The Lion Sleeps Tonight – The Tokens

• Activity types: categorization, listening for specific words

• Vocabulary: animals

• Level: Primary/Elementary

• Grammar Focus: Grammar Review

• Notes: This is based on the South African song Mbube, which means lion in Zulu, recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939. Folk singer Peter Seeger adapted it for the American market in 1952, but mistakenly transcribed the word Uyimbube (“you’re a lion”) as Wimoweh – this then developed into The Tokens’ 1961 Number One hit, which also featured in the 1994 Disney movie The Lion King. In 2003 Ferrero used the song in an advertising campaign for Happy Hippo chocolates, sung by a hippopotamus and a dancing dog.

Worksheet written by Prof. Laura Casolaro, Rome

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