Mbube
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Children's) Lyrics
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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
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
The song "Mbube" by Ladysmith Black Mambazo (Children's) tells the story of a family who live near the jungle. At the end of the day, the family gathers around a fire to have supper and relax. The youngest boy becomes scared and cries when he hears the sounds of wild animals such as cheetahs, wolves, jackals, and lions. However, his mother takes him in her arms and sings to him. The whole family joins in and sings together to comfort the young boy and help him fall asleep. The lyrics of the song reflect the togetherness and strength of families, as well as the power of music to bring people together and soothe fears.
The song "Mbube" is a traditional South African song that was first recorded in 1939. It was written by Solomon Linda, a musician from South Africa who was working as a cleaner when he wrote the song. The song's original title was "Sempompi", which means "lion" in Zulu.
When the song was first recorded by Solomon Linda's group, The Evening Birds, it was a hit in South Africa. However, it wasn't until 1961 that the song became well known internationally when it was covered by the American doo-wop group, The Tokens, and released under the title "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".
The song has been covered by many other artists over the years, including Pete Seeger, Miriam Makeba, and R.E.M. It has also been featured in various films, television shows, and commercials.
In 2000, a group of South African musicians, including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, recorded a tribute album to Solomon Linda called "Inkanyezi Nezazi" (The Star and the Wiseman). The album included a new recording of "Mbube".
The song's lyrics have been interpreted in various ways over the years. Some see it as a celebration of the power of nature and the beauty of the African wilderness, while others see it as a commentary on the struggle for freedom and justice in South Africa.
Overall, "Mbube" is a timeless song that speaks to the universal themes of family, togetherness, and the power of music to bring people together and soothe fears.
Line by Line Meaning
A family lived close to the jungle
The story is about a family who lives near the jungle.
At the end of the day they all sit together around the fire
At the end of the day, the family gathers around the fire to rest and relax.
They have their supper and relax and talk a little
After having dinner, they unwind and chat.
The youngest boy becomes afraid
The youngest boy in the family becomes scared.
He hears all the sounds of the wild animals in the forest
He hears the noises of the wild animals living in the forest.
Cheetahs, wolves jackals and lions
He hears the sounds of various wild animals such as cheetahs, wolves, jackals, and lions.
He starts crying at the darkness
The darkness and the animal sounds make him cry.
And wild sounds that fill him with fear
The wild sounds add to his fear and anxiety.
Then his mother takes him in her arms
His mother comforts him by holding him close.
And sings to him
She sings a song to calm him down.
The family is always strong together
The family is always united and supportive of one another.
They protect one another
The family members look out for each other's safety.
Grandparents, his father and mother
The family includes grandparents, parents, and other relatives.
Uncles, aunts, cousins brothers and sisters
The family also includes uncles, aunts, cousins, sisters, and brothers.
They all join and sing together
The family members come together and sing.
Soon he falls asleep, only the beautiful song fills his ears
The song helps the young boy fall asleep, and he listens to the beautiful music.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The setting of the story is in the jungle.
The lion sleeps tonight
The lion is calm and sleeping.
Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
The mother reassures and comforts her son, telling him not to be afraid.
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
The repetition of the word 'Mbube' is a meaningless vocalization that adds to the rhythm of the song.
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
Repeating the location of the story to reinforce the setting.
The lion sleeps tonight
Repeating that the lion is sleeping to emphasize the calmness of the jungle.
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Repeating the meaningless vocalization filler.
Hush, my baby, don't fear my darling
The mother once again reassures and comforts her son.
The lion sleeps tonight
Emphasizing once more that the lion is sleeping and the jungle is at peace.
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
Another repetition of the rhythmical filler word 'Mbube'.
Mbube, mbube, mbube, mbube
The last repetition of the filler word 'Mbube'.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., IMAGEM MUSIC INC
Written by: GEORGE DAVID WEISS, HUGO E. PERETTI, LUIGI CREATORE, LINDA SOLOMON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-vk3bu8ox4g
Coming to Ameriica made me search for this song, and now I listen to every song by Ladysmith Black Mambazo. My favorite song is Tough times never last. Much love from Nairobi kenya
@MANEJ1990
Africa is authentic. We feel so blessed and proud to have been so much gifted by God
@odonovan
Thank you for this part of your soul, Solomon Linda!
@thomastarwater6035
Finally! I’m hearing the long version of the song that was heard over the opening credits of “Coming To America” with Eddie Murphy. That’s some awesome singing! 🎶
@user-zr5tz5vs8r
Wonderful music bringing back old memories RIP Shabalala Mushengu
@babylion-375
Hello Sir! My name is EunBin Lee, a university student from South Korea who studied in UCT for a semester as an exchange student. I am majoring in African Studies and I love introducing culture, music, and must-go-places of Africa to Koreans. I recently made a music review video with my SA friends who major in Music in UCT, We discussed SA history by watching historically famous SA music in chronological order and this video was one the videos we watched together. I am commenting here to get your approval on using this video for about 30 seconds in the review video...I will not use the video if you do not approve, but I really hope that more people in my country would watch and enjoy this song and would know more about South Africa! <3
@williammitchell5201
you may be able to use the 30 second segment for your video under "fair use" laws.
@babylion-375
@@williammitchell5201 Thank you! I will make sure to inform in my video on where exactly I got the source!
@sunshine7979
❤🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦
@shaldana
Dunno what it is about African music and LBM. I'm white as white can be (Irish/English) and somehow, their music digs in to my soul and I can't help but close my eyes and picture skies I've never seen.