The Lion Sleeps Tonight

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight"
Single by the Tokens
from the album The Lion Sleeps Tonight
A-side	"Tina"
Released	1961
Recorded	1961
Genre	Rhythm and blues doo-wop folk[1]
Length	2:41
Label	RCA Victor
Songwriter(s)	Solomon Linda Hugo Peretti Luigi Creatore George David Weiss Albert Stanton
Audio
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) (Audio) on YouTube

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and first recorded in 1939 by Solomon Linda^[2] under the title "Mbube",^[3] through South African Gallo Record Company. In 1961, a version adapted into English by the doo-wop group the Tokens became a number-one hit in the United States. It earned millions in royalties from cover versions and film licensing. Lyrics of Linda's original version were written in Zulu, while those from the Tokens' adaptation were written by George David Weiss.

The song has been adapted and covered internationally by many pop and folk artists. It was first recorded in the United States by the Weavers in November 1951, and published under the title "Wimoweh" by a branch of Folkways Records in December of the same year.^[4] The pop group Tight Fit made a cover of the song in 1982, reaching number one hit in the UK. Other artists who have recorded various versions of the song include R.E.M., NSYNC, Henri Salvador, Karl Denver, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Noro Morales, Roy Zimmerman, Miriam Makeba, and The Kingston Trio.^[5] The song is in the key of F major.