Circle of Life

"Circle of Life"
Single by Elton John
from the album The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Released August 9, 1994
Format CD, vinyl record (7"), audio cassette
Recorded 1993
Santa Monica, California
April 1994
BOP Recording Studios
Mmabatho, South Africa[1]
Length 4:51
Label Walt Disney, Mercury[2]
Songwriter(s) Elton John (music)
Tim Rice (lyrics)
Producer(s) Hans Zimmer
Mark Mancina
Jay Rifkin
Chris Thomas
Elton John singles chronology
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
(1994)		 "Circle of Life"
(1994)		 "Believe"
(1995)

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
(1994)		 "Circle of Life"
(1994)		 "Believe"
(1995)
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"Circle of Life"[note 1] is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King. Composed by Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice,[4] the song was performed by Carmen Twillie (the deep female lead vocals) and Lebo M. (opening Zulu vocals) as the film's opening song.[5] In an interview, Rice said he was amazed at the speed with which John composed: "I gave him the lyrics at the beginning of the session at about two in the afternoon. By half-past three, he'd finished writing and recording a stunning demo."[6] Elton John sang a pop version of the song with the London Community Gospel Choir, which was included in the film's soundtrack and made into a music video. "Circle of Life" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song in 1994, along with two other songs from The Lion King: "Hakuna Matata" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" [7][8] which won the award.[7]

The song reached #11 in the UK and #18 in the United States and is featured frequently in attractions based on The Lion King, such as Disney theme parks and parades. Michael Crawford sang it as part of a medley for The Disney Album in 2001.

Theatrical version

Rafiki lifts Simba into the air with Mufasa and Sarabi looking on, in the original London version of The Lion King musical.

Act I

In the theatrical adaption, the opening sequence is noticeably different from the opening of the film. For example, the song is sung by Rafiki instead of an off-screen female narrator.

With the sun rising over the Pride Lands, Rafiki commences the start of the production by singing the opening chant of the song and summoning the animals of the Pride Lands for the presentation of baby Simba. As the first two verses of the musical number end, a representation of Pride Rock appears on stage carrying its two reigning rulers, Sarabi cradling the small puppet representing her son in her arms with Mufasa alongside her. As the choir chants excitedly in the background, Rafiki accompanies the two monarchs to the top of Pride Rock to bless the cub before raising him high in the air, singing joyfully alongside the chorus as the gathered animals bow before their new prince.

Act II

At the end of Act II, Simba's friends and family acknowledge him as the rightful king after Scar's defeat. Rafiki crowns Simba with the mantle of kingship after his victory and Simba ascends Pride Rock. There he gives a mighty roar which echoes across the whole kingdom, and the animals come back to the Pride Lands to recognize and salute Simba as the rightful king. The musical ends as Rafiki presents Simba and Nala's newborn cub to all of the animals, followed by a blackout that finishes Act II and leads to the curtain call at the end of the performance.

The assembly of animals that appear are slightly different from the beginning of Act II. There are no wildebeests and adult elephant, only two zebras instead of three, three gazelles instead of four, and half of the bird performers instead of four. Only the baby elephant, the rhino, the giraffes, three cranes, the cheetah, and the birds appear as poles on cranes as kites.

Circle of Stars version

"Circle of Life"
Single by Disney Channel Circle of Stars
from the album DisneyMania 2
Released October 7, 2003
Format Digital download, CD single
Recorded 2003
Label Walt Disney
Songwriter(s) Elton John (music)
Tim Rice (lyrics)
Disney Channel Circle of Stars singles chronology
"Circle of Life"
(2003)		 "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
(2005)

"Circle of Life"
(2003)		 "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
(2005)

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. The lineup was significantly different when their next rerecording, "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," was released two years later.

Other languages

Movie version

With the usual number of dubs normally released by Disney, for The Lion King, a special Zulu dub was made in South Africa. This is not just the only Zulu dub ever made by Disney, but also the only dub made in any African language, other than Arabic.[9]

In 2003, in the Arabic and Polish versions, the song was re-dubbed, while the rest of the dub remained as such.

Jocelyn B. Smith (German) received a gold record as an award for her performance.

Beside the official dubs, several local TV stations made their own dub of the movie, or re-dubbed an existing version, in local languages. Namely: Arabic, Armenian, Austrian German, Crimean Tatar, Kabardian, Nogai,[10] and Tamil.[11]

Musical version

Like it happened with the movie, when the musical was translated into other languages, the song also was translated. The versions below are those that are available for the public through cast recordings of the respective productions. The Brazilian and Korean productions were the only non-English productions of the show that didn't have a cast recording released at the time the show played in the respective countries.

Due to the film's impact on popular culture, the song "Circle of Life" is often referenced in other media.

