Within the context of the film, the song is used to explain how the Circle of Life works in a way that Kiara (and children in the audience) would understand.
This song also resembles the part of the first film when Mufasa tells Simba about the "Great Kings of the Past".
[1] The New York Times writer Caryn James thought the "subtle and graceful" tune was "attuned to the film's hopeful theme of regeneration".
[2] Despite believing that The Lion King 2 not having the same "impact" or "pizazz" of its predecessor, Black Family Today thought Kidjo's version of this song was strong enough to last beyond the context of the film it was written for.
[4] The song was nominated for an Annie Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production along with "My Lullaby".