The Lion Sleeps Tonight

[melonkali]

Wimoweh is a great song, but I've always kind of wondered... Verse lyrics like "hush... the lion sleeps tonight" are always followed by the very loud chorus "WEEEEEEEEE OOOOO WEEEEE OOOOO....". Would not this possibly awaken the lion?

rebecca

[William]

Hello Rebecca and welcome to the forum. Interesting comment. I love stuff like this. I think it can be interpreted the song is more of a jubilation stemming from a mutual serenity coming from the peace in the village not threatening the lion and therefore not alarming him or his arousal. When the village is peaceful, so is the lion. A mutual non-threatening existence on the part of both.

William

[Samm]

Becky, I think you have a point. So soft we sing the verse. So mellow and soft we sing the verse. So deeply sleeps the lion in the jungle. All is peaceful. All is Calm.

Then suddenly... A SIREN SCREAM AT DOUBLE HIGH PITCH! THE LION'S ALARM CLOCK IS SOUNDING, AND IT IS SOME IDIOT IN THE VILLAGE SOUNDING IT! SOMEONE CUT THAT GUY'S THROAT AND FEED HIM TO THE LIONS!

Then mellow again the next verse softly sung. The idiot is dead, sleep now my little lion. Good lion. Sleepy-bye. Soft we sing to the calm, quiet night. Soft we drift to sleep little lion. So very soft and...

UUU-WEEEE-E-EE-EE-EE-EEE UM-UM-AWAY! GOD BLAST IT! WE FORGOT THE IDIOT'S BROTHER! SOMEONE SHUT UP THE IDIOT'S BROTHER! NICE LITTLE LION!

Samm

[William]

Ha, yeah, it could be interpreted that way; but then why issue the "not be afraid"? Unless she was remembering what she has witnessed what the lion is capable of. She is afraid, thinking the lion would create the disturbance in the village. The village is singing the song. Regardless of the refrain, it is known by all of the other villagers their peace and serenity is no threat to the lion. She just needs to know that.

It can be assumed the village does not hunt the lion, therefore the village has nothing to fear in that man is the lions only enemy and it was man who drew first blood. She is afraid and yet, has nothing to be afraid of, even the lion, for the village is a peaceful village.

A lions only natural enemy is another lion. Just as the villagers, their only enemy is other alien villagers preying on them.

William

[melonkali]

Originally Posted by William

Ha, yeah, it could be interpreted that way; but then why issue the "not be afraid"? Unless she was remembering what she has witnessed what the lion is capable of. She is afraid, thinking the lion would create the disturbance in the village. The village is singing the song. Regardless of the refrain, it is known by all of the other villagers their peace and serenity is no threat to the lion. She just needs to know that.

It can be assumed the village does not hunt the lion, therefore the village has nothing to fear in that man is the lions only enemy and it was man who drew first blood. She is afraid and yet, has nothing to be afraid of, even the lion, for the village is a peaceful village.

A lions only natural enemy is another lion. Just as the villagers, their only enemy is other alien villagers preying on them.

William

Very nicely said.

As for my earlier comment about Wimoweh, I do have a tendency, which will become increasingly evident if I survive very long at PF, towards absurd, silly, sometimes annoying observations.

So, William (or anyone else), let's see if you can change this next one into something beautiful and meaningful:

I have a problem with Frankie Valli's singing, in that high falsetto, "Walk like a man. Talk like a man." To refresh the memory, below is the Youtube link to the original song. I noticed on the Youtube comment board under the video, someone posted, "Walk like a man. Sing like a girl."

rebecca
[youtube]

[William]

Ha, you would have to pick that “particular song”. The remark you mentioned was cruel. Look at Wayne Newton, for instance.

I know the falsetto in his voice does belie the overall nature of the song and can be interpreted, by some, as not exactly “manly”. If this is what you are referring to, I think you can forget it. Valli had and I think still has, though his age is not quite known, amazing voice control and was capable of reaching high and low notes. As far as the lyrics, I agree with them, absolutely. There are many matches “not” made in heaven, as it were and Valli I suppose has had his fair share as most in the limelight do. It’s difficult to know who your friends truly are as they are surrounded by so many sycophants. Valli has had three marriages and the last one has lasted for 23 years. He also has had tragedy in his life.

It is difficult to understand how writers arrive at the lyrics they do and many times effort to hide the real reason why that are as they are. Usually there is a person in the personal life in which they are directed and they know who they are. Obviously this was directed at some one who hurt him deeply. Here are the lyrics, if anyone has a problem discerning them from the song:

Oh how you tried to cut me down to size
Telling dirty lies to my friends
But my own father said give her up don't bother
The world isn't coming to an end

(he said just) Walk like a man
Talk like a man
Walk like a man my son
No woman's worth
Crawling on the earth
Just walk like a man my son

Good-bye baby I dont mean maybe
I'm gonna get along somehow
Soon you'll be cryin on account of all your lyin
Oh yeah just look who's laughing now

(I'm gonna) walk like a man
Fast as I can
Walk like a man from you
I'll tell the world to forget about it girl
And walk like a man from you

My Dad told me early on when I experienced a “love lost” experience, “....there were more out there, better and true. Don’t give up and one day it will happen. Just don’t go looking for it”.

William

[melonkali]

Originally Posted by William

Ha, you would have to pick that “particular song”. The remark you mentioned was cruel. Look at Wayne Newton, for instance.

I know the falsetto in his voice does belie the overall nature of the song and can be interpreted, by some, as not exactly “manly”. If this is what you are referring to, I think you can forget it. Valli had and I think still has, though his age is not quite known, amazing voice control and was capable of reaching high and low notes. As far as the lyrics, I agree with them, absolutely. There are many matches “not” made in heaven, as it were and Valli I suppose has had his fair share as most in the limelight do. It’s difficult to know who your friends truly are as they are surrounded by so many sycophants. Valli has had three marriages and the last one has lasted for 23 years. He also has had tragedy in his life.

It is difficult to understand how writers arrive at the lyrics they do and many times effort to hide the real reason why that are as they are. Usually there is a person in the personal life in which they are directed and they know who they are. Obviously this was directed at some one who hurt him deeply. Here are the lyrics, if anyone has a problem discerning them from the song:

Oh how you tried to cut me down to size
Telling dirty lies to my friends
But my own father said give her up don't bother
The world isn't coming to an end

(he said just) Walk like a man
Talk like a man
Walk like a man my son
No woman's worth
Crawling on the earth
Just walk like a man my son

Good-bye baby I dont mean maybe
I'm gonna get along somehow
Soon you'll be cryin on account of all your lyin
Oh yeah just look who's laughing now

(I'm gonna) walk like a man
Fast as I can
Walk like a man from you
I'll tell the world to forget about it girl
And walk like a man from you

My Dad told me early on when I experienced a “love lost” experience, “....there were more out there, better and true. Don’t give up and one day it will happen. Just don’t go looking for it”.

William

I concede! You're very, very good at this, William.

And I must confess, I find the modern male pop/rock style falsetto preferable to the modern male attempts at singing in the formal or classical high countertenor style. No ethical person would suggest going back to a barbaric castrato tradition, but let's face it, modern medicine has not yet discovered an artificial hormone that can make the fully developed male vocal apparatus turn back into a boy alto/soprano sound. These guys end up sounding like bad Monty Python routines. So maybe high countertenor parts are best sung by real boy altos/sopranos, or women with light voices, or give the pop/rock falsetto style a try?

rebecca