The lyrics to one of the greatest Disney songs in history aren't quite as deep as what you initially thought, and I apologise in advance.
The beloved The Lion King is now 28 years old, and one of the most legendary songs in animated history apparently translates to 'lazily written' lyrics.
Performed by Lebo M, 'The Circle of Life' remains such an iconic song, setting the tone for the African-influenced soundtrack.
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While much of the song is sang in English, the chorus opens with lines of Zulu.
The infamous lyrics are as follows: "Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba Sithi uhm ingonyama.
‘Nants ingonyama bagithi baba Sithi uhhmm ingonyama Ingonyama Siyo Nqoba Ingonyama Ingonyama nengw’ enamabala."
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Which translates to a seemingly underwhelming: "Here comes a lion, father, Oh yes it’s a lion.
"Here comes a lion, father, Oh yes it’s a lion.
"A lion we’re going to conquer, a lion, a lion and a leopard come to this open place."
Billy Eichner and Seth Rogen, who play Timon and Pumbaa in the remake, referred to the lyrics as 'lazily written' in a recent interview on Capital FM, adding that they ‘weren’t hugely creative’. Yikes.
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Regardless of your take on the translated lyrics, there's no doubting the icon status of the Disney flick. In fact, the 1994 film has grossed over $1 billion (£770k) worldwide since it hit the big screen nearly three decades ago.
The man who provided the singing voice for The Lion King's Young Simba even turned down a $2 million (£1.45m) fee in favour of a much more lucrative deal based on the film's royalties.
Jason Weaver told Vlad TV he rejected fee because his mum advised him to turn it down and opt for royalties instead, and it's fair to say Weaver didn't regret his decision.
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Weaver said: "Disney had a reputation for re-releasing stuff. I think at that time they had put out Sleeping Beauty and some of their old catalogue from when Walt Disney was alive.
"They were releasing that stuff when they were releasing the new Disney stuff, so she [his mum] was able to see the playing field and go, 'Wait a minute, this is going to make a lot of money over time, so what happens when my son turns 40? Is he going to be able to get a cheque for this when they eventually re-release this.'"
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Weaver's mum renegotiated the deal so her son would receive a $100,000 (£70,000) flat fee, but would receive a share of the royalties.
This proved to be a smart move for Weaver, who revealed he has more than made up for turning down the initial offer in the payments he's received over the years.
Smart woman.
Weaver didn't reveal exactly how much he made but I suspect he ain't short of a few quid.
Topics: Disney
Anish Vij