The Lion King (soundtrack)
Encyclopedia
The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the original motion picture soundtrack
for Walt Disney's
1994, 32nd animated feature The Lion King
. It contains songs from the film written by Elton John
and Tim Rice
, and a score
composed by Hans Zimmer
. Elton John has a dual role of performer for several tracks. Additional performers include Carmen Twillie
, Jason Weaver
, Rowan Atkinson
, Whoopi Goldberg
, Jeremy Irons
, Cheech Marin
, Jim Cummings
, Nathan Lane
, Ernie Sabella
, and Sally Dworsky
. The album was released on July 13, 1994 on CD
and audio cassette
. The soundtrack was recorded in three different countries: the USA
, the UK
and South Africa
. There is also an unreleased complete score CD, entitled The Lion King 2005 Expanded Score.
, who was working with composer Alan Menken
on songs for Aladdin, was invited to write the songs, and accepted on the condition of finding a composing partner. As Menken was unavailable, the producers accepted Rice's suggestion of Elton John
, after Rice's invitation of ABBA
fell through due to Benny Andersson
being busy with the musical Kristina från Duvemåla
.
In addition, on the same day, a vinyl record picture disc of the original soundtrack was released in a limited edition of 4,000.
In 2010, Rhapsody (online music service)
called it one of the all-time great Disney & Pixar Soundtracks.
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for Walt Disney's
The Walt Disney Company
The 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...
1994, 32nd animated feature The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
. It contains songs from the film written by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and 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...
, and a score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
composed by Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
. Elton John has a dual role of performer for several tracks. Additional performers include Carmen Twillie
Carmen Twillie (actress)
Carmen Twillie is a studio singer and actress. She is a long time friend of Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life" in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King...
, 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...
, Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
, Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
, Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
, Jim Cummings
Jim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
, 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...
, 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 Sally Dworsky
Sally Dworsky
Sally Dworsky is an American singer-songwriter. She has been an important voice actress and singer in animated films such as Shrek, The Lion King and The Prince of Egypt in addition to releasing her own albums. She has also performed on A Prairie Home Companion. Her brother is Richard Dworsky...
. The album was released on July 13, 1994 on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and audio cassette
Compact Cassette
The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel...
. The soundtrack was recorded in three different countries: the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. There is also an unreleased complete score CD, entitled The Lion King 2005 Expanded Score.
Composition
Lyricist Tim RiceTim 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...
, who was working with composer Alan Menken
Alan Menken
Alan Menken is an American musical theatre and film composer and pianist.Menken is best known for his numerous scores for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas have each won him two Academy Awards...
on songs for Aladdin, was invited to write the songs, and accepted on the condition of finding a composing partner. As Menken was unavailable, the producers accepted Rice's suggestion of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, after Rice's invitation of ABBA
ABBA
ABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
fell through due to Benny Andersson
Benny Andersson
Göran Bror "Benny" Andersson is a Swedish musician, composer, a former member of the Swedish musical group ABBA , and co-composer of the musicals Chess, Kristina från Duvemåla, and Mamma Mia!...
being busy with the musical Kristina från Duvemåla
Kristina från Duvemåla
Kristina från Duvemåla is a Swedish musical written by former ABBA members Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson , based on a series of four novels by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg detailing a family's poverty-driven migration from Sweden to America in the mid-19th century: The Emigrants, Unto a Good...
.
Standard edition
- "Circle of LifeCircle of LifeThe 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...
" – 4:00- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Carmen TwillieCarmen Twillie (actress)Carmen Twillie is a studio singer and actress. She is a long time friend of Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life" in the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King...
, African vocals performed by Lebo MLebo MLebohang “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...
and his African chorus with Mbongeni NgemaMbongeni NgemaMbongeni Ngema a South African writer, lyricist, composer and director was born in Verulam, KwaZulu-Natal . He started his career as a theatre backing guitarist.He is married to actress Leleti Khumalo...
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Carmen Twillie
- "I Just Can't Wait to Be KingI Just Can't Wait to Be King"I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a stylistic musical number from Disney's popular 1994 animated film, The Lion King."I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a large contrast from the film's non-musical segments, as emphasized by the number's usage of lively colors and sounds...
