I’ve Seen The Lion King Musical, And 1 Song Needs To Be In This Year’s Mufasa Movie

October 10, 20246 Mins Read

Having seen the Lion King musical, I need this year’s Mufasa movie to include one of the best songs. As a Disney fan with a special love for The Lion King, I cannot wait for Mufasa: The Lion King to come out in December. Audiences have been understandably skeptical of Disney live-action movies, but there are many reasons to be excited about Mufasa: The Lion King. Firstly, the movie isn’t an adaptation of an existing story, with screenwriter Jeff Nathanson expanding the story in a new way. Secondly, the movie is a musical and will feature brand-new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

After the success of Miranda’s previous Disney soundtracks like those of Encanto and Moana, I’m confident the Mufasa movie will be in good hands. The songs will undoubtedly resonate with audiences. Still, despite focusing on new music, I hope the movie will choose to incorporate the best song from the Broadway version of The Lion King.

“He Lives In You” Is Synonymous With The Lion King Franchise To Me

The Lebo M Song Appears Numerous Times In the Franchise

Though “He Lives in You” doesn’t appear in the original Lion King movie, the song is the first that I think of when it comes to the franchise, with “The Circle of Life” by Elton John falling close behind. The song by Lebo M was first recorded for the Rhythm of the Pride Lands CD, which functioned as a sequel to the soundtrack for Disney’s The Lion King. After its release on the 1995 album, the song was integrated into the franchise.

Most other songs only appear in one to two shows. However, “He Lives in You” appears in the franchise four times – during the sequel, the credits of the live-action movie, and twice during the Broadway musical. The song is so iconic that the TV special Disney’s Broadway Hits at Albert Hall included it, which is notable since they only selected three of the eighteen songs from the Lion King Broadway musical. They selected “He Lives in You” over options like “Hakuna Matata” or “Circle of Life.” The song also appears on the compilation album The Lion King Collection.

Adult Mufasa from The Lion King 2019 next to Young Mufasa from Mufasa The Lion King

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I would be unbelievably sad not to hear the song in Mufasa: The Lion King. Without it, the movie would seem incomplete. Moreover, the part-sequel and part-prequel film doesn’t need to worry about it feeling redundant because “He Lives in You” fits with the ongoing theme that the ancestors are always watching over their descendants.

The Live-Action Lion King Doesn’t Use The Song As Well As The Musical

The 2019 Movie Stuck “He Lives With You” In The Credits

Despite being the best song from the franchise, The 2019 live-action movie The Lion King stuck the song in the credits. Please don’t misunderstand; I love the Xhosa version of the song by Lebo M. The music is powerful no matter the language in which an artist sings it. However, the track had significantly less impact because the creative team behind the movie stuck “He Lives in You” during a part of the movie that, sadly, many people don’t watch.

In the musical version of The Lion King, the song is sung to teach Simba about the Great Kings of the Past. It’s later performed again when Rafiki helps him connect with the spirit of his father. The context in both of these scenes makes the music and lyrics more impactful. The live-action Lion King movie would have been better off mirroring the musical. The only upside to their failure is the fact that Mufasa: The Lion King can fix the issue.

How “He Lives In You” Could Fit Into Mufasa: The Lion King

“He Lives In You” Could Help Explain Mufasa’s New Backstory

If the Mufasa: The Lion King team wants to incorporate the iconic song, there are two prime options. Firstly, during the prequel part of the movie, the story could use the first version that appears in the musical called “They Live in You.” This version of the song isn’t about Mufasa living in Simba. Instead, after the incident in the elephant graveyard, Mufasa sings it to Simba to teach him about the Great Kings of the Past living inside everyone. The song serves as a reminder that Simba will never be alone, no matter what.

Since a pride of lions is taking in Mufasa after he’s been abandoned, they could sing the song to him to teach him about the ancestors.

Since a pride of lions is taking in the orphan Mufasa, they could sing the song to him to teach him about the ancestors. This is essentially how the song first appears in the Broadway musical. The only difference would be that Mufasa hears “They Live in You” instead of Simba. Using the song in this way would also help explain why Mufasa is so connected to the royal ancestors in the animated movie if he wasn’t born with a drop of royal blood.

Alternatively, Mufasa: The Lion King could mirror The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride by playing the song when Kiara is presented to everyone in the kingdom. In this version, the “he” in the song references Mufasa, who is watching his children and grandchild from the sky. There’s no guarantee the Mufasa movie will include this scene; however, it’s possible based on the premise. The frame story for the prequel is Rafiki telling Kiara the story about Mufasa and Taka (aka Scar).

Imagery from the live-action Mufasa: The Lion King

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While I prefer the first option, the second choice would connect with individuals who haven’t seen the Broadway musical but are familiar with the direct-to-VHS sequel. Since the sequel is more accessible, Mufasa: The Lion King mirroring The Lion King II would be more advantageous. However, either option would feel like a fitting homage to less well-known parts of the franchise.