie Sabella
), and Simba
, a young lion
voiced by Jason Weaver
(singing voice as a cub) and Joseph Williams (as an adult). The two main comedy
characters in the film, (Timon and Pumbaa
), talking about moving on from their troubled past and forgetting their worries. The song also provides a backstory for Pumbaa, explaining that he was ostracized from animal society for his excessive flatulence
. It contains several breaks at which the music grinds to a halt and then starts again. It makes use of a large proportion of the orchestra
as well as many other more unusual instruments including an elaborate drum kit.
A second version of the song, produced for the companion album Rhythm of the Pride Lands
, was performed by Jimmy Cliff
featuring Lebo M
. This version of the song is slightly modified (especially concerning the instruments used) but remains very similar to the original. It was released as a single with "He Lives in You
" as a B-side, and was ultimately used in the Broadway
theatrical version of The Lion King
.
The melody of Warthog Rhaspody was used in the film Lion King 1 1/2 for the song "That's All I Need".
is a Swahili
phrase that is frequently translated as "no worries". In a bonus features of The Lion King Special Edition DVD, the film's production team claims that it picked up the term from a tour guide while on safari
in Tanzania
. It was then developed into an ideology that, along with the seemingly antithetical value of duty to the monarchy, is central to the moral content of the film.
The title phrase is pronounced with American English phonology within the song, including a flapped "t"
, rather than as it is pronounced in Swahili.
at the Academy Awards in 1995
and lost only to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight
", one of three Lion King song nominations (the other was "Circle of Life
"). It was also ranked 99th in the AFI
's list of the 100 best American movie songs of all time, Disney's fourth and last entry of songs on the list (the others being "When You Wish Upon a Star
" from Pinocchio
at #7, "Some Day My Prince Will Come
" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
at #19, and "Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast
at #62).
A shortened version of "Hakuna Matata" was used as the theme song of the spinoff Timon & Pumbaa TV show
.
What a wonderful phrase!
Hakuna Matata
Ain't no passing craze
It means no worries
For the rest of your days
It's a problem free
Philosophy
Hakuna Matata!
CD maxi
Timon and Pumbaa
Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney's popular 1994 animated film The Lion King. Timon was portrayed through his many appearances by Nathan Lane , Max Casella , Kevin Schon , Quinton Flynn Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced...
's common catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata
Hakuna Matata
Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that is literally translated as "There are no worries." It is sometimes translated as "no worries", although is more commonly used similarly to the American English phrase "no problem".-Jambo Bwana:...
, which is a Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
phrase. It is characterized by its simple 4/4 time
Time signature
The time signature is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats are in each measure and which note value constitutes one beat....
, upbeat message and catchy lyrics.
Music
The musical score was written by Elton JohnElton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and the lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
by Tim Rice
Tim Rice
Sir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
. In the film the song is sung by Timon
Timon and Pumbaa
Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney's popular 1994 animated film The Lion King. Timon was portrayed through his many appearances by Nathan Lane , Max Casella , Kevin Schon , Quinton Flynn Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced...
(a meerkat
Meerkat
The meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...
voiced by Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
), Pumbaa (a warthog
Warthog
The Warthog or Common Warthog is a wild member of the pig family that lives in grassland, savanna, and woodland in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the past it was commonly treated as a subspecies of P...
voiced by Ernie Sabella
Ernie Sabella
Ernest "Ernie" Sabella is an American actor, who is best known for his role as the official voice of Pumbaa from the The Lion King.-Life and career:...
), and Simba
Simba
Simba is a lion character and the protagonist of Disney's most successful animated feature film, The Lion King. He is the son of Mufasa and Sarabi, nephew of Scar, mate of Nala, and father of Kiara. He has golden fur and when he grows into an adult, he has an auburn mane...
, a young lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
voiced by Jason Weaver
Jason Weaver
Jason Michael Weaver also known by his stage name J-Weav, is an American actor and singer. He is perhaps best known for his television roles as a pre-teenage Michael Jackson in the Emmy Award-winning 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, and as the older brother Marcus Henderson on the...