" – 2:50- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Jason WeaverJason WeaverJason 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...
and Laura Williams with Rowan AtkinsonRowan AtkinsonRowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Jason Weaver
- "Be Prepared" – 3:40
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Jeremy IronsJeremy IronsJeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
with Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
, Cheech MarinCheech MarinRichard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
and Jim CummingsJim CummingsJames Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Jeremy Irons
- "Hakuna MatataHakuna Matata (song)"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.-Music:The musical score was...
" – 3:33- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Nathan LaneNathan LaneNathan 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...
and Ernie SabellaErnie SabellaErnest "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:...
with Jason WeaverJason WeaverJason 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...
and Joseph Williams
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Nathan Lane
- "Can You Feel the Love TonightCan You Feel the Love Tonight250px|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...
" – 2:57- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Joseph Williams and Sally DworskySally DworskySally Dworsky is an American singer-songwriter. She has been an important voice actress and singer in animated films such as Shrek, The Lion King and The Prince of Egypt in addition to releasing her own albums. She has also performed on A Prairie Home Companion. Her brother is Richard Dworsky...
with Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella and Kristle Edwards
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky
- "This Land" – 2:55
- Instrumental by Hans ZimmerHans ZimmerHans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
- Instrumental by Hans Zimmer
- "...To Die For" – 4:17
- Instrumental by Hans Zimmer
- "Under the Stars" – 3:45
- Instrumental by Hans Zimmer
- "King of Pride Rock" – 5:59
- Instrumental by Hans Zimmer
- "Circle of LifeCircle of LifeThe 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...
" – 4:51- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Elton John
- "I Just Can't Wait to Be KingI Just Can't Wait to Be King"I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a stylistic musical number from Disney's popular 1994 animated film, The Lion King."I Just Can't Wait to Be King" is a large contrast from the film's non-musical segments, as emphasized by the number's usage of lively colors and sounds...
" – 3:36- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Elton John
- "Can You Feel the Love TonightCan You Feel the Love Tonight250px|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...
(End Title)" – 3:59- Music by Elton John, Lyrics by Tim Rice, Performed by Elton John
Special edition
On September 30, 2003, Disney released a Special Edition of the soundtrack with two newly-added tracks:- "The Morning Report" - James Earl JonesJames Earl JonesJames Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
, Jeff BennettJeff BennettJeffrey Glenn "Jeff" Bennett is an American voice actor and musician, listed "among the top names in the voice-over field", best known as the voice of Johnny Bravo in the series of the same name...
, Evan Saucedo - "Can You Feel the Love TonightCan You Feel the Love Tonight250px|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...
(Remix)" - Elton John
In addition, on the same day, a vinyl record picture disc of the original soundtrack was released in a limited edition of 4,000.
International editions
In most international releases of the CD, Elton John's versions were removed except for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight (End Title)." In addition, a previously unreleased track from Hans Zimmer's score was included, entitled "Hyenas (Instrumental)".B-sides
| Song | Format |
|---|---|
| "Can You Feel the Love Tonight (Instrumental Version)" | Can You Feel the Love Tonight 7"/CD (UK) |
Chart positions
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | The Billboard 200 | 1 |
End of decade charts
| Chart (1990–1999) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 21 |
Awards and acclaim
The soundtrack has managed to ship over 10 million copies in the U.S. and eventually went 10x Platinum (diamond record) in 1995, thus becoming the biggest selling soundtrack ever from an animated film.In 2010, Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
called it one of the all-time great Disney & Pixar Soundtracks.
Academy Awards
| Award | Recipient | |
| Best Music, Original Score Academy Award for Original Music Score The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:... |
Hans Zimmer | |
| Best Music, Original Song Academy 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... ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight") |
Elton John Tim Rice |
|
| Nominated: | ||
| Best Music, Original Song Academy 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... ("Circle of Life") |
Elton John Tim Rice |
|
| Best Music, Original Song Academy 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... ("Hakuna Matata") |
Elton John Tim Rice |
|
Golden Globe Awards
| Award | Recipient | |
| Best Original Score Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score The Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score is one of several categories presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association , an organization of journalists who cover the United States film industry, but are affiliated with publications outside North America, since its institution in 1947... |
Hans Zimmer | |
| Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:... ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight") |
Elton John Tim Rice |
|
| Nominated: | ||
| Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:... ("Circle of Life") |
Elton John Tim Rice |
|