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The Lion's Share Lyrics
Can I be unhappy?
Look at what I see: a beast in furs and crowned in luxury.
He's a wealthy man in the poorest land, a self-appointed king,
and there's no complaining while he's reigning.
The lambs are bare of fleece and cold; the lion has stolen that, I'm told.
There must be some creature mighty as you are.
The lambs go hungry (not fair), the biggest portion is the lion's share.
There must be some creature mighty as you are.
Can I be unhappy?
Listen and agree, no words can shame him or tame him.
The lambs are bare of fleece and cold; the lion has stolen that, I'm told.
There must be some creature mighty as you are.
The lambs go hungry (not fair), the biggest portion is the lion's share.
There must be some creature mighty as you are, as you are.
Razor claws in velvet paws, you dunce in your guarded home,
'til a stronger beast will call on you and pounce upon your throne.
Do we pay? Dearly, for the lion takes so greedily
and he knows that what he's taken, it is ours.
That's how the wealth's divided among the lambs and king of the beasts, it is so one-sided.
Until the lamb is king of the beasts we live so one-sided.
Look at what I see: a beast in furs and crowned in luxury.
He's a wealthy man in the poorest land, a self-appointed king,
and there's no complaining while he's reigning.
The lambs are bare of fleece and cold; the lion has stolen that, I'm told.
There must be some creature mighty as you are.
The lambs go hungry (not fair), the biggest portion is the lion's share.
There must be some creature mighty as you are.
Listen and agree, no words can shame him or tame him.
The lambs are bare of fleece and cold; the lion has stolen that, I'm told.
There must be some creature mighty as you are.
The lambs go hungry (not fair), the biggest portion is the lion's share.
There must be some creature mighty as you are, as you are.
'til a stronger beast will call on you and pounce upon your throne.
and he knows that what he's taken, it is ours.
That's how the wealth's divided among the lambs and king of the beasts, it is so one-sided.
Until the lamb is king of the beasts we live so one-sided.
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I first heard-- an immediately came to love-- this song when posted to Angola in the mid-1990s, when the country was torn by civil war between two sets of would-be lions who wanted nothing more than to take whatever they could for themselves. The song is about the abuse of power by dictators, and the inevitable violent change of government that follows in such a system. The "lion" allusion and the reference to the "poorest land" may make this more specifically about Africa, in which case it's a nice counterpoint to "hateful hate."
I always thought this song was about Idi Amin of Uganda. As well as being known as "The Lion of Africa" he was a self-appointed King (of Scotland!) and one of his (self-anointed) titles was "... Lord of all the Beasts ..."
I always thought this song was about Idi Amin of Uganda. As well as being known as "The Lion of Africa" he was a self-appointed King (of Scotland!) and one of his (self-anointed) titles was "... Lord of all the Beasts ..."
Whether or not it was written to represent a specific political figure, I think it represents class struggle in general. The rich lions get richer and the poor lambs are powerless. It almost takes a miracle for anything to change.