The Lion King- Music and Stories

Background

Hi people. I had such a great time with the music and stories theme from last week that I’ve decided to do that topic again for this week. However, this week we will be focusing on one of the best Disney films ever made, The Lion King. The Lion King  is basically a retelling of the story Hamlet. The movie focuses on a young lion named Simba who is supposed to become king of the pride lands.  Simba runs away after Scar, Simba’s uncle, murders Simba’s father to gain control of the kingdom. While Scar is ruling the pride lands suffer and the animals run out of food. Simba is then prompted to return and challenge Scar for the throne (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King)

“The Circle of Life” in Context

While there are many great songs in The Lion King  I have chosen to look at the opening song The Circle of Life. The Circle of Life was released on August 9, 1994 by Disney. Elton John wrote the music to the song, and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics. The Circle of Life was produced by Hans Zimmer, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, and Chris Thomas (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_Life).

The Circle of Life is the opening to The Lion King. Through this song we are introduced to the African setting and the main characters. The specific context of the scene that the song is playing is that Simba is being shown to the kingdom as the future king. Having the lyrics talking about how life is a cycle is particularly impactful in the context of the succession of the throne, and how young Simba will one day take over the kingdom just like his father.

Musical Elements

Dynamics

The dynamics of The Circle of Life are both varied and interesting. The dynamics within the song change to fit the scene. It starts loud and powerful as the sun rises, and is also loud and powerful when Simba is raised into the air for the animals to see. The music is softer when the animals are traveling to Pride Rock, and when Simba is been adorned for the ceremony. Because there is no dialog and it’s the opening scene the music must reflect and add to the scenes, and having the varying dynamics helps to accomplish this.

Form

The Circle of Life is in a lose binary form. It has verses and a repeated chorus. The opening chant of the song is in Zulu, while the rest of the lyrics are in english. I say lose because it does no have a perfect A-B form. There is also an instrumental break between the chorus that acts as another verse. The form of this song is important when looking at the target audience of Disney. Although this movie is set in Africa, it is marketed to an American audience, therefore the songs represent western style music with an African influence (https://genius.com/Carmen-twillie-and-lebo-m-circle-of-life-lyrics).

Social Commentary

While there is less social commentary about The Circle of Life, there is plenty about The Lion King. One of the most interesting pieces that I came across discusses the representation of gender, sexuality, and race in the movie. Looking specifically at sexuality, the article proposes the circle of life means that heterosexuality will alway triumph over homosexuality (http://www.academia.edu/4893757/The_Representations_of_Gender_Sexuality_and_Race_in_Disney_s_The_Lion_King). Because the cycle must continue, offspring must be produced, which at least in this film supports heterosexuality over homosexuality. But in this context The Circle of Life becomes a not a celebration of life, but one of one groups domination over another.

My Opinion

The Circle of Life is one of my favorite Disney songs for its magnificent job of  opening the movie. It is able to introduce the landscape and characters in such a way that is instantly recognizable when parodied in other shows and movies.  As to my reaction about the social commentary reported above, I like to think that The Circle of Life is a celebration of life rather than a victory cry from one group who has gained power over another. Disney movies are suppose to have an element of magic and wonder to them, in which The Circle of Life accomplishes in a magnificent way.

Works Cited

“Carmen Twillie & Lebo M. – Circle of Life.” Genius, Genius Media Group Inc., 30 May 1994, genius.com/Carmen-twillie-and-lebo-m-circle-of-life-lyrics.

“Circle of Life.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circle_of_Life.

“The Lion King.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Nov. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion_King.

Vraketta, Georgia. “The Representations of Gender, Sexuality and Race in Disney’s The Lion King.” Academia.edu – Share Research, www.academia.edu/4893757/The_Representations_of_Gender_Sexuality_and_Race_in_Disney_s_The_Lion_King.