The Lion’s Melody, Sold for Ten Shillings
The Lion’s Melody, Sold for Ten Shillings
1939–2006Johannesburg, South AfricaArt, music & film
A Zulu singer improvised a melody that circled the world, sold it for ten shillings, and died too poor for a tombstone.
Reading level
The same true story, told at three lengths. Pick one to read, close your eyes, and tell it back in your own words.
217 words · about 1 min to read · retell it in about 2 minutes
In 1939, a South African singer named Solomon Linda stood in a recording studio in Johannesburg. He worked at the record company, packing records. With his group, the Evening Birds, he began to sing. Over the group’s driving chant, Linda improvised. In Zulu, the song is called “Mbube”, which means lion.
On the third try, Linda lifted his voice into a high, strange, beautiful line. That melody became famous around the world.
But Linda sold the rights to his song for ten shillings. He could not read, and he did not understand royalties. Years later, a court agreed the deal was unfair.
The song travelled. An American singer heard the record and transcribed it, but he misheard the chorus as “wimoweh”. The English version became “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, a huge hit. It was even in the Disney film The Lion King.
Linda died in 1962. His family could not even afford a tombstone.
Then, around the turn of the century, a journalist told the whole story. Lawyers found an old law from 1911. It said rights return to a writer’s estate twenty-five years after death. The family sued, and in 2006 they won a settlement. And at last, Solomon Linda was named as a co-composer of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”, the hit built on his melody.
302 words · about 2 min to read · retell it in about 2 minutes
Picture a recording studio in Johannesburg in 1939. A young man named Solomon Linda stood at the microphone with his group, the Evening Birds. By day he packed records for the company. Now he was recording.
Over the group’s driving chant, Linda improvised a song about a lion. In Zulu, the word for lion is “mbube”. On the third take, Linda lifted his voice into a high, haunting melody. That melody would travel further than he could have imagined.
Linda sold the rights to “Mbube” for ten shillings. He could not read, and he had no understanding of royalties. A court later called the deal unfair. The song reportedly sold over a hundred thousand copies in South Africa over nine years, and it was a major success for Linda and the Evening Birds. But the money went elsewhere.
In America, the folk singer Pete Seeger heard the record and transcribed it. He misheard the chorus as “wimoweh”, which became the title of his group’s version in 1951. A decade later, a New York group called the Tokens recorded it with new English words as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. It went to number one in the United States and many other countries. In 1994 it appeared in Disney’s The Lion King.
Linda received no credit. He died in 1962, leaving a wife and four children, and his family could not afford a tombstone.
Decades later, a journalist named Rian Malan wrote about the injustice. Lawyers took the case and found an old British law from 1911. It said that twenty-five years after an author’s death, the rights return to his estate. That had happened in 1987.
The family sued. In 2006, just before the trial, a settlement was reached. Linda was finally named as a co-composer.
He never knew. But his family did.
481 words · about 2 min to read · retell it in about 4 minutes
In 1939, a Zulu migrant worker and entertainer named Solomon Linda stood before a microphone in Johannesburg’s first recording studio. He worked at the Gallo record plant, packing records, and he sang with a group called the Evening Birds. The song itself was an improvised chant about a lion. In Zulu, the word is “mbube”.
On the third take, something happened. Linda lifted his voice into a high, haunting falsetto line, and that line became, in the words of the lawyer who later fought for his family, the most famous melody ever to emerge from Africa.
Then he signed it away. Linda assigned his worldwide copyright in “Mbube” to Gallo for ten shillings. He could not read. He had no understanding of royalties. The song reportedly sold more than a hundred thousand copies in South Africa over nine years, but the money did not follow him home. Years later, a court would call the deal unfair.
The melody, though, kept travelling. Gallo’s records reached America. The folk singer Pete Seeger heard “Mbube” and transcribed it, mishearing the chorus as “wimoweh”, a garbling of the Zulu “Uyimbube”, meaning “he is the lion”. His group, the Weavers, released “Wimoweh” in December 1951, and Linda received no credit. A decade later, a New York group called the Tokens recorded it with English lyrics by George David Weiss. Released in October 1961, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” went to number one in the United States and in many other countries. In 1994 it was used in Disney’s The Lion King.
Solomon Linda died in 1962, leaving a wife, Regina, and four children. His family could not afford a tombstone.
For decades, that seemed to be the end of the story. Then, around the turn of the century, the journalist Rian Malan wrote in Rolling Stone about the gap between the millions the song’s derivatives had earned and the poverty of Linda’s daughters. The article caused an outcry in South Africa.
Lawyers went looking for a way in, and they found one in an unlikely place: a British statute from 1911 that had been made law across the British Empire, South Africa included. Under it, twenty-five years after an author’s death, the copyright reverts to the executor of the estate, whatever the author had signed away. For Linda, that moment had passed quietly in 1987.
The estate was reopened in 2004. The family sued. A trial was set for 21 February 2006, and just before it began, the parties settled. The family received payment for past uses and a share of future royalties. And the agreement said, in writing, what the world had forgotten: that The Lion Sleeps Tonight came from Mbube, and that Solomon Linda was its co-composer.
He never lived to see his name on the hit his melody became. But the law, late and strange as it was, finally gave him his name back.
Read it once, close the page, and tell it back. The coach listens for pace, fillers and the facts.
Key facts and sources
Solomon Linda was a South African musician and singer who composed ‘Mbube’.
“was a South African musician, singer, and performer. He composed “Mbube”” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
In 1939 he was working at Gallo Record Company’s plant as a record packer, and the Evening Birds were noticed by a talent scout.
