One by One

[Hickoro Lioness]

I don't understand what the song "one by one" has to do with the lion
king. It seems like they are taking on a different subject. Like the color
of their skin and such. :confused:

[Kiara Serengeti]

You mean the cartoon with the kite-flying village children on the SP DVD? :thinking:

[Katse]

Not exactly sure what you're talking about.:gasp:

If it's about the short about the children, it is related to TLK. It was done by the animators of TLK and goes to a song that's on The Rythm of the Pridelands soundtrack. I find it to be an incredibly beautiful short. The color, the designs, the music...everything. It's just too beautiful for words, in my opinion.:-)

[Hickoro Lioness]

I'm talking The Lion King on broadway.
Actually I've never seen the SP dvd.

[Dare]

There was a magazine article (http://mag.awn.com/index.php?article_no=2216) that said that "One by One" was cut from TLK, but I don't know how accurate that is. Anyway, it seems as good a song as any to end Intermission.

[Hickoro Lioness]

Well, it's on my CD. I like the rythm and all. But the words really have nothing to do with TLK.

[White Wagtail]

Here you can read about where Lebo's inspirations came from
for writing "One By One" and other RotPL songs.
http://www.bdpr.com/lebsong.html

One By One: A chant-like composition drawing from ancient African warrior songs, One by One features deep male voices that penetrate the soul. It symbolizes my personal struggle to retain strength through adversity and serves as a universal mantra for all people of oppressed nations to find power from within.

The lyrics are based on his life,
yet it has something to do with TLK... because he said, I found the story of young Simba to parallel my own life.

As for "One By One" short film...
I heard that this short film was originally made as a segment of "Fantasia2006".
But, unfortunately, it was canceled...
I found the article about that, but, I haven't read all of it yet. sorry!
(I have to improve my English skills to read long English text. :p)
http://jimhillmedia.com/mb/articles/showarticle.php?ID=434

(My English might be hard to understand. sorry...:alone:)

[Bahati]

"One by One" is among my most favorite songs from RotPL and TLKoB. It's an energizing sample of the African spirit, expressed exclusively through the power of the human voice. Though the vast majority of listeners are unlikely to possess any familiarity with the English translation, the lyrics add greater depth to "One by One" and convey the resistance of oppression with pride in one's self, people, and home.

I could not imagine any better way to transport TLKoB audiences back to Africa after the intermission than with this beautiful piece of music.

[Lucy Lioness]

Originally posted by Bahati
"One by One" is among my most favorite songs from RotPL and TLKoB. It's an energizing sample of the African spirit, expressed exclusively through the power of the human voice. Though the vast majority of listeners are unlikely to possess any familiarity with the English translation, the lyrics add greater depth to "One by One" and convey the resistance of oppression with pride in one's self, people, and home.

I could not imagine any better way to transport TLKoB audiences back to Africa after the intermission than with this beautiful piece of music.

I totally agree. :D

I think it's there to add to the spirit of Africa in TLKoB, not to have anything to do with the show. It's part of the culture the show makers wanted to portray.

[Hickoro Lioness]

White wagtail: Just because it has to do with his own life doesn't mean it has anything to do with the show. And what does opressing nations have to do with the Lion king either?

[Katse]

Well, during the time of the Shadowlands, there was great oppression, at least among the lionesses, then, eventually, the hyenas.;)

[Dare]

Originally posted by Katse
Well, during the time of the Shadowlands, there was great oppression, at least among the lionesses, then, eventually, the hyenas.;)

Agreed. I mean, take a look at the lyrics...

"Hold on tight my people
Don't get weary
Don't lose your strength
We can see
They wanted to hold us back
They will not succeed
We will win"

Sounds like a song meant to inspire hope and strength to me, certainly a song that would be appropriate for times of oppression.
Overall, I think the song is about overcoming difficulties and hardships, of which there are many in TLK.

[Hickoro Lioness]

But whose they? And they're Lions, not people.

[Dare]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
But whose they? And they're Lions, not people.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean.
Are you insinuating that a song about people overcoming adversity cannot be used for lions who overcame a tyrant?

It looks to me like you're just focusing on the last part of the song...?
If that's the case, I don't think it's just about skin color, that's probably just a metaphor...I think it's about the singer knowing who they are and being proud of it...it could tie into the entire "Remember who you are" deal with Simba.

