I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t know this tune! A really fun, easy piece to learn that sounds much more impressive than the sum of it’s parts 🙂
I’ve written out the tune as per The Tokens version (the one i know best!) however if you’re playing the Disney version, you need to shift it up two semitones so it’s the same key as Timon and Pumbaa!
Did you know?! ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ was originally sung in Zulu by ‘Solomon Linda with the Evening Birds’ in 1939, under the title “Mbube” 🙂
F-G-A-G A-Bb-A G-F
Oooohhh ooooohhhh
G-A C C-C C-C C
Oooh a-weema-weema-weh
F-G-A-G A-Bb-A G-F
Oooohhh ooooohhhh
G-A C C-C C-C C
Oooh a-weema-weema-weh
A A-A A A A-A A
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
Bb Bb-Bb Bb Bb Bb-Bb Bb
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
A A-A A A A-A A
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
G G-G G G G-G G
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
F G A-G A Bb-A G-F
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
G A-G F A-G
The lion sleeps tonight
^C A G-A ^C Bb-A G-F
In the jungle the quiet jungle
G A-G F A-G
The lion sleeps tonight
C-^C Bb-^C-Bb-A
Ooohhh oooooohhhh
^C C-C C-C C
A-weema-weema-weh…
A A-A A A A-A A
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
Bb Bb-Bb Bb Bb Bb-Bb Bb
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
A A-A A A A-A A
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
G G-G G G G-G G
A-weema-weh, a-weema-weh
F G A-G
Near the village
A Bb-A G-F
The peaceful village
G A-G F A-G
The lion sleeps tonight
^C A G-A ^C Bb-A G-F
Near the village, the quiet village
G A-G F A-G
The lion sleeps tonight
C-^C Bb-^C-Bb-A
Ohhh oooohhhh
^C C-C C-C C
A-weema-weema-weh
C-^C Bb-^C-Bb-A
Ohhh oooohhhh
^C C-C C-C C
A-weema-weema-weh