 |
| ...To Die For | |
|---|---|
| |
| Attribution information | |
| Composer | |
| Mixer | |
| Release information | |
| Released |
May 31, 1994 |
| Track |
7 |
| Length |
4:17 |
| Albums |
• The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
| Appearances | |
| Samples | |
| Versions |
• |
| “ | Simba: Hey, Uncle Scar! Will I like the surprise? Scar: Simba, it's to die for. |
” |
"...To Die For" is an instrumental score composed by Hans Zimmer for The Lion King. It represents the wildebeest stampede sequence and its aftermath, most notably the death of Mufasa. The score was originally released on May 31, 1994, as part of the soundtrack of The Lion King, with a Special Edition re-release on September 30, 2003.
Conception and development
German film composer and music producer Hans Zimmer composed "...To Die For" for the 1994 film The Lion King.[1] Because he composed the film's score linearly, he did not write "...To Die For" until he reached Mufasa's death in the script.[2] From then on, his experience became deeply personal due to his own father's death when he was a child, leading him to compose a "serious requiem" to represent the sequence.[3] He wrote the transition between the stampede and Mufasa's fatal fall intentionally, as he believed the audience would already be bracing for the tragic turn of events by that point in the film.[4]
Zimmer's influences were largely shaped by his German background, particularly his childhood memories of listening to Mozart. He consulted with Lebo M on how to meld African and German culture for the piece. "I'm a German, so I'm going to write with a German accent, just the way we're speaking now," Zimmer said. "And let me go and take this into Africa and give it to Africa, and let them just respond with their culture, and see what happens where the two cultures collide, if another new thing can come out of it." He considered this deliberate blending of cultures to be part of the score's strength.[5]
Releases and alternative versions
The Lion King: Special Edition album cover.
"...To Die For" was first released on May 31, 1994, as part of the soundtrack of The Lion King.[6]
The stage musical adaptation of The Lion King uses a rendition of the score titled "The Stampede". It was released as part of the original cast recording on July 8, 1997.[7]
The Special Edition version of "...To Die For" was released on September 30, 2003.[8][9]
A remixed and restored version of "...To Die For" was released on June 24, 2014, as part of The Legacy Collection: The Lion King. For this album, the score was split into two uncut tracks titled "Stampede" and "Mufasa Dies".[10][11]
"...To Die For" was reimagined for the 2019 remake of The Lion King. Titled "Stampede", the score was released as part of the film's soundtrack on July 11, 2019.[12]
Use
In the canon
Simba flees a wildebeest stampede, during which "...To Die For" is heard.
"...To Die For" is heard in The Lion King as a representation of the wildebeest stampede sequence, during which Scar baits Mufasa into rescuing his son, Simba. The score starts when Simba notices a herd of wildebeests stampeding into the gorge. It carries through his flight from the wildebeests and into Mufasa's successful rescue attempt. After Mufasa falls to his death, the score changes tone, moving into the mournful themes heard as Simba discovers and grieves over his father's body. It plays through his tearful confrontation with Scar and ends on the flute notes heard as he flees the Pride Lands.[13]
In other media
A reimagined version of "...To Die For" is heard in the 2019 remake of The Lion King. It plays during the wildebeest stampede sequence and its aftermath, including the hyena chase.[14]
The stage musical adaptation of The Lion King breaks "...To Die For" into three separate cues: "Stampede - Part 1", "Stampede - Part 2", and "Eulogy". This version of the score plays during the same sequence of events as its film counterpart. However, unlike the film, the stage musical follows up the score with a song titled "Rafiki Mourns".[15]
A reimagined version of "...To Die For" is heard in the 1994 video game The Lion King. It plays during the stampede level. There are two slightly different versions of the score: one for Genesis and one for SNES.[16]
Trivia
- "...To Die For" is named for Scar's line of dialogue: "Simba, it's to die for."[13]
- In a story reel for The Lion King II: Simba's Pride, "...To Die For" serves as background music for Zira's suicide.[17]
References
| The Lion King (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
|---|
| The Lion King: Special Edition |
|---|