10 Songs With Meanings That Are Completely Misunderstood
1. The Lion Sleeps Tonight Is About The Inevitable Resurrection Of A Warrior King
When it comes to totally innocuous songs, The Lion Sleeps Tonight by The Tokens is pretty far up there. Known also by Wimoweh, Wimba Way and Awimbawe, the song has been covered many times over the years and has become a notable part of pop culture, mainly because it's ridiculously catchy.
But what's it actually about? Ask most people and they'll probably say something like I don't know...lions sleeping?. In actuality, it's about Shaka kaSenzangakhona, or Shaka Zulu for short (thank goodness). Shaka (also know as Shaka the Lion) was one of the most influential monarchs of the Zulu kingdom, who fought against European colonizers.
Apparently, Shaka is the lion mentioned in the song, and references to his sleeping are merely another way of saying he isn't truly dead, but will one day rise up and free his oppressed people.