Hakuna Matata ( song ) - wikipedia Hakuna Matata ( song ) This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( April 2008 ) `` Hakuna Matata '' Single by Jimmy Cliff and Lebo M from the album Rhythm of the Pride Lands B - side `` He Lives in You '' Released 1995 Format CD single, CD maxi Recorded April 1994 ; BOP Studios, Mmabatho, ZA Genre Pop, reggae fusion Length 4 : 24 Label Polydor Songwriter ( s ) Elton John, Tim Rice Producer ( s ) Jay Rifkin, Fabian Cooke, Mark Mancina Audio sample Jimmy Cliff & Lebo M - `` Hakuna Matata '' file help Alternative cover CD maxi `` Hakuna Matata '' is a song from Disney 's 32nd animated feature The Lion King. The song is based on Timon and Pumbaa 's catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata, which is a Swahili phrase ; it means ' no worries '. It is characterized by its simple 4 / 4 time, upbeat message and catchy lyrics. Contents 1 Music 1.1 Early production 2 Meaning 3 Critical reception 4 In popular culture 5 Track listings 6 Charts 6.1 Peak positions 6.2 End of year charts 6.3 Certifications 7 References 8 External links Music The musical score was written by Elton John and the lyrics by Tim Rice. In the film the song is sung by Timon ( a meerkat voiced by Nathan Lane ), Pumbaa ( a warthog voiced by Ernie Sabella ), and Simba, a young lion voiced by Jason Weaver ( singing voice as a cub ) and Joseph Williams ( as an adult ). Taking place after the death of Mufasa, it features ( Timon and Pumbaa ), the two main comedy characters in the film, talking to Simba about moving forward from their troubled pasts and forgetting their worries, and Simba grows from cub to adult as the song progresses. The song also provides a backstory for Pumbaa, explaining that he was ostracized from animal society for his excessive flatulence. It makes use of a large proportion of the orchestra as well as many other more unusual instruments including an elaborate drum kit. Rice is said to have got the idea for the lyrics for the song from watching the comedy series Bottom and at one point wanted the show 's stars Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson to play Timon and Pumbaa. A second version of the song, produced for the companion album Rhythm of the Pride Lands, was performed by Jimmy Cliff featuring Lebo M. This version has a slightly modified, previously unreleased verse focusing on Timon 's past. It was partially rewritten with a different instrument arrangement, but remains very similar to the original. This version of the song was released as a single with `` He Lives in You '' as a B - side and was ultimately used in the Broadway theatrical version of The Lion King. Early production The song was based on an earlier song written early on in the production stage called `` Warthog Rhapsody ''. Although the two songs shared the same message and position in the film, when Elton and Tim began to work on the music the song was completely rewritten and it eventually evolved into `` Hakuna Matata ''. `` Warthog Rhapsody '' was eventually re-produced and released on Rhythm of the Pride Lands. The melody of Warthog Rhaspody was used in The Lion King 11⁄2 for the song `` That 's All I Need ''. Meaning Hakuna matata is a phrase in Swahili that is frequently translated as `` no worries ''. In a bonus features of The Lion King Special Edition DVD, the film 's production team claims that it picked up the term from a tour guide while on safari in Kenya. It was then developed into an ideology that, along with the seemingly antithetical value of duty to the monarchy, is central to the moral content of the film. The title phrase is pronounced with American English phonology within the song, including a flapped `` t '', rather than as it is pronounced in Swahili. Critical reception The song became enormously popular and was nominated for Best Song at the 67th Academy Awards but lost to `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '', one of three Lion King song nominations ( the third one was `` Circle of Life '' ). It was also ranked 99th in the AFI 's list of the 100 best American movie songs of all time, Disney 's seventh and last entry of songs on the list ( the others being `` When You Wish Upon a Star '' from Pinocchio at # 7, `` Some Day My Prince Will Come '' from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at # 19, `` Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious '' from Mary Poppins at # 36, `` Wind Beneath My Wings '' from Beaches at # 44, `` Zip - A-Dee - Doo - Dah '' from Song of the South at # 47, and `` Beauty and the Beast '' from Beauty and the Beast at # 62 ). A shortened version of `` Hakuna Matata '' was used as the theme song of the spinoff Timon & Pumbaa TV show. Another shortened version of `` Hakuna Matata '' was also used on the TV series The Lion Guard in the first - season episode `` Bunga and the King '' ( 2016 ), and was sung by the characters of the show. In popular culture Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song in their 1995 album When You Wish Upon a Chipmunk, with Alvin and Simon performing Timon and Pumbaa 's parts, respectively, and replacing `` warthog '' with `` chipmunk ''. In one of Disney 's many self references, the `` Hakuna Matata '' song can be heard briefly in the 