[Hickoro Lioness]

Oh, a metaphor. I'm kinda bad at those. But why express this through
the Lion King? Lebo could make a whole new musical just for that.

[Simbaspirit]

i agree with Wicked:)

[Hickoro Lioness]

But there's no proof it has anything to do with the lion king.

[Katse]

It was in a TLK soundtrack and a part of the musical. We've clearly stated that it's about oppression and difficult times, which has happened in the movie. What more proof do you need?:confused:

[Hickoro Lioness]

But I just still don't understand. That they were singing about the color of their skin, when it's a show about lions!

[Simbaspirit]

Scar has dark skin, Nala has white skin

[HasiraKali]

I think the song has to do with the way life is/was in South Africa. Lebo M is from South Africa and he was exiled. I'm sure some of you already know this. For a long time, there was/has been a severe divide between races in South Africa. Have any of you seen "The Color of Friendship"? It was on the DisneyChannel a few years ago and goes into it. I'm rubbish at explaining it. :p But Google it, and you should come up with some information. :)
As for TLKoB, One by One is used instead of an entre'act before Act II begins. Julie Taymor said she chose it because the repeated "one by one" made her picture what the audience would be doing as the song was being performed: Returning to their seats. One by one.

[DarkPaw]

Just a tidbit, my 10 month old brother loves the One By One short! He bounces up and down in front of the TV each morning. And each morning before school, we watch it 3-4 times. He loves it, and so do my other brother and I.

[Nephilim]

*blinks* Well, if it's on a LK soundtrack, then you have to accept that it has something to do with TLK. Even if it's not a direct link.

[Dare]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
But there's no proof it has anything to do with the lion king.

There's no proof it has nothing to do with the TLK either. Methinks you're just looking at the surface of the song and the lyrics. You have to go beyond that and focus on the overall meaning of the song.

Anyway, found this quote:


One By One: A chant-like composition drawing from ancient African warrior songs, One by One features deep male voices that penetrate the soul. It symbolizes my personal struggle to retain strength through adversity and serves as a universal mantra for all people of oppressed nations to find power from within.

[Kiara Serengeti]

Originally posted by Simbaspirit
Scar has dark skin, Nala has white skin



:Ooo:

[Hickoro Lioness]

TLK has nothing to do with race, it's a show about animals. That's my point.

[Sombolia]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
TLK has nothing to do with race, it's a show about animals. That's my point.

Um, I don't think you're getting the point here.

Lyrics translated into English, courtesy of lionking.org;

Hold on tight, my people
Don't get weary
Don't lose your strength
We can see
They wanted to hold us back
One by one
They will not succeed
One by one
We will win
One by one
They will not succeed
One by one
(Repeat)

We will win
Because
We know who we are

Because
We know who we are
(Repeat)

Come and see
The cowards are running away

The color of my skin
That is dark
I'm proud of it

The color of my skin
That is dark
I will die with it

The color of my skin
That is dark
I'm proud of it

Oh yes
It's beautiful in Africa

Only the last part talks about skin color. The whole thing isn't about race. Look at the first and tell me can't relate to TLK, hmm?

[Hickoro Lioness]

Well, I am talking about the last part. That has absoulutly nothing to do with TLK
Any I must admit, more than half the cast is African-american. Is this because TLK takes place in africa?

[Sombolia]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
Well, I am talking about the last part. That has absoulutly nothing to do with TLK

Uh, well, it seems weird to take one part of the song and do that, when the song as a whole has quite a lot to do with TLK.

[eta] I mean, I could pick a random lyric out of any TLK song and say, "That has nothing to do with TLK!" It doesn't stop the whole song from being about TLK, though.

[HasiraKali]

The song is about struggle. TLK is kind of about struggle. There. :lol:

[Hickoro Lioness]

Yea, TLK is kinda about struggle, at one point. But it is mostly about remembering your responsibility, and remembering who you are.

[HasiraKali]

Yes. It's about the struggle to discover who you are and where you fit in the grand scheme of things.

[Hickoro Lioness]

I wouldn't say it was a struggle to discover yourself.

[Sombolia]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
remembering who you are

Originally posted by HasiraKali
struggle to discover who you are

Same thing, pretty much.

