The Lion King has one of the best and most memorable soundtracks in Disney history thanks to Tim Rice and Elton John, and the latter saved the movie from a major musical disaster. Disney is home to many popular and beloved animated movies, of which many earned a place in film history. Among them is The Lion King, directed by Rogers Allers and Rob Minkoff and released in 1994 as part of the Disney Renaissance, the period between 1989 and 1999 in which the studio produced critically and commercially successful movies again.

The Lion King takes the audience to the Pride Lands of Tanzania to meet King Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones) and his son and heir, Simba. As a cub, Simba is forced to leave the Pride Lands following Mufasa’s murder by Scar (Jeremy Irons), Mufasa’s brother. Years later, Simba returns to reclaim the throne, but he has to face his evil uncle. The Lion King was a critical and commercial success and won various awards in different categories, including for its music, and Elton John actually saved the movie from one big musical disaster.

Elton John Saved The Lion King’s “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” From Being Fully Performed By Timon & Pumbaa

Timon & Pumbaa Almost Sang “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” In Its Entirety

Most of the main characters in The Lion King sang, at least, one song, which made them more memorable and catchier. Three of The Lion King’s songs were nominated for Best Original Score at the Academy Awards in 1995, but “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” was the big winner. With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Elton John, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” plays during Simba and Nala’s night out, during which they fall in love.

The movie version was performed by Kristle Edwards as an off-screen voice with short lines from Simba and Nala, and the beginning and end parts sung by Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella). However, in early versions of The Lion King, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” was going to be performed by Timon and Pumbaa in its entirety, but according to Lane (via EW), Elton John was “mortified” that these characters were going to sing this specific song.

Lane recalled that John said he wrote the score for it because he wanted to have a Disney love song, so he didn’t want it to be sung “by the rat and the pig”. When Lane and Sabella recorded a version of it in their characters’ voices, it became clear that John was right, and it wasn’t a song suited for Timon and Pumbaa as it was hard to make it romantic in their voices, and so they just sang short parts at the beginning and end.

Timon & Pumbaa Got A More Fitting Musical Number In The Lion King With “Hakuna Matata”

“Hakuna Matata” Became One Of The Lion King’s Most Memorable Songs

Elton John’s vision for “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” was ultimately honored, and the song was given the romanticism it deserved in The Lion King, while Timon and Pumbaa got a much more fitting musical number. Timon and Pumbaa were originally going to perform a song titled “The Warthog Rhapsody”, but the song was replaced by “Hakuna Matata”. The latter fitted Timon and Pumbaa’s characters better as it was all about their chill life philosophy and them raising Simba through the years with this relaxed mentality.

It’s unclear if Timon and Pumbaa would still have performed “Hakuna Matata” if they had also sung all of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight”, but what’s true is that the latter’s legacy wouldn’t have been the same. As fun as Timon and Pumbaa are, having them sing “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” wouldn’t have felt appropriate and would have taken the essence and tone of the song and the scene away, but their energy was the perfect match for “Hakuna Matata”.

Source: EW.