Be Prepared (song) facts for kids

"Be Prepared" is a song written by Elton John and Tim Rice (music and lyrics, respectively) for the Disney animated feature film The Lion King (1994). The song was originally performed in the film by Jeremy Irons, with Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Jim Cummings providing supporting vocals; Cummings performed partial material for Scar after Irons' voice gave out.

The song is also featured in the 1997 Broadway musical The Lion King, with John Vickery, Kevin Cahoon, Stanley Wayne Mathis, and Tracy Nicole Chapman performing it in the original Broadway cast for the musical. Chiwetel Ejiofor performed an altered version of the song in the 2019 film adaptation.

The Lion King

The song is performed as a musical number by Scar, who lusts for the position as king of the Pride Lands. Scar is inspired to develop a plot for both his brother Mufasa and his nephew Simba to be murdered, and tells about this plan through song to a large army of spotted hyena minions by his pledge to spare the hungry animals from starvation if they provide him with assistance.

Interesting facts

• Originally, the song (first called "Thanks to Me") was about Scar introducing the hyenas to the lionesses after he pronounced himself king. This idea was eventually scrapped and replaced with Be Prepared.
• At 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 in resemblance of Adolf Hitler with upwards of 22 beams of light pointing straight-up (resembling the Cathedral of light featured in many of the Nuremberg Rallies). Shadows cast onto the cliff evoke for a brief second monumental columns. This is modeled after footage from the Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda movie Triumph of the Will.
• Though Jeremy Irons is credited with performing the lead vocals on the song, at the 2012 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, Jim Cummings, who also played Ed, stated that he sang most of the song, and that Irons only did some of the talking.
• On the original soundtrack recording, Scar opens the song with a soliloquy. In the film, this is cut and the song begins immediately.
• During early production of the film, there was a reprise created of the song, taking place after Scar has assumed power over the Pride Lands. He is given the idea by Zazu to find a mate. So he tries courting Nala, who refuses his advances, and is therefore banished by Scar. He then unleashes the hyenas upon the Pride Lands as his "executive staff". A second version of the reprise was also considered to be sung during Mufasa's funeral (this variation is included as a special supplement on the laserdisc edition of the film and was also featured on the Broadway musical). Both versions of the reprise were ultimately removed from the film and the concept of the first version was later recycled in "The Madness of King Scar" and was included in the Broadway musical version of the film.

See also

In Spanish: Be Prepared (canción) para niños