[HasiraKali]

I wasn't refuting what she said I was saying I agreed. :p And thanks Sombolia.

[Hickoro Lioness]

Oh, sorry Hasirakali :D
thank you Sombolia

[just a girl]

"remembering who you are"...isn't that exactly what the song "one by one" is trying to tell.

I think it could not fit more perfectly into the whole lion king thing :)

Simba returns - he finally realizes nobody can brake him, nobody's gonna walk over him like Scar once did...and it's kind of the same with the lionesses. But there always have to be more people ( or lions in this case - it's the whole point of Disney's animated movies - animals with the exact same understanding of social behavior patterns as people) to be able to stand up for themselves.

And on the other hand it's the whole LK musical idea - People of different races who have suffered in the past or still do now...given a chance to show the world who they are. If you think really hard...how many, let us say, black people get a chance to play in a musical, apart from LK? Well not much I suppose, cause there are not many shows to include an African-American, native American... character.

It's the right thing tho...LK is about African animals, about African culture and therefore about African people too. Who else would be able to perform it with so much love and so much devotion. At the end that's what "one by one" is all about: spirit of Africa.

huh, sorry for this...got carried away ;)

[Hickoro Lioness]

- People of different races who have suffered in the past or still do now...given a chance to show the world who they are.

But why through a show about ANIMALS?!

[Katse]

Because it's in Africa and the characters are played by African peoples, silly.:idiot:

Three pages and you still don't get it.:lol:

"One by One"=song about oppression
Scar's Reign in the Pridelands=times of oppression
Simba's case=inner oppression because he's trying to get over what happened to Mufasa

:bleen:

[Sombolia]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
But why through a show about ANIMALS?!

It's called SYMBOLISM. Say it with me, now. Sym.. bol.. ism.

[Lucy Lioness]

Originally posted by Sombolia
It's called SYMBOLISM. Say it with me, now. Sym.. bol.. ism.

Hehe. :D

And you can't really say that the show is about just animals. The characters in TLK have human characteristics, real lions aren't like the ones in TLK. If it were a show about animals, it would include a load of lions sitting around, doing nothing for the entire show, except maybe mating and eating, lol. The message being put forward in One by One is universal, just like all the themes in TLK.

You need to think about what the song symobolises, like Somby said.

[Hickoro Lioness]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Katse
[B]Because it's in Africa and the characters are played by African peoples, silly.:idiot:


Uh no. Timon, pumbaa, scar and zazu. There ya go.

[Sombolia]

Originally posted by Hickoro Lioness
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Katse
[B]Because it's in Africa and the characters are played by African peoples, silly.:idiot:


Uh no. Timon, pumbaa, scar and zazu. There ya go.

You don't get it, do you?

[Hickoro Lioness]

Yes. I get it. The people who play Timon, pumbaa scar and zazu are
not african american

[Katse]

*facepalm* Just watch that in the middle of the night 3 years and 4 months from now, you'll wake up and be, "oh! Now I get it!":knowdees:

:woeisme:

[Sombolia]

That's not what I meant. I meant, we're telling you exactly what it is, and instead you ignore that and look at the details ("But they're not African!!1").

[just a girl]

:lol: Uh!No end to this one...Zazu, Pumba, Timon,etc. not being African is part of the show. First of all it's the way they act, then it's the way they talk that is different from the other characters (in England it's necessary for Zazu to be played by an English person cause they want him to have this accent - and it doesn't matter for other characters) and this people come from all those acting institutes and schools and know how to handle puppets. Then it's another thing...well...imagine the person who plays Mufasa or Simba to sing "the morning report"...I'd probably fall down laughing. Cause African people use their voices differently. Those differences may be tiny, but they're big on the show. They have a "white" Simba director in London (a guy who shows the actuall Simba how to perform, what to improve...) and believe me, It was really interesting how big the difference is.

And in the role subscription there are certain specifications about a character. Zazu is to symbolize something like a butler
:cringe:

Like I said, Disney's whole point is to give animals peoples characteristics...How would lions sing in your opinion...I guess Endless night would sound marvelous and the expressions of sadness, happiness...uh...
:horror:

Maybe you should look at the musical in a different way...The animated movie was made for young people, children, the musical is a logical progress in getting a larger audience. Even adults, if you think about it, have problems with finding themselves, don't we? Maybe even more than children.