(singing voice as a cub) and Joseph Williams (as an adult). The two main comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
characters in the film, (Timon and Pumbaa
Timon and Pumbaa
Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced in Disney's popular 1994 animated film The Lion King. Timon was portrayed through his many appearances by Nathan Lane , Max Casella , Kevin Schon , Quinton Flynn Timon and Pumbaa are an animated meerkat and warthog duo introduced...
), talking about moving on from their troubled past and forgetting their worries. The song also provides a backstory for Pumbaa, explaining that he was ostracized from animal society for his excessive flatulence
Flatulence
Flatulence is the expulsion through the rectum of a mixture of gases that are byproducts of the digestion process of mammals and other animals. The medical term for the mixture of gases is flatus, informally known as a fart, or simply gas...
. It contains several breaks at which the music grinds to a halt and then starts again. It makes use of a large proportion of the orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
as well as many other more unusual instruments including an elaborate drum kit.
A second version of the song, produced for the companion album Rhythm of the Pride Lands
Rhythm of the Pride Lands
Rhythm of the Pride Lands is an audio CD released on February 28, 1995 by The Walt Disney Company, a "sequel" to the original motion picture soundtrack of the animated film The Lion King. The CD, was originally an independent project developed by Jay Rifkin and Lebo M and included songs and...
, was performed by Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff
Jimmy Cliff, OM is a Jamaican musician, singer and actor. He is the only currently living musician to hold the Order of Merit, the highest honour that can be granted by the Jamaican government for achievement in the arts and sciences...
featuring Lebo M
Lebo M
Lebohang “Lebo M.” Morake, known professionally as Lebo M, is a South African composer most famous for arranging and performing music for the Lion King movies and stage productions. He was recommended to Disney by Hans Zimmer, the score composer of The Lion King, and was later hired to form and...
. This version of the song is slightly modified (especially concerning the instruments used) but remains very similar to the original. It was released as a single with "He Lives in You
He Lives in You
"He Lives in You" is a song written and performed by Lebo M and his South African Choir for the CD Rhythm of the Pride Lands. A shorter version of the song was used in the opening of The Lion King II. This song was co-written by Mark Mancina and Jay Rifkin...
" as a B-side, and was ultimately used in the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
theatrical version of The Lion King
The Lion King (musical)
The Lion King is a musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well...
.
Early production
The song was based on an earlier song written early on in the production stage called "Warthog Rhapsody". Although the two songs shared the same message and position in the film, when Elton and Tim began to work on the music the song was completely rewritten and it eventually evolved into "Hakuna Matata". "Warthog Rhapsody" was eventually re-produced and released on Rhythm of the Pride Lands.The melody of Warthog Rhaspody was used in the film Lion King 1 1/2 for the song "That's All I Need".
Meaning
Hakuna matataHakuna Matata
Hakuna matata is a Swahili phrase that is literally translated as "There are no worries." It is sometimes translated as "no worries", although is more commonly used similarly to the American English phrase "no problem".-Jambo Bwana:...
is a Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
phrase that is frequently translated as "no worries". In a bonus features of The Lion King Special Edition DVD, the film's production team claims that it picked up the term from a tour guide while on safari
Safari
A safari is an overland journey, usually a trip by tourists to Africa. Traditionally, the term is used for a big-game hunt, but today the term often refers to a trip taken not for the purposes of hunting, but to observe and photograph animals and other wildlife.-Etymology:Entering the English...
in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
. It was then developed into an ideology that, along with the seemingly antithetical value of duty to the monarchy, is central to the moral content of the film.
The title phrase is pronounced with American English phonology within the song, including a flapped "t"
Intervocalic alveolar flapping
Intervocalic alveolar flapping is a phonological process found in many dialects of English, especially North American English and Australian English, by which either or both prevocalic and surface as the alveolar tap after sonorants other than , , and .*after vowel: butter*after r:...
, rather than as it is pronounced in Swahili.
