Can You Feel the Love Tonight facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" |
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| Single by Elton John | ||||
| from the album The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
| Released | May 12, 1994 | |||
| Recorded | 1993–1994 | |||
| Genre | Pop, soft rock | |||
| Length | 4:01 (album version) | |||
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| Composer(s) | Elton John | |||
| Lyricist(s) | Tim Rice | |||
| Producer(s) | Chris Thomas | |||
| Elton John singles chronology | ||||
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"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a famous song from Disney's 1994 animated movie The Lion King. The music was created by Elton John, and the words were written by Tim Rice.
This song is known for having a very interesting history during the making of the film. It became a huge hit around the world! In the United Kingdom, it reached number 14 on the music charts. In the United States, it was even more popular, climbing to number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song also hit number one in Canada and France.
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1995. This is one of the biggest awards a song from a movie can win! In the same year, Elton John also won a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for singing this song.
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How the Song Was Made
When the movie The Lion King was being planned, the song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was first meant to be sung by the funny characters Timon and Pumbaa. However, Elton John didn't like this idea. He felt that the song should be a serious and beautiful love song.
Elton John believed that "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" should follow "Disney's tradition of great love songs." He thought it could show the deep feelings between the lions, Simba and Nala, much better than just talking.
In the end, the song was mostly sung by an off-screen singer named Kristle Edwards. Simba (Joseph Williams) and Nala (Sally Dworsky) sang short parts. Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) sang the beginning and end of the song. The song also included some Zulu vocals, which were more noticeable in the versions released on CDs than in the movie.
Live Performances and Other Versions
The song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" has been performed in many places and covered by different artists.
In Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom theme park, there's a show called Festival of the Lion King. In this show, the song is sung by characters named Nakawa and Kibibi. While they sing, two ballet dancers, dressed like birds, perform on stage. During the song, the male dancer helps his partner fly through the air using a special harness.
Famous Artists Who Covered It
Many other musicians have sung their own versions of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
- The English pop group S Club covered the song for an album called Disneymania.
- Later, Sara Paxton and Elliott Yamin also covered it for other Disneymania albums.
- Jackie Evancho included her version on her album Songs from the Silver Screen.
- A Eurodance band called Harajuku released a dance version in 1995.
- The Italian singing group Il Volo covered it for a special edition of their album We Are Love.
- In 2017, a heavy metal band called D-Metal Stars made a metal version for their album "Metal Disney."
- For the 2019 live-action movie The Lion King, Beyoncé (as Nala), Donald Glover (as Simba), Seth Rogen (as Pumbaa), and Billy Eichner (as Timon) all performed the song.
- Pentatonix released an a cappella version (singing without instruments) for the 2019 movie.
- In 2020, Christina Aguilera sang the song for a TV special called The Disney Family Singalong.
- Japanese composer Yoshiki created a new classical version of the song in 2020 for a Disney special.
The song was also covered in different languages for a series of albums called We Love Disney.
- Christophe Willem sang it for the French We Love Disney album in 2013.
- Jason Derulo sang it for the American We Love Disney album in 2015.
- Cakra Khan sang it for the Indonesian We Love Disney album in 2015.
- Luis Fonsi sang it for the Latin American We Love Disney album in 2016.
Who Played on the Song?
Many talented musicians helped create the original recording of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
- Elton John played the Piano and sang the main vocals.
- Davey Johnstone played the guitar and sang backing vocals.
- Chuck Sabo played the drums and helped with the strings.
- Phil Spalding played the bass guitar and sang backing vocals.
- Guy Babylon played the keyboards.
- Robert Englund, Rick Astley, Gary Barlow, and Kiki Dee all sang backing vocals.
Awards and Achievements
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was a huge success around the world. It reached the top of the charts in Canada and France. It also did very well in the United States, reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and in the UK, where it reached number 14.
The song sold many copies and earned special awards for its sales. It went Gold in Australia, Austria, Denmark, France, and the United Kingdom. This means it sold hundreds of thousands of copies in those countries! It even went Platinum in New Zealand and the United States, meaning it sold over a million copies in the US alone.
See also
In Spanish: Can You Feel the Love Tonight para niños
