🎵 About the Song
If ever a song felt tailor-made for the ukulele, it’s this one. The Lion Sleeps Tonight is a hypnotic blend of lullaby, chant, and harmony that’s charmed its way across continents and generations.
Its roots stretch far deeper than the 1960s pop charts — all the way to 1939 South Africa, when Solomon Linda wrote and recorded a song called Mbube (Zulu for “lion”). It was later adapted and Westernised by Pete Seeger and The Weavers in the 1950s, becoming Wimoweh before finally morphing into The Lion Sleeps Tonight with English lyrics and those heavenly falsettos.
When The Tokens released it in 1961, it went straight to number one in the US — and stayed there like a lion on a throne. The song reappeared in The Lion King, countless ads, and every beach singalong since.
On ukulele, it’s the definition of simple pleasure: just three chords, gentle rhythm, and instant atmosphere. One strum, and everyone’s humming along before the first “wimoweh.”
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords: [C], [F], [G7] — only three, and all easy shapes.
- Strum: D DU UDU, smooth and relaxed. Think sway, not strut.
- Feel: Start softly for the verses, then lift the energy for the “Wimoweh” chorus.
- Add light finger mutes or ghost strums for a heartbeat-like rhythm.
- If you’re playing with friends, split the parts — one person keeps the “wimoweh” groove while another takes the lead melody or sings the verses.
- Don’t be afraid to sing in harmony — this song lives in layers.
🌍 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- The original composer, Solomon Linda, worked as a record cleaner in Johannesburg when he wrote Mbube. His recording inspired an entire genre — Isicathamiya, later made famous by Ladysmith Black Mambazo.*
- Pete Seeger’s group misheard the Zulu “Mbube” as “Wimoweh,” and the name stuck.
- The Tokens’ version features that impossibly high falsetto by Jay Siegel — still one of the most recognisable in pop history.
- Disney later settled a royalties claim with Solomon Linda’s family, ensuring his name and legacy were finally recognised worldwide.
🌴 Final Word
This one’s not about showing off — it’s about togetherness. Play it under fairy lights, on a beach, or around a fire. Keep your strum gentle, let your voice float, and feel the rhythm breathing underneath.
When the last chord fades, you’ll understand why the lion sleeps — content, calm, and utterly unbothered.
