The Lion Sleeps Tonight

"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a song originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda under the title "Mbube" for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939. Linda's original was written in Zulu, while the English version's lyrics were written by George David Weiss. 

The song was covered internationally by many pop and folk revival artists in the 1950s and 1960s, including Henri Salvador, the Weavers, Pete Seeger, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba, and the Kingston Trio. 

In 1961, it became a number one hit in the United States as adapted in English with the best-known version by the doo-wop group the Tokens. 

References

Category:1961 songs