Critical reception
The song proved enormously popular and was nominated for Best SongAcademy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the Academy Awards in 1995
67th Academy Awards
The 67th Academy Awards, honoring the best films of 1994, were held on March 27, 1995 at the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by well-known comedian and talk show host David Letterman....
and lost only to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight
Can You Feel the Love Tonight
250px|thumb|right|Simba and Nala embrace during the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sequence."Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film, The Lion King, composed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice. It was described by Don Hahn , Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff as...
", one of three Lion King song nominations (the other was "Circle of Life
Circle of Life
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...
"). It was also ranked 99th in the AFI
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's list of the 100 best American movie songs of all time, Disney's fourth and last entry of songs on the list (the others being "When You Wish Upon a Star
When You Wish upon a Star
"When You Wish upon a Star" is a song written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio. The original version of the song was sung by Cliff Edwards in the character of Jiminy Cricket, and is heard over the opening credits and again in the final scene of the...
" from Pinocchio
Pinocchio (1940 film)
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...
at #7, "Some Day My Prince Will Come
Some Day My Prince Will Come
"Some Day My Prince Will Come" is a popular song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was written by Larry Morey & Frank Churchill , and performed by Adriana Caselotti...
" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 American animated film based on Snow White, a German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. It was the first full-length cel-animated feature in motion picture history, as well as the first animated feature film produced in America, the first produced in full...
at #19, and "Beauty and the Beast" from Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (1991 film)
Beauty and the Beast is a 1991 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The thirtieth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series and the third film of the Disney Renaissance period...
at #62).
A shortened version of "Hakuna Matata" was used as the theme song of the spinoff Timon & Pumbaa TV show
Timon & Pumbaa (TV series)
The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa is an American animated television series made by the Walt Disney Company. It centers on Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog from the Disney film franchise The Lion King, without most of the other characters in the franchise...
.
In popular culture
- Australian pop star Dannii MinogueDannii MinogueDanielle Jane "Dannii" Minogue is an Australian singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, radio personality, fashion designer and model...
performed the song on a UK Disney TV special. - Alvin and Simon Seville covered the song in their 1994 album When You Wish Upon a ChipmunkWhen You Wish Upon A ChipmunkWhen You Wish Upon a Chipmunk is a 1995 music album by Alvin and the Chipmunks, released by Sony Wonder, and contains 10 tracks.The album features the Chipmunks singing songs from Disney's full-length animated feature films. The Walt Disney Company neither sponsored nor endorsed the album...
, respectively portraying Timon & Pumbaa. In this version, they covered it in their own style (i.g.,from "warthog" to "chipmunk"). However, The Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney CompanyThe Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
didn't endorse nor sponsor the album. - In one of Disney's many self references, the "Hakuna Matata" song can be heard briefly in the 1995 PixarPixarPixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
film Toy StoryToy StoryToy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen...
, in which it was played on Andy's mom's car while Molly sees WoodySheriff WoodySheriff Woody Pride, or simply Woody, is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the Toy Story franchise . He is voiced by Tom Hanks in the films, and by Jim Hanks in most other media.-Toy Story:...
and Buzz LightyearBuzz LightyearBuzz Lightyear is a character and the main deuteragonist of the Toy Story franchise. Buzz is a space ranger action figure and the co-leader of Andy's Room. He has also appeared in the movie Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins and the television series spin-off Buzz Lightyear of...
through one of the side view mirrors. - Bunny WailerBunny WailerBunny Wailer, , also known as Bunny Livingston and affectionately as Jah B, is a singer songwriter and percussionist and was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh...
covered the song on Reggae for Kids: Movie Classics. - In the SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
episode "The Merv Griffin ShowThe Merv Griffin Show (Seinfeld episode)"The Merv Griffin Show" is the 162nd episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 6th episode of the 9th and final season. It aired on November 6, 1997 and appeared on DVD 10 years later.The working title for this episode was "The Merv Griffin Set"...
