In 1981, record producer Ken Gold came up with the idea to record a single made up of a medley of 60s songs. The medley trend was in full swing at this time, following the success of Starsound and their Stars on 45 singles. He put together a group of male/female session singers and released "Back to the 60s" under the title Tight Fit. The song became a hit in the Summer and reached No.4 in the UK Charts. A follow-up, "Back to the 60s Part 2" was released soon after and also hit the UK top 40.
Later in the year record producer Tim Friese-Greene recorded the song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" with another group of session singers. The song was released in early 1982 again under the title Tight Fit. The song gained instant attention and so a group was formed to front it. Dancer, singer and male model Steve Grant was teamed up with female singers Denise Gyngell and Julie Harris. The song reached No.1 in the UK for three weeks and the line-up were catapulted into sudden and unexpected stardom.
Satisfied that this line-up could actually sing in their own right, Friese-Greene produced their next single, "Fantasy Island" - a song which had been in the Dutch Eurovision Song Contest heats. The song, in a very similar vein to pop group ABBA, also became a success and reached No.5 in May.
The group then set about recording an album as well as rehearsing for their first tour. A third single was released in August. "Secret Heart" wasn't as big as a success as the previous two and stalled at No.41. The debut album was released soon after, but coincided with both Harris and Gyngell leaving the group. Both unhappy with their contract, they claimed that they weren't receiving any royalties from their hits and were being paid a paltry wage to tour the world as well as recording sessions, TV appearances and magazine interviews. Swiftly, two new female singers were employed to take their place and the group released another single, "I'm Undecided" - a song from the album, with new vocals. The song failed to make the UK Charts and this signalled the end of Tight Fit's brief pop stardom. In an interview, Harris stated that the public didn't take to the new line-up and had she and Gyngell been still with the group, it would have likely been a hit.
The following year, Tight Fit released one more single - a cover of Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With". Under the banner Steve Grant with Tight Fit, the song completely missed the chart and the group duly split-up.
The Sleeps Tonight
Tight Fit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Imbube
Ingonyama ifile
Ingonyama ilele
Thula
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Ingonyama ilele
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
He, ha helelemama
Ohi'mbube
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
Ixesha lifikile
Lala
Lala kahle
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
My little darling
Don't fear, my little darling
My little darling
Don't fear, my little darling
Ingonyama ilele
The song "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by Tight Fit consists of lyrics that carry a mix of Zulu and English languages, and it is a cover of a 1930s South African song. The song is about the peaceful and quiet nature of the jungle and the village when the king of the jungle, the lion, goes to sleep. Thus, the lion's sleep is portrayed as a symbol of peace and calmness that allows everything to come to rest in the jungle and village. The opening line of "Lala Kahle" is Zulu for "Sleep well", which further emphasizes the peacefulness and calmness in the lyrics.
The chorus lyrics "In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight" repeats throughout the song, and it creates an ominous and powerful tone for the lion's presence in the jungle. The phrases "Ingonyama Ifile" and "Ingonyama Ilele" roughly translate to "The Lion is dead" and "Here comes the lion" respectively. The lion's death could be interpreted symbolically as the end of the lion's reign or the cycle of life and death in the animal kingdom, while "Here comes the lion" could imply impending danger that is to be feared.
The lyrics of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" are metaphorically rich, and they represent various interpretations and meanings. One of the song's interpretations is that it embodies the idea of facing and overcoming fear by finding comfort and security in the idea that even the mighty lion goes to sleep. Another interpretation could be that the song alludes to the idea of the circle of life, where the lion's death represents death as an essential part of life and birth, with "the lion sleeps tonight" implying rest in peace.
Line by Line Meaning
Lala kahle
Sleep well
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
A powerful lion sleeps in the jungle
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
A powerful lion sleeps in the jungle
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
A powerful lion sleeps in the jungle
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
A peaceful lion sleeps near the village
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
A peaceful lion sleeps near the village
Ingonyama ifile
Ingonyama ilele
Thula
The lioness and lion are quiet and peaceful
Hush, my darling, don't fear, my darling
The lion sleeps tonight
I will protect you while the lion sleeps
He, ha helelemama
Ohi'mbube
A lion roars in the night
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
A powerful lion sleeps in the jungle
In the jungle, the mighty jungle
The lion sleeps tonight
A powerful lion sleeps in the jungle
Ixesha lifikile
Lala
Lala kahle
The time has come to sleep peacefully
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
A peaceful lion sleeps near the village
Near the village, the peaceful village
The lion sleeps tonight
A peaceful lion sleeps near the village
My little darling
Don't fear, my little darling
I will protect you, my little one
My little darling
Don't fear, my little darling
I will protect you, my little one
Ingonyama ilele
The lion roars
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: George David Weiss, Hugo E Peretti, Luigi Creatore, Solomon Linda
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bigboredthing
This came on while my client was watching TV. I don't know if you've ever heard a 55 year old with cerebral palsy and the mind of a 7 year old sing this song, but let me tell you, it is absolutely exceptional. He got a round of applause and absolutely made my day.
@kathudelaney7978
Ive had similar experiences with mine in the past
@iagree5313
Yeah yeah FANTASTIC!!!! 👍😍
@dansimsss
That IS funny.
@WelshmanSudios
That brought a tear to my eye thank you for the that story
@NazriB
Lies again? Jungle Kills
@uriadelavaro3956
It's 2024 and this song still sounds fresh. The drums are perfectly arranged.
@Zx-ln1lk
lol I was 7 when this song came out
@Ngahu_must.be-crazy
wow nice
@yunjinsxyz
@@Zx-ln1lkso ur 48?