Be Prepared (The Lion King song)
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"Be Prepared" is a song from the 1994 Disney film and 1997 Broadway musical The Lion King. The song was composed by Tim Rice and Elton John and originally performed by Jeremy Irons, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings, and Whoopi Goldberg in the film and by John Vickery, Kevin Cahoon, Stanley Wayne Mathis and Tracy Nicole in the original Broadway cast for the musical.
The song continued what had become a Disney tradition in their newer movies at that time, where the villian had his or her own song in the movie. This included Professor Ratigan's "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind" in The Great Mouse Detective, Ursula's "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in The Little Mermaid, Gaston's "The Mob Song" and self-homage in Beauty and the Beast, and Jafar's fractured version of "Prince Ali" in Aladdin.
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[edit] The Lion King
Before the song begins, Scar is talking to the hyenas about their failed attempt to kill Simba and Nala. Banzai says "What were we supposed to do, kill Mufasa?" and Scar, with a wicked grin, replies "Precisely!" Scar sings about the lack of intelligence displayed by the hyenas and how, if they assist him in his plan of killing Mufasa and Simba, he can ensure that they are never hungry again. At the start of the song, the tempo is low and gradually increases and intensifies at certain points throughout the song. The song is set is a geothermically unstable area, with earthquakes and geysers slowly intensifying throughout the song.
In the beginning of the second verse, an army of hyenas is shown goose-stepping in front of Scar, who is perched on an overlooking cliff. This is a reference to the infamous footage of the Nazi Germany army marching in front of Adolf Hitler's balcony in the Nazi film Triumph of the Will.
Jeremy Irons, the voice of Scar, sings the bulk of the song, but from the line "You won't get a sniff without me" onwards the song is sung by Jim Cummings, who voices Ed the hyena. This was due to Irons' voice blowing out.
[edit] Original recording
On the original soundtrack recording, Scar opens the song with a soliloquy:
| I never thought hyenas essential. They're crude and unspeakably plain. But maybe they've a glimmer of potential if allied to my vision and brain. |
In the film this is cut and the song begins immediately. This was due to a plot adjustment.[1] The soliloquy had Scar considering using the hyenas for his plot, but in the final version he had already used the hyenas in his plans before the song.
[edit] The Lion King 1½
In The Lion King 1½, the beginning of the song is briefly heard as Timon and Pumbaa tour Scar's lair as a possible new home. The shadows of the goose-stepping hyena army are seen marching in front of them, even though that part hadn't occured in the song yet.
[edit] The Lion King musical
Like the original soundtrack recording, Scar begins the song with a brief soliloquy. The song is similiar to its film counterpart in most respects, but there is a dance number performed by the hyena ensemble halfway through. Scar later sings a brief reprise while declaring himself King at Mufasa's funeral.
[edit] Festival of The Lion King
In Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom's Festival of the Lion King, Scar sings the line "And where do we feature?" (originally sung by Shenzi) and its answer "Just listen to teacher!", turning it into a rhetorical question. In part of the song, an actor dressed in a tribal hyena costume performs a dance with a flaming torch.
[edit] References
| The Lion King | |
|---|---|
| Films | The Lion King | The Lion King II: Simba's Pride | The Lion King 1½ |
| Characters | Ahadi | Kiara | Kopa | Kovu | Ma | Mohatu | Mufasa | Nala | Nuka | Rafiki | Sarabi | Sarafina | Scar | Shenzi, Banzai and Ed | Simba | Timon and Pumbaa | Tojo | Uncle Max | Uru | Vitani | Zazu | Zira |
| Songs | "Circle of Life" | "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" | "Be Prepared" | "Hakuna Matata" | "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" |
| Books | The Lion King: Six New Adventures | The Lion King: The Brightest Star |
| Games | The Lion King | Timon & Pumbaa's Jungle Games |
| Other media | Original motion picture soundtrack | Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable | Rhythm of the Pride Lands | The Lion King's Timon & Pumbaa | Broadway musical | Festival of the Lion King | Festival of the Lion King soundtrack |
| Misc | Kings of the Pride Lands | The Lion King family |
| See also | "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" | Kingdom Hearts II | Kimba the White Lion controversy |
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