The song's most famous portion is its opening chant: 'Nants ingonyama bagithi baba, sithi uhm ingonyama.' These lyrics are in the African language Zulu, and they roughly translate to, 'Here comes a lion, father. On the Broadway stage, intricate life-size puppetry makes this number especially wondrous to watch. All the animals of the Pride Lands - giraffes, antelopes, zebras, elephants, birds - gather in front of Pride Rock to witness the historic moment. 'Circle of Life' takes place as King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi welcome their new cub, Simba. This opening number is recognizable from its first notes. Learn more about all the songs in The Lion King, including fun facts about the fan-favorite tunes and the meanings behind the African lyrics. Multiple songs feature lyrics sung partly or entirely in African languages like Swahili and Zulu, a nod to the cultural traditions from which the story draws. All the hit songs from the film - like 'Circle of Life' and 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' - remain in the musical, with plenty of new additions.

The Lion King's music - penned by Elton John, Tim Rice, and more - has proven especially timeless. As the famous opening number of the musical goes, that's the circle of life. Since The Lion King movie came out in 1994, and the Broadway musical three years later, people who grew up the tale of a young lion cub's journey to kingship have since introduced their own children to the story.

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