In the summer of 2008, they starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock and its sequel, Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. They also starred as Kevin, Joe, and Nick Lucas, the band JONAS, in their own Disney Channel series JONAS, which was later re-branded for its second season as Jonas L.A. The show was eventually canceled after two seasons. The band released four albums: It's About Time, Jonas Brothers, A Little Bit Longer, and Lines, Vines and Trying Times.
In 2008, the group was nominated for the Best New Artist award at the 51st Grammy Awards and won the award for Breakthrough Artist at the American Music Awards. Before the release of Lines, Vines and Trying Times, they sold over eight million albums worldwide. After a hiatus in 2010 and 2011 to pursue solo projects, the group reconciled in 2012 to record a new album, which was canceled in 2013 following their breakup. In the years that followed, Nick became a solo artist and actor, Joe formed a band called DNCE, and Kevin stepped out of the spotlight to focus on his family. On February 28, 2019, the band announced their reunion on The Late Late Show with James Corden and planned to put out new music.
On March 1, they released a new single, "Sucker" under Republic Records. They appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden each night from March 4 to 7 to promote the track. The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and the US Hot Digital Songs chart, with 88,000 copies sold in its first week, becoming the Jonas Brothers' first number-one song and the first number-one by a boy band on the chart since 2003's "Bump, Bump, Bump" by B2K. It became the band's first entry on the chart since 2013's "Pom Poms" and their first top 10 since 2008's "Tonight". The Jonas Brothers also became the second group in history to have a song debut at number one after Aerosmith's "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" and the first group in this century to achieve this. In its April 13, 2019 issue, "Sucker" became The Jonas' first top 10 on Dance/Mix Show Airplay, surging 20–6 in its third week of charting.
On April 5, the group released the single "Cool". On April 22, the band announced their album Happiness Begins, which was released on June 7, 2019, and preceded by a documentary titled Chasing Happiness, which premiered on June 4 on Amazon Prime Video. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, marking the biggest debut of 2019, and maintained the record until Taylor Swift's seventh studio album, Lover, was released on August 23 of the same year. The group embarked on their tenth headlining tour, the "Happiness Begins Tour", performing 92 shows around the globe.
On January 17, 2020, the band released the single "What a Man Gotta Do". On January 24, they announced a residency show in Las Vegas named Jonas Brothers in Vegas at the Park Theater at Park MGM beginning on April 1, with eight other dates during the month keeping them in place until the 18th. The residency was ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The band performed at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 26, revealing a new song titled "Five More Minutes". On May 15, they released a two-track bundle titled XV, which contains the singles "X" and "Five More Minutes", the former of which features Colombian singer Karol G. On May 16, they made an appearance on Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020 to perform their new song. On October 30, they released another Christmas song titled "I Need You Christmas". On March 15, 2021, a deluxe version of Nick Jonas' fourth studio album, Spaceman, was released. The record included the song "Selfish", which featured the Jonas Brothers.
On May 19, 2021, the Jonas Brothers announced that they would be embarking on their eleventh headlining tour, the Remember This Tour, consisting of 44 shows at outdoor venues around the United States, with the tour beginning on August 20, 2021, in Las Vegas. During their Remember This Tour tour, the Jonas Brothers required all fans attending their shows to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative COVID-19 test. The brothers released a statement on social media saying "We believe this is the best thing we can do for our fans, our hard-working crew, and the communities we're visiting." Kelsea Ballerini was announced as a special guest for a majority of shows. On May 21, DJ Marshmello released "Leave Before You Love Me", a single featuring the Jonas Brothers. Two days later, they performed the single at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, with Nick Jonas also serving as the host for the ceremony. The single "Remember This" premiered on June 18 and was used in NBC's coverage of the 2020 Summer Olympics. They recorded the song "Mercy" for the soundtrack of Space Jam: A New Legacy which was released on July 9.
