Hakuna Matata (song)

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Young Simba, Timon and Pumbaa cross a log suspended above a river while one of the breaks of Hakuna Matata plays (there is no singing at this point)

Hakuna Matata is a song from Disney's 32nd animated feature "The Lion King". It was one of the most popular songs in the film especially among children^{[citation needed]} and is characterized by its simple 4/4 time, upbeat message and catchy lyrics.

[edit] Music

The musical score was written by Elton John and the lyrics by Tim Rice. In the film the song is sung by Timon (a meerkat voiced by Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (a warthog voiced by Ernie Sabella), the two main comedy characters in the film, who try and convince Simba to forget his troubled past and forget his worries. The song is in simple 4/4 time, lasts 3 minutes 33 seconds and contains several breaks where the songs seems to grind to a halt. It makes use of a large proportion of the orchestra as well as many other more unusual instruments including an elaborate drum kit.

The Broadway version of the song is slightly modified (especially concerning the instruments used) but remains very similar to the original.

[edit] Early production

The song was based on an earlier song written early on in the production stage called The Warthog Rhapsody.^{[citation needed]} 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.

[edit] Ideology

Hakuna Matata is a Swahili phrase that is commonly translated as "no worries" but is literally translated as "There are no worries here". The production team of The Lion King claim on the bonus features of The Lion King Special Edition DVD that they picked up the term "Hakuna Matata" from a tour guide while on safari in Tanzania, and developed it in to an ideology that is core to the moral and message of the Lion King.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Impact and success

The song proved enormously popular and was nominated for Best Song at the Academy Award in 1995. It was also ranked 99th in the AFI's list of the 100 best American film theme songs of all time. Due to its popularity among children the song had remained one of the most memorable scenes of the film and is commonly held up as example of Disney success in the 90s.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External Links

• Hakuna Matata Lyrics from Disney-Facts.com