CIRCLE
OF LIFE
CARMEN
TWILLIE, KENNY WILLIAMS, LEBO M.
SONGWRITER:
ELTON JOHN & TIM
RICE
MOVIE:
THE LION KING
COUNTRY:
U. S. A.
ALBUM:
THE LION KING: OROGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
LABEL:
WALT DISNEY
GENRE:
SOUNDTRACK
YEAR:
1994
"Circle of Life"
is a song from Disney's 1994 animated film The Lion King. Composed by Elton
John, with lyrics by Tim Rice, the song was performed by Carmen Twillie(the
deep female lead vocals) and Lebo M. (opening Zulu vocals) as the film's
opening song. In an interview, Rice said he was amazed at the speed with which
John composed: "I gave him the lyrics at the beginning of the session at
about two in the afternoon. By half-past three, he'd finished writing and
recording a stunning demo." Elton John sang a pop version (with
alternative lyrics) of the song with the London Community Gospel Choir, which
was included in the film's soundtrack and made into a music video. "Circle
of Life" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song in
1994, along with two other songs from The Lion King: "Hakuna Matata"
and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," the latter of which won the
award.
The song reached No. 11 in
the UK and No. 18 in the United States and is featured frequently in
attractions based on The Lion King, such as Disney theme parks and parades. Michael
Crawford sang it as part of a medley for The Disney Album in 2001.
The song will be featured
in Disney's 2019 photorealistic computer-animated remake of The Lion King and
was used in the first trailer of the film, a near shot-for-shot remake of the
opening of the original animated film.
Carmen Beth Twillie(born
April 8, 1950) is an American studio singer and actress. She is a long-time friend of
Tommy Morgan and has appeared as guest soloist with Morgan's choir. She
is best known for singing the Elton John and Tim Rice song "Circle of Life"
in the beginning of the 1994 Disney animated feature The Lion King. She worked
with Pink Floyd for their 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, providing
additional voices. She provided the singing voice of Stormella in Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie in 1998 and she was a vocal singer in Cats Don't
Dance. She does a couple small voice roles in The Nightmare Before Christmas as
the Undersea Gal and the Man under the bed. She also appeared on the Chowder
episode Sing Beans doing one of the voices for the sing beans along with voice
actors Jess Harnell, John DiMaggio, and Tara Strong.
She also is a backup
singer, having appeared in several albums released by artists such as Celine
Dion and Whitney Houston.
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Nants ingonyama bagithi baba
Sithi uhhmm ingonyama
Ingonyama
Siyo nqoba
Ingonyama
Ingonyama nengw' enamabala [here is a lion and a
tiger]
From the day we arrive on the planet
And blinking, step into the sun
There's more to see than can ever be seen
More to do than can ever be done
There's far too much to take in here
More to find than can ever be found
But the sun rolling high
Through the sapphire sky
Keeps great and small on the endless round
It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life
It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life.