#14 - The Lion Sleeps Tonight
I love this song for a couple of reasons. The first being of course, it was so much fun in The Lion King and Timon and Pumba were wonderful singing it. But, I chose this particular version for a much more personal reason if you will indulge me. I come from a family of 7 children-5 girls and 2 boys. I can remember listening to this version of The Lion Sleeps Tonight by the Tokens with my big brother Ricky in his car. It's strange for me to think he was 14, just about Dakota's age, when he started driving all the rest of us kids around, and I thought he was so big, almost larger than life. Ricky was always such a cool guy, very handsome, a basketball player, I still remember how big his hands were, he could palm a basketball. It's funny how a song can take you back in time and bring back happy memories. Like riding in his blue Impala with the radio cranked up and singing out loud. He had a way of always making everyone feel special, he was very popular at school, yet he always had time for his baby sister whenever he saw me on the playground. I also thought he was invincible, unfortunately he wasn't. I was nine years old in 1972 when my big brother, who was a high school senior at the time, was killed in a car accident on the way home from school. He wasn't driving the blue Impala I remember riding around in for so many years, he had worked and saved and bought himself a new car, a green Chevy Malibu. Funny how a 47 year old woman can remember so many details from her 9 year old broken heart. So in honor of Ricky, I'm going to listen and maybe even sing out loud! I love you big brother and always will!!
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