On September 5, 2021, during the band's Remember This Tour, the Jonas Brothers premiered a new song titled "Who's in Your Head" while performing at the Red Rocks Parks and Amphitheater in Colorado. The single was released on September 17. On March 1, 2022, they announced a 5-dates residency show in Las Vegas named Jonas Brothers: Live in Vegas, taking place from June 3 to June 11. It was followed by a second 3-dates residency, which took place in November of the same year.
In January 2023, while appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Nick Jonas announced that the band's new album was completed. On January 30, 2023, the Jonas Brothers received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and announced that their sixth studio album, titled The Album, would be released on May 5, 2023. The record was preceded by its lead single, "Wings", which was released on February 24 of the same year. "Waffle House" was released as the second single on April 7, 2023.
I Wanna Be Like You
Jonas Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The jungle VIP
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what's botherin' me
I wanna be a man, man cub, yeah
And stroll right in the town
I wanna be just like the other men
Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll just see it's true, an ape like me
Can learn to be human too
Now don't try to kid me, man cub
I made a deal with you
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true
And give me the secret, man cub
Clue me, I know what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
So I can be like you
Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll just see it's true, an ape like me
Can learn to be human too, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too, yeah
Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
You'll just see it's true, an ape like me
Can learn to be human too, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah
The lyrics of Jonas Brothers's song "Wanna Be Like You" are from the point of view of King Louie, the orangutan from Disney's animated film "The Jungle Book." King Louie is tired of being a monkey and wants to be like a man. He admires humans for their abilities and independence but is particularly intrigued by the ability to control fire. He asks Mowgli, the man cub who King Louie has captured, to share the secret of how to make fire. King Louie is almost desperate and feels that this secret would allow him to "be like you," referring to humans.
The song explores the idea of identity crisis and the longing to be something other than what you are. King Louie wants to be human and is willing to do whatever it takes to become one. The lyrics also touch upon the theme of power and control, with King Louie longing for the power that comes with having access to fire. The line "I've reached the top and had to stop, and that's what's bothering me" highlights King Louie's desire to experience more in life and break free from the constraints of being a monkey.
Despite being a cover, Jonas Brothers's version of "Wanna Be Like You" manages to bring new life to the classic Disney tune. The upbeat, pop-infused rendition is a part of the "We Love Disney" compilation, which features various artists covering popular Disney tracks.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm the King of the swingers
I have achieved success and fame
Oh, the jungle VIP
I am well-respected and admired in my community
I've reached the top and had to stop
I have accomplished all of my goals
And that's what's botherin' me
I am unsatisfied with my current state of being
I wanna be a man, man cub, yeah
I aspire to be a successful and respected man
And stroll right in the town
I want to confidently enter into society
I wanna be just like the other men
I want to fit in with my peers
I'm tired of monkeyin' around
I am tired of fooling around and not taking things seriously
Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
I want to be like someone who has achieved success
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too
I want to emulate their behavior
You'll just see it's true, an ape like me
Despite being an outsider, I can learn and grow to be successful
Can learn to be human too
I can become successful and respected like them.
Now don't try to kid me, man cub
Don’t try to deceive me or underestimate me because of my background
I made a deal with you
There is an agreed-upon arrangement between us
What I desire is man's red fire
I want the power of success and achievement
To make my dream come true
I want to achieve my goals and aspirations
And give me the secret, man cub
Show me the way to achieve success
Clue me, I know what to do
I am ready and willing to learn
Give me the power of man's red flower
Give me the tools and abilities to achieve success
So I can be like you
So that I can attain the same level of success as the person I admire
Oh, oobee doo, I wanna be like you
I want to emulate someone that has achieved success
I wanna walk like you, talk like you, too, yeah
I want to fully adopt their behaviors and mannerisms
You'll just see it's true, an ape like me
Despite being an outsider, I can learn and grow to be successful
Can learn to be human too, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah
I can achieve my goals and be successful like the person I admire
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind