- The Lion King's opening song Circle of Life was written by Tim Rice and Elton John
- The song's opening lyrics are in Zulu, spoken mainly in South Africa and nearby countries
- The Zulu lyrics translate to Look There's a lion Oh my God according to comedian Learnmore Jonasi
The opening scene of The Lion King is one of the most memorable moments in animated film history. The sun slowly rises over the African savanna. Animals begin to gather at Pride Rock. Soon, a newborn lion cub is presented to the kingdom. In the background, the powerful song Circle of Life plays, setting the mood for the story.
The song was written by Tim Rice and composed by Elton John for The Walt Disney Company's 1994 animated film. Over the years, the music and the opening lines became famous around the world.
Many fans believed the opening lyrics had a deep spiritual meaning. But a recent podcast discussion gave the internet a funny new perspective.
The moment came up on the podcast One54 Podcast. The show is hosted by former NFL player turned commentator Akbar Gbajabiamila and comedian Godfrey. In one episode, they started talking about the famous opening line from the song.
The lyrics were written in Zulu, a language spoken mainly in South Africa and in nearby countries like Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi and Botswana. While discussing the song, the hosts tried to recall the lyrics but struggled to get them right.
Their guest for the episode, Zimbabwean stand-up comedian Learnmore Jonasi, stepped in to help. He recited the original line from the song: “Nants ingonyama bagithi baba / Sithi uhhmm ingonyama”.
Curious, the hosts asked him what it actually meant. Learnmore Jonasi explained that the words translate to: “Look! There's a lion! Oh my God!”
The explanation surprised both hosts and quickly turned the moment into a funny one. Godfrey could not stop laughing and said, “This whole time, I thought it was this beautiful, majestic spiritual s***. They have made billions off that,” Godfrey says.
Despite the simple meaning, the song still holds a special place in pop culture. The opening sequence of The Lion King remains one of Disney's most loved scenes. The film itself became a huge global hit and later inspired stage musicals, remakes and new adaptations.
And even after all these years, that famous opening chant still gives many viewers goosebumps.