The Music in the Film
The success of the animated feature film The Lion King (1994) has resulted in a multibillion-dollar media franchise. The storyline and characters continue to resonate with audiences of all ages even today. But not only did the animation, the characters, and the picturesque scenes provide an unforgettable viewing experience for moviegoers, but the music enhanced the emotion and depth of feeling to the story making the film unforgettable. The soundtrack for the film was made available for sale on May 31, 1994, three and a half weeks before the film was released on June 24th. It is highly successful, becoming the best-selling soundtrack for an animated film in the United States, with over 7 million copies sold. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for "Can You Feel the Love Tonight".
The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack contains songs from the film performed and written by British singer, composer and pianist Elton John and English lyricist Tim Rice, and a score composed by German score composer and music producer Hans Zimmer. There are also additional performers such as a South African Chorus featured in the “Circle of Life.”
Instructions
Listen to the songs below found on YouTube from the feature film The Lion King (1994). For each of the five songs, answer the following four questions:
1. Which character sings the song? 2. Does the song make you feel happy, sad, angry, etc.? 3. What musical instruments can you hear in the song? 4. Do you hear a group or a choir in the background of the song?