Over the Rainbow

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"Over the Rainbow" music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, is one of the most famous songs of the late 1930s. For many, the song epitomizes the hopes and dreams of youthful aspiration for an ideal world of love and joy. The song was written to showcase Judy Garland's talents in the star vehicle The Wizard of Oz, and it became her lifelong theme song. She would forever be called upon to sing it in all her public appearances.

The song's plaintive melody and simple lyrics depict a pre-adolescent girl's desire to escape from the "hopeless jumble" of this world, from the sadness of raindrops to the bright new world "over the rainbow." It expresses the childlike faith that "Heaven" will magically "open a door" to a place where "troubles melt like lemon-drops".

The song tops the "Songs of the Century" list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. It also topped the American Film Institute's "100 Years, 100 Songs" list.

Along with Irving Berlin's "White Christmas", the song was adopted by the American troops in Europe in World War II as a symbol of the United States, the faraway land that, after long years of war, seemed like a dream beyond the rainbow. Modern listeners may be unaware that the song had an introductory stanza, as this was not sung in the film by Garland.

The song has come to epitomize the gesture of the rising octave, which makes its opening so distinctive. Sight-singing instructors and other musicians use the song as an example and a reference point for hearing the interval.

[edit] The Wizard of Oz

A time-honored story tells that this classic song was nearly cut from the film, because the song slows the pace of the film. Most of the music in the film is medium-to-high energy, in contrast to this gently paced melody. However, the frequent instrumental references to the song throughout the film, including its title sequences, meant that any such consideration must have been short-lived. The song was, in any case, a favorite of the film's associate producer, Arthur Freed.

Part of the song was cut from the film. An additional verse was to play when Dorothy was locked in a room in the witch's castle, helplessly awaiting death as the witch's hourglass ran out. A rehearsal recording of the song survives and was included in the Deluxe CD set. In that rendition, Dorothy weeps her way through it, unable to finish, concluding with a tear-filled, "I'm frightened, Auntie Em; I'm frightened!"

That phrase was retained in the film, followed immediately by Auntie Em's appearance in the witch's crystal, and then replaced by the image of the witch, mocking and taunting Dorothy and then turning toward the camera and laughing hideously, directly at the audience.

Garland's tearful rendition of this extra verse was reportedly deemed so heart-wrenching that it was edited from the film, in order to spare young viewers from its powerful emotions, especially given the startling scene that immediately followed it.

[edit] Modern-day recordings of the song

• Sam Harris performed a winning rendition on the first season of the original Star Search. Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Eric Clapton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Kylie Minogue, Rufus Wainwright, Irish Band Celtic Woman featuring Órla Fallon and Garland's daughters Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft have sung the song in concert. One of the most unusual versions was recorded by the late Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Braddah Iz) whose medley of "Rainbow" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" was featured on the soundtrack of the films Meet Joe Black, Finding Forrester, and 50 First Dates, as well as being performed by The Worthless Peons in the Scrubs episode, My Way Home. It was also the final music in the 2002 episode of the NBC drama series ER entitled "On the Beach", in which Mark Greene's character finally succumbs to brain tumor and also in the final episode of short-lived Fox Broadcasting Company show Pasadena. [1]. James Stewart memorably warbled a rendition while carrying a drunken Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story. Even horror legend Vincent Price did a version in the film Dr. Phibes Rises Again, though it was originally sung at the end of the United Kingdom version of the film's prequel, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, even though both films take place before the song was even written. Elisabeth Andreassen also recorded the song. The Demensions recorded a doo-wop version of the song which cracked the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1960.

• At the 1990 Academy Awards, Diana Ross sang a version of the song. Others around the world, notably London and Tokyo joined via a satellite broadcast in the performance of the song.

• British television comedian Kenny Everett sometimes used the song in comedy segments that included the unique sound of a British police car siren and Everett singing the lyrics, "Behind me!" and "That's where you'll find me!"

• The cover band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes covered the song for their 1999 album Are a Drag, and in the animated series The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Grey Delisle sang it as her character, Mandy. Guitarist Joe Satriani often covers the song at his concerts. Guitarist Ritchie Blackmore would perform a few bars of the verse at the beginning of his concerts.

• In Stephen Schwartz's musical Wicked, a loose adaptation of Gregory Maguire's Oz novel of the same name, a variation of the tune is used as one of the leitmotifs attached to the main character, Elphaba. The lyrics of "Un-li-mi-ted, my fu-ture -" is arranged to the same intervals (though not the same rhythm) as "Some-where o-ver the rain-bow'. As Elphaba later becomes known as the Wicked Witch of the West, and because Dorothy and she are literary foils, the tune acquires an ironic subtext. (It also may be noted that by restricting the piece to seven notes, Schwartz avoids copyright issues with his use of the music.

• "Over The Rainbow" is featured as a Dance Dance Revolution song, available on the 7th mix in the CD line.