", ElaineElaine BenesElaine Marie Benes is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Seinfeld , played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Elaine's best friend is her ex-boyfriend Jerry Seinfeld; she is also good friends with George Costanza and Cosmo Kramer...
says that she was caught in the office singing "Hakuna Matata". - In the film Mouse Hunt, Ernie Smuntz (Nathan Lane) bows to a sheik who is seeking to bid for his home and greets him with the words "Hakuna matata," a reference to Nathan Lane's portrayal of Timon.
- It appears in Mannheim SteamrollerMannheim SteamrollerMannheim Steamroller is an American music group founded by Chip Davis and Jackson Berkey, known primarily for its modern recordings of Christmas music. The group has sold 28 million albums in the U.S. alone.-Beginnings:...
's 1999 album Mannheim Steamroller Meets the MouseMannheim Steamroller Meets the MouseMannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse: Unique Musical Creations Based on Disney Songs is a music album by Mannheim Steamroller, released by Walt Disney Records and American Gramaphone in 1999 on CD and DVD.-Track listing:# "Chim Chim Cher-ee" – 2:31...
. - The song was covered by Jamaican group Baha MenBaha MenThe Baha Men are Bahamian singers in a Bahamian band. They play a modernised style of Bahamian music called Junkanoo.-Early career as High Voltage :...
for the DisneymaniaDisneyManiaDisneymania is the first of a series of albums released by Walt Disney Records featuring various musical artists performing Disney songs. The original album, released on September 17, 2002, featured contemporary Disney classics...
CD. - The song was covered by Debby RyanDebby RyanDeborah "Debby" Ryan is an American actress and singer. Ryan is best known for starring as Bailey Pickett in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life on Deck. The Suite Life on Deck became the most watched children's show on television...
for the Disneymania 7DisneyMania 7Disneymania 7 is the seventh and latest installment in the Disneymania series. It features a variety of contemporary performers taking on their own remixes of classic Disney songs...
CD. - On Brandy & Mr. Whiskers, Whiskers says "Do you remember 'Ohana' and all that stuff? Or was it Hakuna Matata?" "Ohana" might also be a reference to Lilo and Stitch because Ohana was used in that movie.
- On the episode of MoeshaMoeshaMoesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
, Frank says to his work friend on the line "Hakuna Good-bye, Bye" on "The Whistle Blower" that aired in 1996. - In an episode of Pinky and the Brain while Pinky and the Brain are trapped in the wilderness, Pinky tries to cheer up the agitated Brain by saying he will tell him a phrase, and Pinky's phrase turns out to be "Hakuna Matata".
- In Aladdin and The King Of ThievesAladdin and the King of ThievesAladdin and the King of Thieves is a 1996 animated film that is the second direct-to-video sequel to the Disney animated feature Aladdin...
, Genie turns into Pumbaa and says "Hakuna Matata" - In the Stitch!Stitch!is the anime adaptation of the animated feature film Lilo & Stitch and the subsequent successor for the Lilo & Stitch series by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It takes place after the film and debuted in Japan on October 2008. The show features a Japanese girl named Yuna in place of Lilo, and is...
episode "A Stinky Episode", Stitch says "Skunkuna Matata!" while throwing a skunk-like creature in the air.
Lyrics
Hakuna Matata,What a wonderful phrase!
Hakuna Matata
Ain't no passing craze
It means no worries
For the rest of your days
It's a problem free
Philosophy
Hakuna Matata!
Track listings
CD single- "Hakuna Matata" — 4:24
- "He Lives in You" — 4:51
CD maxi
- "Hakuna Matata" (rap version) — 3:50
- "Warthog Rhapsody" by Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella — 3:06
- "Hakuna Matata" (album version) — 4:24
Peak positions
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart Ultratop 50 Ultratop 50 singles, often just Ultratop 50, is the weekly chart of fifty best-selling singles in Flanders, Belgium, and is produced and published by the Ultratop organization. The chart has existed since March 31, 1995... |
46 |
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop Ultratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts... |
6 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
11 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 7 |
| German Singles Chart | 77 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States... |
26 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1995) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart | 35 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 81 |
| French Singles Chart | 27 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | Silver | December 22, 1995 | 125,000 |