“After Linda started working at the Gallo Record Company’s Roodepoort plant as a record packer in 1939, the Evening Birds were noticed by company talent scout Griffith Motsieloa.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
In 1939, while recording songs in the studio, Linda improvised ‘Mbube’.
“In 1939, while recording a number of songs in the studio, Linda improvised the song “Mbube”.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
He stood before a microphone in Johannesburg’s first recording studio, improvising falsetto lines against a driving vocal chant.
“In 1939, a Zulu migrant worker and entertainer who called himself Solomon Linda stood before a microphone in Johannesburg’s first recording studio, improvising falsetto vocal lines against a rolling, driving vocal chant.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
He called the song Mbube, Zulu for lion.
“He called the song Mbube, Zulu for lion.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
On the third take he came up with a haunting skein of notes that became the most famous melody ever to emerge from Africa.
“On the third take, Linda came up with a haunting skein of notes that went on to become the most famous melody ever to emerge from Africa.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
He assigned his worldwide copyright in Mbube to Gallo for 10 shillings.
“Solomon Linda had assigned his worldwide copyright in Mbube to the Gallo Record Company for a consideration of 10 shillings.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The song reportedly sold more than 100,000 copies in South Africa over nine years.
“reportedly selling more than 100,000 copies in South Africa over nine years” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
A court would later deem the deal unfair, seeing that Linda could not read and had no understanding of royalties.
“Seeing that Linda could not read and had no understanding of royalties, a court would later deem this deal unfair.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
Pete Seeger transcribed the record for the Weavers, mishearing the chorus as ‘wimoweh’; their version came out in December 1951 and Linda got no credit.
““Mbube” intrigued Seeger, and he transcribed it word for word, although he misheard the chorus as wimoweh. In December 1951, the Weavers released a cover of “Mbube” named “Wimoweh”” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
Wimoweh was a corruption of the Zulu ‘Uyimbube’, meaning ‘he is the lion’.
“which he called Wimoweh (a corruption of the Zulu lyrics, Uyimbube, or “he is the lion”)” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The Tokens, a New York doo-wop group, recorded it in October 1961 with English lyrics by George David Weiss, and Linda again got no credit.
“It was released in October 1961 as a B-side, and Linda, again, received no credit.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ reached No. 1 in the US and other countries.
““The Lion Sleeps Tonight” surged to No. 1 in the US charts and in numerous other countries.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
Linda died in 1962, leaving a wife, Regina, and four children.
“He died in 1962, leaving a wife, Regina, and four children.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
At his death his family could not afford a tombstone.
“His family could not afford a tombstone.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
In the late 1990s journalist Rian Malan wrote in Rolling Stone that the derivatives of Mbube had made millions while Linda’s daughters lived in abject poverty.
“journalist Rian Malan wrote an article for Rolling Stone magazine exposing the machinations which had taken place and making the point that, while the derivatives of Mbube had made millions of dollars, the Linda daughters, one of whom had recently died from AIDS, were living in abject poverty in South Africa” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
In 1994 the song was used in the Disney film The Lion King.
“In 1994, it featured in the Disney film The Lion King.” — Solomon Linda, Wikipedia
The family’s case relied on the 1911 Imperial Copyright Act: 25 years after an author’s death, copyright reverts to the executor of the estate.
“According to this provision, where an author assigned his copyright during his lifetime, 25 years after his death the copyright reverted to the Executor of his estate” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The reversionary copyright had vested in the executor since 1987, 25 years after Linda’s death.
“the reversionary copyright had been vested in the Executor since 1987 (i.e. 25 years after Solomon Linda’s death)” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The estate was reopened in 2004 with Stephanus Griesel appointed executor.
“The estate of the late Solomon Linda was reopened and an Executor, Stephanus Griesel, appointed in 2004.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
Because Abilene Music had no assets in South Africa, the lawyers sued Disney by attaching some 200 of its registered South African trademarks as security.
“This could be done by “attaching” some 200 registered trade marks owned by Walt Disney Enterprises in South Africa” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The High Court of South Africa granted the attachment; Disney’s urgent application to set it aside was refused.
“The application to attach Disney’s registered trademarks, as well as the copyright in the movie The Lion King, was granted by the High Court of South Africa.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
A settlement was reached shortly before the trial was due to start on 21 February 2006.
“The action was set down for trial commencing on February 21, 2006. Shortly before the trial date a settlement was reached” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The settlement acknowledged Linda as a co-composer of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
“Solomon Linda is acknowledged as a co-composer of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and will be designated as such in the future.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The settlement acknowledged The Lion Sleeps Tonight as derived from Mbube.
“is acknowledged as derived from Mbube.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
By some estimates the song earned over $15 million in composer royalties.
“It has earned by some estimates over $15 million in composer royalties.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The 1911 Imperial Copyright Act was a British statute made law throughout the British Empire, including South Africa.
“This was a British statute, which was made law throughout the British Empire as it existed in 1911, including South Africa.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
The settlement gave the Linda heirs payment for past uses of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and an entitlement to future royalties.
“The Linda heirs will receive payment for past uses of The Lion Sleeps Tonight and an entitlement to future royalties from its worldwide use.” — Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion, WIPO Magazine
Sources consulted for this story: Solomon Linda (Wikipedia, accessed 2026-10-25); Copyright in the Courts: The Return of the Lion (WIPO Magazine, accessed 2026-10-25). Every story is checked against its sources before it is published — how we verify stories.
Why this story is worth telling
His song made millions. His daughters got a lawyer, a forgotten 1911 law, and finally his name.
