Music and the Fictive Dream: The Lion King

Produced by Walt Disney Pictures, The Lion King is a PG- rated animated film released in 1994 and has become one of the most famous motion pictures to this day. With a worldwide gross of $763 million, it is the highest grossing film of 1994 and has also earned the title of the highest-grossed animated film. During the early/late 90's, movies were still being produced on VHS tapes, and this movie has also earned the title for the best-selling film on home video with over 30 million VHS tapes sold! 

This animated film follows the adventures of the young lion Simba, after his father, the king, tragically dies in a wildebeest stampede. After being convinced it was his fault, Simba leaves the pride and goes off on his own only to be discovered by Timon and Pumba, a meerkat and a warthog. The three live out their lives forgetting about the past, when Simba's old friend from the pride finds him and convinces him to come back to save his homeland and his 'people'. Simba eventually returns, only to find that his evil uncle Scar has turned the pride land into a desolate area with no life. The rest of the movie follows Simba on his journey to change the land and restore the area and the health of the animals. 

It can be difficult to determine exactly what it was about this movie that has made it so popular, but one aspect that can be agreed on is the soundtrack to this film. 

The Circle of Life

The Circle of Life, composed by Elton John and Tim Rice is one of the most influential songs within this extraordinary film. This song, paired with the phenomenal film visuals had a massive impact on the world, which helped it to become the opening scene for the film. When the song first begins, the animals appear on the screen all surrounding the Pride rock to welcome the new baby lion. All of the animals, ranging from the elephants to the antelope, and the giraffes to the jaguars, all of the animals form in unity and collectiveness to witness the soon-to-be king. I believe that this song truly sets the tone for the rest of the movie in the way that it creates a sense of unity among all of the animals and sets a positive and uplifting tone for the rise of the new lion. 

                                                                    The Circle Of Life

                                                       Artists: Lebo M. and Camen Twillie

Composer: Elton John

Released: 1994

Awards: Grammy Award for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals

Musical Elements

Vocals

The vocals of this song are indescribably beautiful and unique, and combined with the visuals of the film, it works to create a feeling like you've experienced with a movie before. With a 9 bar introduction to the song, sang by Lebohang Morake (Lebo M) the film introduces the viewers to the culture of the music immediately. The African chant, which translates to, "Here comes a lion, Father, Oh year, it's a lion." remains persistent throughout the duration of the song, keeping the audience engaged until the lion is finally shown. The tone used throughout the song is very soft and peaceful, then on the 19th bar Carmen Twillie enters with her vocals and adds a whole new soulful sound to the song. Along with these two singers, there is also a choir chant used in the background of the song which works to back the chord progression of the instruments and then cuts out at the final break towards the end of the song. 

Percussion

Entering late into the song, the drums come in very softly allowing the vocals to still shine through the sound. The various combination which forms the percussion sounds remains in a true African beat throughout the whole song. They remain soft  and slow during the beginning of the song and then pick up in beat and tempo in the middle of the song. Since the drums were being played by hand, the performers were able to determine the intensity of which they hit the drum which helped to either make the timbre softer or harder. During the finale at the end of the song, the drums are being hit with mallets which created a deeper sound to the drum which helps to create a deeper tone for the ending of the song. 

Personal Aesthetic

Personally, this movie is one that I can watch a million times over and still find new things to appreciate about it each time. The character development for each animal is so deep and unique it allows me to form an attachment with each animal and keeps me engaged every time. The visuals are incredible, and are all hand drawn so the details of the movie are incredible. The meaning behind the movie serves a lesson for all children and adults to unite with each other, keep your eyes forward and don't stress over the past, and to always appreciate mother earth. The soundtrack to the film is phenomenal and unforgettable, and I would recommend anyone who hasn't seen this movie yet, to watch it immediately!

References

Johnblinco. “Deconstructed – The Circle Of Life (The Lion King, 1994).” John Blinco, 21 Sept. 2016, johnblinco.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/deconstructed-the-circle-of-life-the-lion-king-1994/.

https://johnblinco.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/deconstructed-the-circle-of-life-the-lion-king-1994/

“Circle of Life.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_Life.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_Life

DisneyMusicVEVO, director. Carmen Twillie, Lebo M. - Circle Of Life (Official Video from "The Lion King"). YouTube, YouTube, 25 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibiNy4d4gc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibiNy4d4gc