1995 Disney Pixar film Toy Story, in which it was played in Andy 's mom 's car while Molly sees Woody and Buzz Lightyear through one of the side view mirrors. In the Seinfeld episode `` The Merv Griffin Show '', Elaine says that she was caught in the office singing `` Hakuna Matata ''. It appears in Mannheim Steamroller 's 1999 album Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse. The song was covered by Bahamian group Baha Men for the Disneymania CD. The song was covered by Debby Ryan for the Disneymania 7 CD. On 2012 album Disney - Koe no Oujisama Vol. 2, which features various Japanese voice actors covering Disney songs, this song was covered by Hiro Shimono and Nobuhiko Okamoto On 2014 album Disney - Koe no Durimu Dyuetto, which features various Japanese voice actors covering Disney songs, this song was covered by Mitsuki Saiga and Katsuyuki Konishi A parody of the song, Hasa Diga Eebowai, features in the musical The Book of Mormon Track listings CD single `` Hakuna Matata '' -- 4 : 24 `` He Lives in You '' -- 4 : 51 CD maxi `` Hakuna Matata '' ( rap version ) -- 3 : 50 `` Warthog Rhapsody '' by Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella -- 3 : 06 `` Hakuna Matata '' ( album version ) -- 4 : 24 Charts Peak positions Chart ( 1995 ) Peak position Belgian ( Flanders ) Singles Chart 46 Belgian ( Wallonia ) Singles Chart 6 Dutch Top 40 11 French SNEP Singles Chart 7 German Singles Chart 77 Swiss Singles Chart 32 U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles 5 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks 26 End of year charts End of year chart ( 1995 ) Position Belgian ( Wallonia ) Singles Chart 35 Dutch Top 40 81 French Singles Chart 27 Certifications Country Certification Date Sales certified France Silver December 22, 1995 125,000 References Jump up ^ King, Alex P. ( 2004 ). Hit - parade -- 20 ans de tubes ( in French ). Paris : Pascal. p. 339. ISBN 2 - 35019 - 009 - 9. Jump up ^ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. `` Academy Awards Database ''. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 02. Jump up ^ American Film Institute ( 2004 ). `` The Top Movie Songs of All Time '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 22. Jump up ^ http://bulletin.hds.harvard.edu/articles/summerautumn2012/cringe-worthy-depiction-africa ^ Jump up to : `` JIMMY CLIFF & LEBO M. - HAKUNA MATATA ( CHANSON ) ''. Lescharts.com. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 05. ^ Jump up to : `` Single top 100 over 1995 '' ( pdf ) ( in Dutch ). Top40. Retrieved 17 April 2010. Jump up ^ German Singles Chart Charts-surfer.de ( Retrieved August 6, 2008 ) ^ Jump up to : `` JIMMY CLIFF singles ''. Billboard.com. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 05. Jump up ^ 1995 Belgian ( Wallonia ) Singles Chart Ultratop.be ( Retrieved August 6, 2008 ) Jump up ^ 1995 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2009 - 02 - 14 at the Wayback Machine. ( Retrieved January 30, 2009 ) Jump up ^ French certifications Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2009 - 06 - 02 at the Wayback Machine. ( Retrieved August 6, 2008 ) External links http://www.lionking.org/lyrics/OBCR/HakunaMatata.html The Lion King Films The Lion King ( 1994 ) The Lion King II : Simba 's Pride The Lion King 11⁄2 The Lion King ( 2019 ) Theater The Lion King Television and short films Timon & Pumbaa episodes Wild About Safety The Lion Guard episodes Characters Simba Timon and Pumbaa Nala Scar Music The Lion King `` Circle of Life '' `` I Just Ca n't Wait to Be King '' `` Be Prepared '' `` Hakuna Matata '' `` Can You Feel the Love Tonight '' The Lion King musical `` Endless Night '' `` The Madness of King Scar '' `` Shadowland '' Other Return to Pride Rock `` Love Will Find a Way '' Rhythm of the Pride Lands `` He Lives in You '' Video games The Lion King ( 1994 ) Disney 's Animated Storybook : The Lion King ( 1994 ) Timon & Pumbaa 's Jungle Games ( 1996 ) The Lion King : Simba 's Mighty Adventure ( 2000 ) The Lion King 11⁄2 ( 2003 ) Attractions Circle of Life : An Environmental Fable The Legend of the Lion King Festival of the Lion King The Lion King Celebration Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hakuna_Matata_(song)&oldid=809235749 '' Categories : 1994 songs 1995 singles Elton John songs Jimmy Cliff songs Songs with lyrics by Tim Rice Songs with music by Elton John Songs from The Lion King Multilingual songs Song recordings produced by Jay Rifkin Hidden categories : CS1 French - language sources ( fr ) All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from October 2017 Articles with permanently dead external links CS1 Dutch - language sources ( nl ) Webarchive template wayback links Articles needing additional references from April 2008 All articles needing additional references Articles with hAudio microformats Audio sample to be checked Articles which use infobox templates with no data rows Music infoboxes with deprecated parameters Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Ελληνικά Français Italiano עברית Nederlands Svenska தமிழ் Edit links This page was last edited on 7 November 2017, at 22 : 35. 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Question: who wrote hakuna matata from the lion king
Answer: Elton John