Disney Wedding Songs: Can You Feel The Love Tonight?

Can You Feel the Love Tonight is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King. It was composed by English musician Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The song is about the blossoming romance between Simba and Nala, as their longtime childhood friendship turns into love during a stroll through the jungle. The song is a perfect choice for a Disney-themed wedding, whether it be for the first dance or the last song of the night. The lyrics speak of feeling the love and being in perfect harmony with all living things. It won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award for Best Original Song in 1994 and 1995.

The song's lyrics

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King. It was composed by English musician Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The song is a classical pop ballad and was a commercial success, reaching number one in Canada and France, and peaking at number 4 in the US. It also won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and Grammy Award for Best Original Song.

The song begins with Timon and Pumbaa, who realise that Simba and Nala being alone together will likely lead to romance. They worry that this will bring an end to their carefree days with Simba, and their prediction comes true as Nala and Simba's friendship blossoms into love during a stroll through the jungle.

The lyrics of the song reflect this theme of love and romance. The song opens with Timon and Pumbaa's humorous take on the situation:

> "I can see what's happening (What?) And they don't have a clue (Who?) They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line - our trio's down to two (Oh) (In a sarcastic mock-French accent) Ze sweet caress of twilight (Back to normal, but still sarcastic) There's magic everywhere And with all this romantic atmosphere Disaster's in the air"

This is followed by a chorus, which is repeated throughout the song:

> "Can you feel the love tonight? The peace the evening brings The world, for once, in perfect harmony With all its living things"

The chorus is then followed by verses sung by Simba and Nala, who express their feelings for each other, as well as their inner turmoil:

> [SIMBA] So many things to tell her But how to make her see The truth about my past? Impossible! She'd turn away from me

>

> [NALA] He's holding back, he's hiding But what, I can't decide Why won't he be the king I know he is The king I see inside?

The song continues with more verses from Timon and Pumbaa, who mourn the end of their trio, and then returns to the chorus. The song ends with a reflection on the power of love:

> "There's a calm surrender To the rush of day When the heat of a rolling wind Can be turned away An enchanted moment And it sees me through It's enough for this restless wanderer Just to be with you And can you feel the love tonight? It is where we are It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer That we got this far"

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a popular choice for weddings, with its theme of love and romance making it a perfect fit for the occasion.

Songwriters Elton John and Tim Rice

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film, The Lion King. It was composed by English musician Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The song was performed in the film by Kristle Edwards (also known as Kristle Murden), Joseph Williams, Sally Dworsky, Nathan Lane, and Ernie Sabella. Another version, used in the film's closing credits, was performed by Elton John.

The song was originally planned to be sung only by Timon and Pumbaa, but John disliked the comical nature of the concept, declaring that the song was meant to follow "Disney's tradition of great love songs". He also believed that the song could "express the lions' feelings for each other far better than dialogue could". As a result, the final version was mainly sung by an off-screen voice (Edwards) with short lines from Simba (Williams) and Nala (Dworsky), and the beginning and end parts by Timon (Lane) and Pumbaa (Sabella).

The song was released as a single in May 1994, becoming a hit in the UK and the US, and a number-one hit in Canada and France. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and earned Elton John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

Sir Timothy Miles Bindon Rice, born in 1944, is an English lyricist and author. He began his career in music as a singer, performing as the lead vocalist of a pop group called The Aardvarks from 1961 to 1963. He later attended law school and worked as a management trainee at EMI Records. Rice is known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Evita, among others.

Rice has also collaborated with Elton John on various projects, including The Lion King, Aida, and The Road to El Dorado. He is one of the few people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Award, and has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1994, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music, and he is known as Sir Tim Rice.

Awards won by the song

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. The song is composed by English musician Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice. It was released as a single in May 1994 and went on to win several awards.

At the 67th Academy Awards in March 1995, the song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. It also won a Golden Globe at the 52nd Golden Globe Awards in 1995 for Best Song - Motion Picture. In the same year, the song also earned Elton John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

The song was also nominated for AFI's "100 Years...100 Songs" as one of 15 songs from Disney and one of 17 from an animated movie.

Cover versions

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a popular choice for weddings, and there are several cover versions of the song that would be perfect for a couple's big day. Here are some options:

Elton John's version: Elton John, who composed the song, also performed a cover version during the end credits of "The Lion King." This version was released as a single and included on the movie's soundtrack. It features background vocals by Rick Astley, Gary Barlow, and Kiki Dee.

Disney's Sing-Along Songs version: This version is performed by Arnold McCuller and Andrea Robinson, using the lyrics of the Elton John version but with a similar style to the Simba/Nala demo version. It is set to a montage of clips featuring couples from various Disney movies.

Simple Plan's version: This version is included in the 2019 "Lion King" soundtrack and is performed by the band Simple Plan.

Tyler Ward's version: A cover by singer-songwriter Tyler Ward, which can be found on the "Disney Peaceful Piano" album.

Beyoncé, Donald Glover, Billy Eichner, and Seth Rogen's version: This version is from the 2019 "Lion King" film and features the talented cast covering the classic song.

These cover versions offer a range of styles and interpretations of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," allowing couples to choose the one that best suits their wedding atmosphere and preferences.

The song's use in The Lion King and The Lion King 1/2

"Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is a song from Disney's 1994 animated feature film The Lion King. Composed by English musician Elton John, with lyrics by Tim Rice, the song was performed in the film by Kristle Edwards, Joseph Williams, Sally Dworsky, Nathan Lane, and Ernie Sabella. It won the 1994 Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and earned Elton John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

In the song, Timon and Pumbaa mourn their diminishing friendship with Simba while off-screen vocals sing about the romance in the air. The lyrics include: "And can you feel the love tonight?/It is where we are/It's enough for this wide-eyed wanderer/That we got this far".

In the follow-up film, The Lion King 1½, the romantic scene where the song was originally featured also had the song playing, but with a twist: interspersed with the romantic scenes were short comedic shots of Timon and Pumbaa trying to disrupt Simba and Nala's night out. The official soundtrack of The Lion King 1½ was released on CD by Walt Disney Records on February 10, 2004, and includes two songs from the original film: "That's All I Need", re-performed by Nathan Lane as Timon, and a remix of "Digga Tunnah". The rest of the soundtrack includes various R&B tracks, remakes of the Kool and the Gang classic "Jungle Boogie" by The French, and two instrumental pieces from The Lion King 1½ composer Don L. Harper. The theme of "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly", composed by Ennio Morricone, also appears on the soundtrack.

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