Be Prepared

"Be Prepared" is a song composed by Elton John for The Lion King. It was released on May 31, 1994, as part of the film's soundtrack. It was re-released on September 30, 2003, as part of the film's Special Edition soundtrack.
==Conception and development==
The first incarnation of "Be Prepared" was titled "Thanks To Me" and entailed Scar bragging to the hyenas about how he had murdered Mufasa and driven off Simba. The filmmakers deduced that it would be better to build up to the murder, and so the song was rewritten to take place before the stampede. Lyricist Tim Rice also wrote a reprise of "Be Prepared" that was to take place during Scar's coronation. However, deeming it "overkill" to have a lively musical number right after Mufasa's death, the filmmakers ultimately removed the reprise.
In the 1992 draft of The Lion King, Scar attempted to make an adult Nala his queen, only for her to openly reject him and incite a rebellion against him. Furious, he banished her from the Pride Lands, to the lionesses' disapproval. Backed into a corner, Scar introduced the hyenas as his "executive staff," during which he sang a reprise of "Be Prepared".
==Releases and alternative versions==
"Be Prepared" was released on May 31, 1994, as part of the soundtrack of The Lion King.
The stage musical version of the song was released in 1997 as part of the original cast recording.
In 1999, "Be Prepared" was re-released as part of The Lion King Collection.
"Be Prepared" was re-released on September 30, 2003, as part of the film's Special Edition soundtrack.
Also on September 30, 2003, the karaoke version of "Be Prepared" was released as part of Disney's Karaoke Series: The Lion King.
On October 3, 2011, "Be Prepared" was released as part of The Lion King Collection (Deluxe Edition).
The song was re-released as part of The Legacy Collection: The Lion King on June 24, 2014.
"Be Prepared" was reimagined for the 2019 remake of The Lion King. It was released on July 11, 2019, as part of the film's soundtrack.
==Use==
===In the canon===
"Be Prepared" is the third song heard in The Lion King. It occurs after Scar arrives in the Elephant Graveyard to feed Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed a zebra haunch. When he chastises them for having failed to kill Simba and Nala, they protest and question if they should have killed Mufasa. In answer, Scar documents his plan to assassinate both Mufasa and Simba so that he can ascend the throne of Pride Rock in their stead. The hyenas ultimately agree to help him in his plot in exchange for hunting rights in the Pride Lands.
"Be Prepared" is heard as an instrumental in The Lion King 1½ when Timon and Pumbaa stray into the Elephant Graveyard and witness the hyenas marching past Scar.
===In other media===
A reimagined version of "Be Prepared" is heard in the 2019 remake of The Lion King. It plays during the same sequence of events as its 1994 counterpart.
The stage musical version of "Be Prepared" is much the same as the original, occurring during the same sequence of events. However, there is a brief instrumental break in the middle of the song, during which the hyenas dance.
An instrumental version of "Be Prepared" is heard in the 1994 video game The Lion King. There are two slightly different versions of the song: one for Genesis and one for SNES.
==Lyrics==
Scar:
I know that your powers of retention
Are as wet as a warthog's backside
But thick as you are, pay attention!
My words are a matter of pride
It's clear from your vacant expressions
The lights are not all on upstairs
But we're talking kings and successions
Even you can't be caught unawares!
So prepare for the chance of a lifetime
Be prepared for sensational news
A shining new era
Is tiptoeing nearer
Shenzi:
And where do we feature?
Scar:
Just listen to teacher
I know it sounds sordid
But you'll be rewarded
When at last I am given my dues
And injustice deliciously squared
Be prepared!
Banzai: (spoken)
Yeah! Be prepared!
Yeah-heh! We'll be prepared! Heh!
For what?
Scar: (spoken)
For the death of the king.
Banzai: (spoken)
Why? Is he sick?
Scar: (spoken)
No, fool. We're gonna kill him.
And Simba, too.
Shenzi: (spoken)
Great idea!
Who needs a king?
Banzai and Shenzi:
No king! No king!
La, la, la, la, la, la!
Scar: (spoken)
Idiots!
There will be a king!
Banzai: (spoken)
Hey, but you said-
Scar: (spoken)
I will be king!
Stick with me, and you'll never go hungry again!
Banzai and Shenzi: (spoken)
Yay! All right! All right!
Long live the king!
Hyenas: (spoken)
Long live the king!
Long live the king!
Hyenas:
It's great that we'll soon be connected
With a king who'll be all-time adored
Scar:
Of course, quid pro quo, you're expected
To take certain duties on board
The future is littered with prizes
And though I'm the main addressee
The point that I must emphasize is
You won't get a sniff without me!
So prepare for the coup of the century
Be prepared for the murkiest scam
Meticulous planning
(We'll have food!)
Tenacity spanning
(Lots of food!)
Decades of denial
(We repeat!)
Is simply why I'll
(Endless meat!)
Be king undisputed
Respected, saluted
And seen for the wonder I am!
Yes, my teeth and ambitions are bared
Be prepared!
Hyenas:
Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared
All:
Be prepared!
==Trivia==
* In the 1994 soundtrack and the stage musical soundtrack, "Be Prepared" opens with additional lyrics:
::"I never thought hyenas essential
::They're crude and unspeakably plain
::But maybe they've a glimmer of potential
::If allied to my vision and brain"
* Jeremy Irons sang the beginning of "Be Prepared" but damaged his vocal chords on the line "You won't get a sniff without me!" As a result, Jim Cummings was brought in to finish the song.
** Though Jeremy Irons is often credited with singing "Be Prepared", Jim Cummings has stated that he sang most of the song, while Irons only did some of the talking. However, footage from the film's recording sessions, available on the film's 2017 Blu-ray release, reveals that Irons sang the entire first verse of the song, while a cursory analysis of the recording suggests (due to a subtle but evident shift in vocal timbre heard in Scar's lead vocal) that Cummings only sang the final verse in the final cut of The Lion King. Cummings has also confirmed this in other interviews, claiming that he sang this last verse due to Irons developing vocal problems during the recording session.
==Media==
The Lion King- Be Prepared - Sing-A-Long - Disney|The "Be Prepared" sequence in The Lion King
==References==
Category:Banzai songs
Category:Ed songs
Category:The Legacy Collection: The Lion King
Category:The Lion King (1994 soundtrack)
Category:The Lion King Collection
Category:The Lion King Collection (Deluxe Edition)
Category:The Lion King songs
Category:The Lion King: Special Edition
Category:Scar songs
Category:Shenzi songs
Category:Songs