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The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens / The Lion King (Disney)

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

 

The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens / The Lion King (Disney) was last modified: June 24th, 2018 by nat
Categories: Pop Pre-1960