The opening to The Lion King was parodied in an episode of the 1990s cartoon Animaniacs, in which the theme of "Circle Of Life" was parodied with "Surprises In Life", with vocals by Jim Cummings and Cree Summer as lead singer.

The Tenth Doctor finds himself subconsciously quoting "Circle of Life" during a confrontation with the Sycorax leader in the 2005 Christmas special of the revived Doctor Who series, "The Christmas Invasion".

In one of Disney's many self-references, "The Circle of Life" appeared as a false beginning of the film Chicken Little, when Buck was trying to open the movie.

South Park did a parody song called The Circle of Poo that shows the endless circle of food and defecation in the episode A Very Crappy Christmas.

It is currently the main theme song for Disney's Animal Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney's Epcot park currently features a cinema-type film called Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable from 1995 with Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba discussing environmental topics at the Walt Disney World Resort as well.

At the 2011 White House Correspondents' Dinner, President Barack Obama jokingly claimed he was going to show his long-form birth video, spoofing an earlier controversy about refusing to show his long-form birth certificate to prove he was, in fact, born in the United States. The opening chant was played from the film, and Simba was seen being lifted to the skies. This was used to poke fun at Obama's alleged Kenyan heritage.[17]

New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes started using the song as his walk-up music during the 2016 MLB season.[18]

The Japanese band Da Pump recorded a cover version of the song in 2003.

It is also used in the Modern Family pilot when Mitch and Cam introduce Lily to the family.

Charts

Chart (1994-1995) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[19][20] 60
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[21] 30
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[22] 5
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[23] 1
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[24] 3
Germany (Official German Charts)[25] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[26] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[27] 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[28] 13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[29] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[31] 11
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[32] 2
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 18
US Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)[33] 26

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[34] Gold 500,000double-dagger

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
double-daggersales+streaming figures based on certification alone

References

  1. ↑ The Hal Leonard Corporation publishes the song by the fuller title of "Circle of Life (with Nants' Ingonyama)."[3]
  1. ↑ Josh Wilmes, ed. (24 May 1994). "The Lion King: Film Notes". lionking.org. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  2. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Elton-John-Circle-Of-Life/release/5807958
  3. ↑ Viagas, Robert (ed.). The Playbill Broadway Yearbook: June 2008 - May 2009: Fifth Annual Edition. Hal Leonard Corporation. p.174
  4. ↑ Rosenthal 2001, p. 379.
  5. ↑ Rosental 2001, p. 380.
  6. ↑ Walt Disney Company. (1998). The new illustrated treasury of Disney songs (5th ed.). Milwaukee, Wisc.: Hal Leonard. p. 19. ISBN 0-7935-9365-4.
  7. 1 2 Willis 2000, p. 52.
  8. ↑ "1994 Academy Awards Nominees and Winners by Category". BoxOfficeMojo.com. Retrieved 2011-07-03.
  9. ↑ "Zulu". Charguigou. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  10. ↑ Lumi Tiikeri (2015-08-16), The Lion King - Circle Of Life (Nogai), retrieved 2016-10-30
  11. 1 2 "TLK Soloists". Charguigou. Retrieved 2016-08-25.
  12. ↑ "Série "MPB na ABL"apresenta espetáculo "Zezé Motta – 45 anos de carreira"" (in Portuguese). Academia Brasileira de Letras. August 9, 2012. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  13. ↑ 'The Lion King' Speciale Uitvoering - Discogs.com
  14. ↑ Discogs.com
  15. ↑ Jocelyn B. Smith's biography - Discogs.com
  16. ↑ "TLK Soloists". Charguigou. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  17. ↑ "Obama lampoons Trump, releases 'birth video' at annual dinner". CNN.com. CNN. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Yoenis Cespedes walks up to 'Circle of Life,' hits walk-off homer to a guy in a Simba costume". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 2016-09-06.
  19. ↑ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 12 Feb 1995". Imgur.com (original document published by ARIA). Retrieved 2016-12-13.
  20. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  21. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Elton John – Circle of Life" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Elton John – Circle of Life" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  23. ↑ "Adult Contemporary Tracks" (PHP). RPM. 60 (15). 31 October 1994. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  24. ↑ "100 Hit Tracks & Where to Find Them" (PHP). RPM. 60 (16). 7 November 1994. ISSN 0315-5994. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "Musicline.de – John, Elton Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  26. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Circle of Life". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 22, 2017.
  27. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Elton John search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  28. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Elton John – Circle of Life". Top 40 Singles.
  29. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Elton John – Circle of Life". Singles Top 100.
  30. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Elton John – Circle of Life". Swiss Singles Chart.
  31. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1994-10-08" UK Singles Chart.
  32. ↑ "Elton John – Chart history" Billboard Adult Contemporary for Elton John.
  33. 1 2 "Elton John: Charts & Awards – Billboard Singles". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  34. ↑ "American single certifications". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 23, 2017. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

Bibliography

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