Colin Snow
Wimoweh is a word with no meaning, but it is a reference to the misheard Zulu chant uyimbube, uyimbube, which translates to you are a lion. Wimoweh was the title of an adapted version of the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the title Mbube, which means lion in Zulu. The song was adapted and recorded by the folk group The Weavers in 1951, with the title Wimoweh, which reached the top 10 in the US.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Original song name | Mbube |
| Original song writer | Solomon Linda |
| Original song writer's origin | South Africa |
| Original song writer's native language | Zulu |
| Original song writer's occupation | Cleaner at Gallo Record Company |
| Original song writer's group | Evening Birds |
| Original song language | Zulu |
| Original song year | 1939 |
| "Wimoweh" meaning | No meaning, a mishearing of the original song's chorus of "Uyimbube" ("You are a lion" in Zulu) |
| "Wimoweh" version writer | Pete Seeger |
| "Wimoweh" version year | 1952 |
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What You'll Learn
- 'Wimoweh' has no meaning but is a mishearing of the Zulu chant uyimbube, uyimbube, meaning he/you are a lion
- The song was originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the title Mbube
- Mbube means lion in Zulu
- The song was adapted into English by the doo-wop group the Tokens and became a number-one hit in the US in 1961
- The song has been the subject of legal disputes, with Linda's estate claiming Disney owed $1.6 million in royalties for its use in The Lion King
'Wimoweh' has no meaning but is a mishearing of the Zulu chant uyimbube, uyimbube, meaning he/you are a lion
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song that was originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the title "Mbube", which means "lion" in Zulu. The song was recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, and sold 100,000 copies in the country alone, making Linda a legend among Zulus.
In 1949, a version of the song made its way to New York, where it landed in the hands of folk singer Pete Seeger, who, in 1951 or 1952, released an adapted version with the title "Wimoweh". This title was a mishearing of the original song's Zulu chorus "uyimbube", which means "you are a lion" or "he is a lion".
Seeger's version of the song was a commercial success, reaching the top 10 in the US. In 1961, a decade after Seeger's release, the Brooklyn-based group The Tokens re-released the song with English lyrics written by George David Weiss, taking it to number one globally, including in South Africa. The song has since been covered by numerous artists and has been adapted into different languages.
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The song was originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the title Mbube
The popular song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" was originally written and recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube". Linda was a South African musician, singer, and composer who worked as a cleaner and record packer for the Gallo Record Company in Johannesburg. He spent his weekends performing with his musical ensemble, "The Evening Birds".
"Mbube" was recorded at the Gallo Recording Studios in Johannesburg and became a major success for Linda and the Evening Birds. The song reportedly sold more than 100,000 copies in South Africa by 1949, and by 1948, it had sold over 100,000 copies in Africa and among black South African immigrants in Great Britain. The song's title, "Mbube", means lion in Zulu, and the lyrics of Linda's original version were written in this language.
The song incorporated a call-and-response pattern common among many Sub-Saharan African ethnic groups, including the Zulu. According to journalist Rian Malan, "'Mbube' wasn't the most remarkable tune, but there was something terribly compelling about the underlying chant, a dense meshing of low male voices above which Solomon yodeled and howled for two exhilarating minutes, occasionally making it up as he went along."
Despite the song's success, Linda died impoverished in 1962 of kidney failure. In the decades following his death, his family received very little in terms of royalties or recognition for his work. It was not until 18 years after his passing that a tombstone was constructed at his gravesite. However, in recent years, there have been efforts to acknowledge and compensate Linda's descendants for his musical contributions.
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Mbube means lion in Zulu
"Mbube" is a song originally written and recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda, a South African Zulu singer and songwriter. The song was recorded in Johannesburg with his group, The Evening Birds, through the Gallo Record Company. The original lyrics of "Mbube" were written in Zulu, and the title is the Zulu word for "lion".
The song became a hit in South Africa, selling over 100,000 copies in the country and among South African immigrants in Britain. "Mbube" also gave its name to a style of African a cappella music that evolved into Isicathamiya, also known as Mbube music. This style was popularised by the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
In 1949, Alan Lomax, then working as folk music director for Decca Records, brought Solomon Linda's recording to the attention of his friend Pete Seeger, leader of the folk group The Weavers. In November 1951, The Weavers recorded an adapted version with brass, string orchestra, and chorus, and released it as a single titled "Wimoweh". This title came from a mishearing of the original song's chorus of "Uyimbube", which means "You are a lion" in Zulu.
