Latest news with #TheLionSleepsTonight
New York Times
14-03-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
An ‘In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb' Playlist
Image Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Credit... Jack Plunkett/Invision, via Associated Press Early March is such a tease, occasionally giving us a fleeting preview of desperately desired springtime — only to snatch it away with yet another dreary, blustery, 30-something-degree day. You know the saying: 'In like a lion, out like a lamb.' Since we've finally almost reached that fabled calendrical turning point in the middle of the month, I thought I'd put together a playlist that goes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Given their potent and evocative symbolism, there is no shortage of music that references lions or lambs. Lions connote strength, fire and even potential danger; lambs, in keeping with their biblical association, often represent purity, gentleness and self-sacrifice. In today's selections, you'll hear these themes explored by artists like Genesis, Neko Case and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, among others. May these songs bring warmer afternoons, longer days and much lighter jackets. Momentum for the sake of momentum, Let's begin with the most famous version of this oft-covered classic about a lion in peaceful repose. Most elements of what would eventually become 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' were written by the South African musician Solomon Linda, whose 1939 version of the song was titled 'Mbube,' the Zulu word for 'lion.' Pete Seeger's folk group the Weavers released an influential version in 1951 (as Seeger, Edward Norton plays it onstage in 'A Complete Unknown'), but the doo-wop group the Tokens took the song to new heights of popularity in 1961, with this rendition that featured English-language lyrics by the songwriter George David Weiss. ▶ Listen on Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Robert John Dies: ‘Sad Eyes' Singer Was 79
Robert John, whose 'Sad Eyes' hit No. 1 in the U.S. and had a Top 5 hit with a cover of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight,' died Monday. He was 79. His son Michael Patrick told our sister site Rolling Stone that his father had been recovering a stroke years ago. Written by John and sung in his signature high-register voice, 'Sad Eyes' was a first-person tale of a man who had to break up with a temporary girlfriend because his unspecified partner was returning. The EMI America single topped the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1979, more than 20 years after he first hit the pop chart. It ended the six-week reign of The Knack's 'My Sharona ' and went Top 10 in Canada and Australia, just missing the Top 30 in the UK. Listen to it below. More from Deadline 2025 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Roberta Flack Dies: Rich-Voiced R&B Singer Whose Instant-Classic '70s Hits Included 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face' & 'Killing Me Softly With His Song' Was 88 Don Lemon Calls Megyn Kelly Out For Comments On Joy Reid's MSNBC Exit: "Go F*** Yourself!" Culled from his eponymous Top 70 album, 'Sad Eyes' would be his last big hit, but it wasn't his first. John's cover of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' spent three weeks at No. 3 in 1972. He also made the Hot 100 eight other times spanning 25 years. Born Robert John Pedrick on January 3, 1946, in Brooklyn, John first recorded as Bobby Pedrick Jr. at age 12 for Big Top Records, charting at No. 74 with 'White Bucks and Saddle Shoes.' He cut a couple more singles during the 1950s before being dropped by the label. It would be a decade before he would hit the chart again. 'If You Don't Want My Love' made the Top 50 in the U.S. and UK for Columbia Records. After a brief stint at A&M, he moved to Atlantic Records and had the big hit with 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight,' featuring that high voice. After the huge success of 'Sad Eyes' seven years later, John had two more minor hits with 'Lonely Eyes' and 'Hey There Lonely Girl' in 1980. Best of Deadline How Jon Gries' Return To 'The White Lotus' Could Shape Season 3 Which Colleen Hoover Books Are Becoming Movies? 'Verity,' 'Reminders Of Him' & 'Regretting You' Will Join 'It Ends With Us' 'The White Lotus' Season 3 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Arrive On Max?
