# 'This Was Just a Joke' — Lion King Lyricist Ordered to Pay Nearly $40,000 to Cover Comedian's Attorney Fees After Suing Him Over Joke Translation of 'Circle of Life' Lyrics

> The Grammy-winning lyricist behind The Lion King’s famous opening vocals is now being ordered to pay nearly $40,000 in attorneys’ fees after unsuccessfully suing a comedian for poking fun at the song.

- **Source:** [Ign](https://www.ign.com/articles/lion-king-lyricist-ordered-to-pay-nearly-40000-to-cover-comedians-attorney-fees-after-suing-him-over-joke-translation-of-circle-of-life-lyrics?utm_source=gearopen.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=feed&utm_content=6a961996abec1b1cd43caaa0)
- **Published:** 2026-09-01
- **Category:** Gaming
- **Tags:** #joke #comedian #lion #circle #fees #king #life #lyricist
- **Canonical:** http://localhost:4321/a/6a961996abec1b1cd43caaa0

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_GearOpen's distilled summary. The full original article is published at Ign (source link above); GearOpen does not republish the source's full text._