I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)

I would like to be like you ( English: I Wan'na Be Like You ) is a song from the Disney movie The Jungle Book from 1967, which was written by the Sherman Brothers.

The song is sung in the original English by Louis Prima as King Louie and Phil Harris as Baloo. The German version of the song sang Klaus Havenstein as King Louie and Edgar Ott as Balu; the German text is by Heinrich Riethmueller.

The Disney animators molded the character of King Louie and the scene in the jungle partly by the way, Louis Prima and his band on stage moving.

The scat dialogue between Baloo and King Louie was recorded in two sessions. Louis Primate performance was recorded first. It was initially planned that Phil Harris should repeat the words of Prima. However, Harris sang his part not after the submission of Prima.

Context in the Disney film

The orangutan King Louie is portrayed in the film as a cunning Monkey King who wants the human child Mowgli encourage them to share the secret of fire with him ( "give me the power of man's red flower" or " the fire splendor, give me the power to be just like you " ), that strives for human similarity and power. Mowgli imitates the dance of apes. At the same time the Monkey King is aped apes in his choreography of another (smaller). In addition, also Balou the bear dressed as orang -utan to save Mowgli through a diversion from the captivity of the band of monkeys.

Cover versions

Pinky and Perky took the song for her album movie Parade ( 1970). 1994 Phish sang a version in The Metropolis Concert Hall in Montreal, Quebec. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy sang the song for the soundtrack of the film Swingers. Later the song was also released on the album This Beautiful Life (1999). In The Jungle Book 2 by Smash Mouth song is sung. The Turnpike Cruisers, Barbriel Rios and the Jonas Brothers who covered the song. Robbie Williams took the title in 2013 along with Olly Murs on for his album Swings Both Ways. This version could also be placed in the German single charts.

2009, the song was used in an American anti-smoking campaign film. To the music children are shown that copy the behavior of the parents, with the caveat that children can be animated by parental smoking to smoking.