The Circle of Life from The Lion King. Composed by Elton John & Tim Rice
The 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 vocals in Zulu) 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 of the song with the London Community Gospel Choir, which was included in the film's soundtrack and made into a music video. The 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 is well known for its opening line, sung by South African composer Lebo M. in Zulu. Due to the difficulty to pronounce the lyrics for English speakers, they are often mispronounced.
