"I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song)", or simply "I Wanna Be Like You", is a song from the 1967 Disney animated film The Jungle Book. It features the King Louie and his monkeys singing to a captured Mowgli, charming him and trying to get him to tell the secret of how to make fire so they may use it to rule the jungle. The song was performed by Louie's voice actor, the late Louis Prima, and the late Phil Harris, the voice of Baloo.
The song was used again in the 2003 animated sequel The Jungle Book 2; while King Louie never made an appearance, the song was performed by American band Smash Mouth over the end credits.
In 2016, Disney remade The Jungle Book as a live-action film. The song was used again with additional lyrics, and was performed by King Louie's voice actor Christopher Walken.
Lyrics[]
Bu-ba-do-do-do-be-do
Now I'm the king of the swingers, whoa
The jungle VIP
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what botherin' me
I wanna be a man, mancub
And stroll right into town
And be just like the other men
I'm tired of monkeyin' around!
Oh, ooh-bee-doo,
(Oop-dee-wee)
I wanna be like you
(Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow)
I wanna walk like you
(Cheep)
Talk like you
(Cheep)
Too!
(Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo)
You'll see it's true
(Shoo-be-dee-doo)
An ape like me
(Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee)
Can learn to be
Human
Too!
[Gee, cousin Louie, you're doin' real good.]
[Now here's your part of the deal, cuz. Lay the secret on me of man's red fire.]
['But I don't know how to make fire!]
Now don't try to kid me, mancub
I made a deal with you!
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true!
Give me the secret, mancub
Come on, clue me what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
So I can be like you!
Hey!
De-zop-ba-ronie
Hap-da-dee-ba-lat
Da-dat-dat-non
Hey, a-baby-dot-doo
Zaba-doo-doo-day-doo-bop
Doo-boo-doo-day, ze-bonz
Za-bop-bop-bobby
Za-bah-doo-dee!
Well, a-ree-bah-naza
He-beh-do-beh-doy
Well, a-lah-bah-zini
Wadahlabat-boodalabat
Seebahlalat-dodie
Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
Well, a-ha ha ha ha
Rrrrahr-rrrahr!
Gettin' mad, baby!
Hall-owallo-a-la la
Mahata alottado
Hodolata-deetle-do
Do-zootle-dot-dot-dot-dot-dot
Gingle do doot do do do doot
Zeep-i-doo-da hab a daah
You hoo hoo!
(Oop-dee-wee)
I wanna be like you!
(Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow)
I wanna walk like you!
(Cheep)
Talk like you
(Cheep)
Too!
(Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo)
You'll see it's true!
(Shoo-be-dee-doo)
Someone like me
(Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee)
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like me
(Take me home, daddy!)
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like you
(One more time!)
Yeah!
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like me!
Cee-de-do-bop-bop
Bada-doodle
Dot-andot-andot-andot-andot...
Man...
Now I may be the king of the jungle but
Around here I've been a fool
I dig the Mouse that gigs in this House
I wish I could be so cool.
Oh, MM, what's your secret?
How ya done it all these years?
Tell me the scoop, put me in the loop
Hey, Mickey! I'm all ears!
Oh, Mickey, ooh!
(M-I-C!)
I wanna be like M-O-You!
(K-E-Y!)
I wanna sing like you
(Ooh!)
Swing like you
(Ooh!)
Too-oo-oo
(Why, because o' why?)
Mickey, it's tru-uu-uue.
(M-O-U-S-E!)
A monkey like me-ee-ee
(M-O-N-K-E-Y!)
Wants to learn to be, like that mouse, Mickey, yeah!
Ah, King Larry, don't cha worry.
(Yeah?)
Just be yourself, that's all!
(Cool!)
Don't jump around
Relax! Sit down!
And please don't climb up that wall!
(Whoah!)
I'll be on my best behavior.
(I hope so!)
I'll get dressed and comb my hair.
(Well, that's a start.)
I'll sit upright
(Uh-huh?)
And act polite
And leave the jungle out there!
(Ha!)
M-I-C!
(K-E-Y!)
I wanna be like thee-ee-ee!
(M-O-U-S-E!)
I wanna hang with you
(Ooh!)
And Minnie, too!
(Ooh!)
She's so cool!
(Dedededede!)
King Larry, you-hoo-hoo!
(King Larry!)
Are ro-yal-ly
(M-O-U-S-E!)
The King of Cool and that's cool by me!
Take me home, Mousey!
Just be cool, like that mouse Mickey!
One more time!
I wanna be cool and that's cool by me!
[Can you hear it?
Yeah, man.
Y-y-y-y-y-yeah, y-y-y-yeah, y-y-y-y-yeah...]
Now I'm the king of the swingers, whoa
The jungle VIP
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what botherin' me
I wanna be a man, mancub
And stroll right into town
And be just like the other men
I'm tired of monkeyin' around!
Oh, ooh-bee-doo,
(Oop-dee-wee)
I wanna be like you
(Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow)
I wanna walk like you
(Cheep)
Talk like you
(Cheep)
Too!
(Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo)
You'll see it's true
(Shoo-be-dee-doo)
An ape like me
(Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee)
Can learn to be
Human
Too!
Now don't try to kid me, mancub
I made a deal with you!
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true!
Now give me the secret, mancub
Come on, clue me what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
So I can be like you!
Oh, ooh-bee-doo,
(Oop-dee-wee)
I wanna be like you
(Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow)
I wanna walk like you
(Cheep)
Talk like you
(Cheep)
Too!
(Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo)
You'll see it's true
(Shoo-be-dee-doo)
An ape like me
(Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee)
Can learn to be
Human
Too!
[Check this out
Can you hear it?
Y-y-y-yeah, y-y-y-y-yeah...
Hit it, Papa Bear!]
Yeah, you!
(Oop-dee-wee)
I wanna be like you!
(Hop-dee-doo-bee-do-bow)
I wanna walk like you!
(Cheep)
Talk like you
(Cheep)
Too!
(Wee-bee-dee-bee-dee-boo)
You'll see it's true!
(Shoo-be-dee-doo)
Someone like me
(Scooby-doo-bee-doo-bee)
Can learn to be
Someone
Like me
I can learn to be
Someone like you
Ian learn to be
Someone like me!
[Yeah man...]
Now I'm the king of the swingers, whoa
The jungle VIP
I've reached the top and had to stop
And that's what botherin' me
I wanna be a man, mancub
And stroll right into town
And be just like the other men
I'm tired of monkeyin' around!
Oh, ooh-bee-doo,
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you
Talk like you
Too!
You'll see it's true
Someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like you!
Now don't try to kid me, mancub
I'll make a deal with you
What I desire is man's red fire
To make my dream come true!
Now give me the secret, mancub
Come on, clue me what to do
Give me the power of man's red flower
So I can be like you!
Oh, ooh-bee-doo,
I wanna be like you
I wanna walk like you
Talk like you
Too!
You'll see it's true
Someone like me
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like you!
Now you might think it's ridiculous
That me, a Gigantopithecus
Would ever dream, I'd like to team
The likes of you, mancub
But together, we'd have powers
All the jungle's treasures ours
I got desire, you've got the fire
But the dream I dream takes two!
So, oooh,
I wanna be like you
I wanna use that flame
Just the same
You can do it, too
Oh, how magnifiecus it would be
A Gigantopithecus like me
Could learn to do
Like you humans do
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like you
Can learn to be
Like someone
Like me!
Other Appearances[]
- The song is featured in the stage adaptation, including the simplified The Jungle Book: Kids version.
- The 1967 version appeared on the following albums:
- The Music of Disney: A Legacy in Song
- The Jungle Book (Original Soundtrack)
- Classic Disney Volume III
- Disney's Greatest Volume 1
- Disney Villains: Simply Sinister Songs
- The UK release of Now That's What I Call Disney
- Now That's What I Call Disney! 2
- Songs and Story: The Jungle Book - EP
- The 1967 version appeared on the following sing-along videos:
- Disney Sing Along Songs: The Bare Necessities
- Let's Go to the Circus
- Disney Sing Along Songs: Collection of All Time Favorites: The Magic Years
- Disney Sing Along Songs: Flik's Musical Adventure at Disney's Animal Kingdom
- Instrumental remixes of the song were featured in the 1994 video game adaptations of The Jungle Book
- In the NES version, the song plays during the boss fight against King Louie and the game's credits.
- In the SNES version, the song plays during the boss fight with King Louie and during the "Collapsing Ruins" level.
- In the Sega Genesis and Sega Mega Drive versions, the song plays during the "Ruins" level and the bonus levels.
- In the Sega Game Gear version, the song plays during the boss fights with King Louie and the "Ruins" levels.
- A version with different lyrics, titled "I Wanna Be LIke M-O-You", was performed in the season two episode "King Larry Swings in" of the Disney animated television series House of Mouse. This version features King Louie's twin brother, King Larry, apologizing for causing chaos at the House of Mouse and stating his desire to be more like Mickey. It was performed by Larry's voice actor Jim Cummings, Mickey's vice actor Wayne Allwine, and a chorus as the Bandar-log.
- The song makes appearances in the Disney Park shows Celebrate the Magic and Steps in Time.
- The song appears in King Louie's level of the video game Jungle Book Rhythm n' Grooves, performed by Lou Bega.
- An 8-bit version is featured in the mobile game Disney Crossy Road when playing as certain Jungle Book characters.
- The 2003 version appeared in on the 2002 official cover album Disneymania.
- The Jonas Brothers covered the song for the 2007 official cover album Disneymania 5.
- Fall Out Boy covered the song for the 2015 official cover album We Love Disney.
- Tessa Violet covered the 2016 official cover album Everybody Loves Disney.
- The 2016 version appeared on the film's soundtrack.
- The song was performed on the jukebox musical On the Record.
- An instrumental piano version was released on the Disney Peaceful Piano album Disney Peaceful Piano: Happy.
Gallery[]
Images[]
1967 Film[]
2016 Film[]
Videos[]
Official[]
Covers[]
 Songs
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