I Wanna Be Like You
Louis Prima & Phil Harris Lyrics
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The jungle VIP
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what botherin' me
I wanna be a man, mancub
And stroll right into town
And be just like the other men
I'm tired of monkeyin' around
Oh, oobee doo
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you
Talk like you, too
You'll see it's true
An ape like me
Can learn to be humen too
(Gee, cousin Louie
You're doin' real good)
Now here's your part of the deal, 'cause
Lay the secret on me of man's red fire
But I don't know how to make fire
Now don't try to kid me, mancub
I made a deal with you
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true
Now, give me the secret, mancub
C'mon, clue me what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
So I can be like you
You
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you
Talk like you, too
You'll see it's true
Someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone like you
Can learn to be
Like someone like me
In "I Wan'na Be Like You," the character of King Louie expresses his desire to be like humans. He is the "king of the swingers," and "jungle VIP," but he longs for something more. He wants to be a mancub and walk right into town, just like other men. Louie is tired of "monkeyin' around" and wants to learn how to be human.
Louie's desire to be human is expressed through his desire to possess the "man's red fire." He pleads with the mancub to give him the secret to making fire, as this will make his dream of becoming like humans come true. Throughout the song, there is a clear sense of camaraderie and negotiation between Louie and the mancub. The mancub will give Louie the secret of fire if Louie shares with him what it is like to be human.
The song explores themes of identity and belonging. Louie feels like an outsider in the jungle since he is not human, and he longs to join the human world. The mancub, on the other hand, is a human but grew up among animals, causing him to feel like he doesn't fit in with human society. The song suggests that identity is not something static, but rather something that can be learned and cultivated.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm the king of the swingers oh
I am now the leader of the group of swingers in the jungle
The jungle VIP
I am the most important person in the jungle group of swingers
I've reached the top and had to stop
I have achieved a high level of success, but I had to stop because it wasn't enough
And that's what botherin' me
The fact that I had to stop bothers me
I wanna be a man, mancub
I want to become a human, like you
And stroll right into town
And walk into the town with confidence
And be just like the other men
And behave like other humans do
I'm tired of monkeyin' around
I'm tired of behaving like a monkey, I want to be like you
Oh, oobee doo
An expression of excitement and anticipation for what's coming next
I wanna be like you
I aspire to be like you, a human
I wanna walk like you
I want to walk like a human
Talk like you, too
I want to talk like a human, just like you
You'll see it's true
It's possible for me to become like you
An ape like me
Someone like me, who is not human
Can learn to be humen too
Can learn to be human as well
(Gee, cousin Louie
An exclamation of surprise and admiration for cousin Louie's progress
You're doin' real good)
You are doing very well
Now here's your part of the deal, 'cause
Now it's your turn to do something for me
Lay the secret on me of man's red fire
Tell me the secret of how to make and control fire
But I don't know how to make fire
I don't know how to make fire, please tell me
Now don't try to kid me, mancub
Don't try to fool me, human
I made a deal with you
We had an agreement
What I desire is man's red fire
The thing I want the most is the ability to make and control fire
To make my dream come true
It is necessary for my dream to come true
Now, give me the secret, mancub
Tell me the secret, human
C'mon, clue me what to do
Come on, give me a clue or hint of what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
Give me the ability to make and control fire
So I can be like you
So that I can be like you, a human
Someone like me
Someone who is not human, like me
Can learn to be
It is possible to learn how to be like a human
Like someone like me
Like someone who is not human, like me
Can learn to be
Can learn how to be like a human
Like someone like you
Like someone who is a human, like you
Can learn to be
Can learn how to be like a human
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind