The song is based on Timon and Pumbaa's catchphrase in the movie, Hakuna matata, a Swahili phrase meaning "No worries".

Rice is said to have got the idea for the lyrics for the song from watching the comedy series Bottom and at one point wanted the show's stars Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson to play Timon and Pumbaa.

In a behind-the-scenes segment on The Lion King Special Edition DVD, the film's production team claim that it picked up the term from a tour guide while on safari in Kenya.

[3] A shortened version of "Hakuna Matata" was used as the theme song of the spinoff Timon & Pumbaa TV series.

Another shortened version of "Hakuna Matata" was used in the TV series The Lion Guard in the first-season episode "Bunga and the King" (2016), sung by the cast members.