Be Prepared (song) facts for kids

"Be Prepared" is a famous song from the Disney animated movie The Lion King (1994). Elton John wrote the music, and Tim Rice wrote the words.

In the movie, the song is sung by the character Scar. The main singer was Jeremy Irons. Other voices were Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings. Jim Cummings even sang some parts for Scar when Jeremy Irons' voice got tired.

The song is also in The Lion King Broadway musical, which started in 1997. Later, in the 2019 movie version of The Lion King, Chiwetel Ejiofor sang a different version of the song.

The Song in The Lion King Movie

In The Lion King movie, "Be Prepared" is a big musical scene. Scar sings this song because he really wants to be king of the Pride Lands. He plans to get rid of his brother, Mufasa, and his nephew, Simba.

Scar sings about his plan to a large group of spotted hyenas. He promises to help them find food if they help him become king.

Cool Facts About "Be Prepared"

• The song was first called "Thanks to Me." It was going to be about Scar showing the hyenas to the lionesses after he became king. But this idea changed, and "Be Prepared" was created instead.
• In the song, there's a scene where an army of hyenas marches in front of Scar. Scar stands on a high cliff, and many bright lights shine straight up behind him. This scene was inspired by old movies that used grand, powerful visuals to show strength and unity.
• Even though Jeremy Irons is known for singing the main part, Jim Cummings (who also voiced Ed the hyena) said he sang most of the song. He mentioned that Jeremy Irons mostly did the talking parts.
• On the original soundtrack, Scar starts the song with a short speech. But in the movie, this speech was cut, and the song begins right away.
• During the early making of the movie, there was an idea for a second part of the song. This part would happen after Scar became king. In this idea, Scar tries to make Nala his queen, but she says no and is sent away. This idea was later used in a song called "The Madness of King Scar" in the Broadway musical.

See also

In Spanish: Be Prepared (canción) para niños