Mbube
Ladysmith Black Mambazo / Paul Simon Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

A family lived close to the jungle
At the end of the day they all sit together around the fire
They have their supper and relax and talk a little
The youngest boy becomes afraid

He hears all the sounds of the wild animals in the forest
Cheetahs, wolves jackals and lions
He starts crying at the darkness
And wild sounds that fill him with fear

Then his mother takes him in her arms
And sings to him
The family is always strong together
They protect one another

Grandparents, his father and mother
Uncles, aunts, cousins brothers and sisters
They all join and sing together
Soon he falls asleep, only the beautiful song fills his ears

Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube

In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight

Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight

Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube

In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight

Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
The lion sleeps tonight

Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube





Mbube

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ladysmith Black Mambazo's song Mbube tell the story of a family that lives close to the jungle. At the end of a day, the family sit together around the fire, enjoying their supper and talking a little. The youngest boy becomes afraid, however, as he hears all the sounds of the wild animals in the forest - cheetahs, wolves, jackals and lions - which fill him with fear. The boy starts crying at the darkness but then his mother takes him in her arms and sings to him, reminding him that the family is always strong together and will protect one another.


The family then all sing together and soon the boy falls asleep, only the beautiful song fills his ears. The lyrics then merge into the famous chorus of "In the Jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight," which repeats over and over again. The chorus continues to remind the baby that there is nothing to be afraid of since the lion is sleeping tonight, and that he should not fear while his mother is singing soothingly to him.


The song is a beautiful reminder of the importance of family unity, and how love and togetherness can soothe our fears and protect us. The chorus can be seen as a reassuring anthem, reminding us that even though we are surrounded by a world full of danger, during the darkness of night, there is still some calmness and peace to be found.


Line by Line Meaning

A family lived close to the jungle
This song revolves around a family that resides near a jungle


At the end of the day they all sit together around the fire
The family sits together and spends time around the fire, after their day ends


They have their supper and relax and talk a little
Following their dinner, they unwind and spend some time chatting


The youngest boy becomes afraid
The youngest member of the family becomes frightened


He hears all the sounds of the wild animals in the forest
He listens to the sounds of different animals in the nearby woods


Cheetahs, wolves jackals and lions
Various predatory animals such as cheetahs, wolves, jackals and lions can be heard


He starts crying at the darkness
The child begins to cry because of the overwhelming darkness of the surrounding environment


And wild sounds that fill him with fear
The intense and alarming sounds of the wild around him adds to the child's fright


Then his mother takes him in her arms
This tender mother offers her lap to her son, comforting him


And sings to him
She sings a lullaby to relax her child


The family is always strong together
This family always stands strong as a unit


They protect one another
They look out for each other and keep each other safe


Grandparents, his father and mother
There are the child's grandparents, mother and father in the family


Uncles, aunts, cousins brothers and sisters
The family is further extended with aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters and cousins


They all join and sing together
All members of this family come together to sing a song


Soon he falls asleep, only the beautiful song fills his ears
Shortly after, the child falls asleep and the sweet melody soothes him


In the jungle, the mighty jungle
This particular verse talks about the jungle


The lion sleeps tonight
It describes how even the king of the jungle, lion sleeps in spite of being a fierce predator


Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
This line is spoken by the child's mother and she asks him to stay calm and not feel scared


Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
The chorus of the song that is repeated multiple times




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: George David Weiss, Hugo E Peretti, Luigi Creatore, Solomon Linda

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

Charles nwaogu

I remembered when my dad used to play their songs whilst we were kids, I could literally sing all their songs even as a Nigerian child, I love them so much, I stumbled on them today and all I have is memories, LEGENDS

Nick Miano

Omg same bro made me miss my dad even more today 🔥🙏🏾🙏🏾

Daveg123us

same...

Osondu Precious

My dad too

The_Andris Kings

Same here... the euphoria watching this gives me cannot be measured

Martina Collins

Same here oòoo

6 More Replies...

Christine Kilika

Tears flow down my cheeks as I listen to these guys in 2019...what a legend

fish4bugs

I was fortunate to see them in a small 900 seat classic turn of the century (19th) Portsmouth NH Music Hall. I volunteered to usher and got to hang around after the show. I had tears coming down my cheeks too. Their music touches someplace in me that no one has ever done. I think it is the beauty of their harmonies.

Sista Whistle

Same here... Up in the Neths....! Also by watching!!

B rad

And 2021

More Comments

More Versions