The Weavers' version of the song became a staple of their live repertoire and helped to boost the song's popularity. In 1959, the Kingston Trio had a minor hit with it, and in 1961, producers Hugo & Luigi hired George David Weiss to add lyrics to "Wimoweh". This new version became "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", a number-one hit for the Tokens.
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" has been adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk artists, and has been featured in films and musicals, including Disney's "The Lion King". While the song has brought in millions in royalties, Solomon Linda, who died in 1962, and his family received little to no compensation for his creation. It was not until 2006 that Linda's descendants reached a legal settlement to place the earnings of the song in a trust.
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The song was adapted into English by the doo-wop group the Tokens and became a number-one hit in the US in 1961
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company. Linda's original was written in Zulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss. The song has had a long journey from South Africa to Pete Seeger and the Weavers to Hollywood.
In 1949, Alan Lomax, then working as folk music director for Decca Records, brought Solomon Linda's recording to the attention of his friend Pete Seeger, leader of the folk group The Weavers. In November 1951, after performing the song for at least a year in their concerts, The Weavers recorded an adapted version with brass, string orchestra, and chorus, and released it as a single titled "Wimoweh". This title was a mishearing of the original song's chorus of "Uyimbube", which means "You are a lion" in Zulu.
In 1959, the Kingston Trio had a minor hit with the song. Then, in 1961, the Tokens, a doo-wop group, adapted the song into English and it became a number-one hit in the US. Hugo and Luigi, the producers, hired Brill Building tunesmith George David Weiss to add lyrics to "Wimoweh", and it became "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". Within two years, there were over 150 cover versions worldwide, in languages from Japanese to Finnish. The song has been adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk artists.
The success of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and its various adaptations generated millions in royalties from cover versions and film licensing. However, Solomon Linda, who died of kidney failure, did not receive the recognition or financial benefits he deserved during his lifetime. It was not until 2006 that his survivors began receiving compensation, thanks to a legal settlement with Abilene Music Publishers, who held the worldwide rights and had licensed the song to Disney. The song's journey and the story of its author are chronicled in the 2019 documentary "ReMastered: The Lion's Share".
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The song has been the subject of legal disputes, with Linda's estate claiming Disney owed $1.6 million in royalties for its use in The Lion King
"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda, a Zulu migrant worker, under the title "Mbube" ("lion" in Zulu). The song's lyrics are in Zulu, and it was recorded in Johannesburg, where Linda worked at the Carlton Hotel by day and sang in a male choral group called the Evening Birds by night. The song became a massive hit in South Africa, selling 100,000 copies and making Linda a legend among Zulus.
In the early 1950s, the song made its way to the United States, where it was adapted and recorded by various artists. In 1951, the folk group The Weavers recorded a version titled "Wimoweh," which was a mishearing of the original Zulu chorus "Uyimbube" ("You are a lion"). The Weavers' version reached the Billboard top ten and became a popular staple in their live repertoire.
Over the years, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" has been adapted, covered, and translated into multiple languages by numerous artists worldwide. It has also been featured in films and musicals, most notably Disney's "The Lion King." However, the song has also been at the centre of legal disputes over royalties and copyright ownership.
In 2004, Linda's estate sued Disney, claiming they were owed $1.6 million in royalties for the use of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in "The Lion King" film and musical stage productions. This led to a legal settlement in 2006, where the earnings from the song were placed in a trust for Linda's descendants. Unfortunately, Linda himself did not reap the financial benefits of his creation, as he died in the 1960s, around the same time his song was topping the global charts.
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Frequently asked questions
"Wimoweh" has no meaning in and of itself. It is an approximation of the Zulu chant "uyimbube", which means "you are a lion".
"Wimoweh" was the title of an adapted version of the original song, "Mbube", recorded by the folk group The Weavers in 1951. The song was originally written and recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda, a Zulu migrant worker.
The Weavers misheard the original Zulu chant "uyimbube" as "wimoweh". They credited the song as "Traditional", with the arrangement by "Paul Campbell", which was later found to be a pseudonym used by the group to claim royalties.
No, he did not. Linda sold the recording rights to the local record label Gallo Records for 10 shillings. In 1949, Alan Lomax, folk music director for Decca Records, brought Linda's recording to the attention of folk singer Pete Seeger, who released "Wimoweh" in 1952. Linda died of kidney failure in the 1960s, enjoying none of the wealth generated by his song.