• The Smashing Pumpkins would often include "Over The Rainbow" in the live/jam version of "Silverfuck". This is present on the live concert album Earphoria but on the DVD Vieuphoria it is edited out, because they did not have the rights to the song. "Rainbow" can also be found on Ray Charles's final album, Genius Loves Company, as a duet with Johnny Mathis. Oliver Field, a well known trumpeter in the Pacific Northwest performed a popular rendition of the song at a local Portland nightclub.

• Jane Monheit, recorded a version of "Over The Rainbow" from her sophomore album Come Dream With Me. Monheit later re-recorded a shorter version of the song (minus this intro) for the soundtrack to the film Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. The song was also a bonus track on her fifth album Taking a Chance on Love.

• The song has produced memorable moments on American Idol. The third-place finisher on Season 2, Kimberley Locke, performed it at her initial audition and in the final three. She included it on the Season 2 compilation CD. Locke's version is highly embellished with vocal improvisations, but was widely respected by the judges and audience. A new arrangement was recorded as a bonus track on her debut album, "One Love". In Season 5, Katharine McPhee performed Jane Monheit's version of the song in the final three show on May 16, 2006. Judge Simon Cowell chose the song for her. McPhee performed sitting on the stage and wearing red shoes. She sang the little-known opening verse a capella leading into a version that was more subdued than Locke's. The judges had high praise for McPhee's performance, and it is believed that the song was responsible for vaulting her into the season's final two. Several critics, including Cowell, consider McPhee's performance to be the best of the entire series. McPhee reprised her performance of the song in the final performance show on May 23. Her version again received rave reviews. It was included as a double A-side on her single, "Over the Rainbow/My Destiny", which was released on June 27, 2006.

• Kyla, the acclaimed R&B Princess of Philippine music industry unexpectedly showcased her unique powerful vocal range in this showdown Regining Still concert at the Araneta Coliseum, Philippines with contemporaries pop singers Sarah Geronimo & Sheryn Regis and end up with winning the audience approval as Asia's Songbird Regine Velasquez legit heiress.

• Taiwanese Pop singer Angela Chang named her debut album Over the Rainbow, after this song. She said this is the song her mother used to teach her to sing^{[citation needed]}.

• Taiwanese Singer/Songwriter David Tao mashed "Over The Rainbow" with his award-winning song "Blue Moon"; Or "Beach" if directly translated from its mandarin title; in his first Asia-wide concert tour, "Soul Power Live". Highly-sought after musician, Goh Kheng Long (Singaporean), who was involved with David in the arrangement of the song, also played the piano in this song.

The song, with David's soaring vocals and the solo grand piano for accompaniment made it the highlight of each concert. Korean pop singer Tim, also performed the song on a Korean Music Show.

• "Over the Rainbow" became Australian singer Kylie Minogue's first digital single (on record label Parlophone), and was Minogue's first release after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her recording, produced by Steve Anderson and released on 25 December 2005, is taken from the live DVD Showgirl - The Greatest Hits Tour, which was recorded in early 2005 at London's Earls Court. The single's B-side is Minogue's 2001 version of the Christmas song "Santa Baby". Minogue performed "Over the Rainbow" on her Greatest Hits tour to much applause, with The Times saying she "delivered a note perfect 'Over the Rainbow' with next to no musical accompaniment. The gig of the year? No doubt about it!". A promo CD was released in the UK and contained the live version of "Over the Rainbow", as well as "Santa Baby". This promo release was issued to radio stations only, but it has been sold on the internet.

Hundreds of singers have recorded and/or sung their own versions of "Over the Rainbow", including:

• Angela Chang
• Aretha Franklin
• Art Tatum
• Aselin Debison
• Barbra Streisand
• Bette Midler
• Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs
• Blink 182
• Bob Marley
• Bobby McFerrin
• The Blanks (in the Scrubs episode "My Way Home" as the Worthless Peons)
• Buckethead (recorded as Somewhere over the Slaughterhouse)
• Carly Simon
• Catherine Wagener
• Carnie Wilson
• Céline Dion
• Celtic Woman
• Chad Mitchell Trio
• Chet Baker
• Connie Francis
• Cosmic Gate
• Dana
• Dave Brubeck
• Dave Koz
• David Bowie
• David Grisman
• Deep Purple
• Dizzy Gillespie
• Doris Day
• Edyta Gorniak
• Ella Fitzgerald
• Elizabeth Marvelly
• Eric Clapton
• Erroll Garner
• Eva Cassidy
• Eydie Gormé
• Faith Hill
• Frank Sinatra
• Freddie Wadling
• Glenn Miller
• Guy Sebastian
• Harry Connick, Jr.
• Harry Nilsson
• Il Divo
• Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
• Jackie Wilson
• Jake Shimabukuro
• James Galway
• Jane Monheit
• Jerry Lee Lewis
• Jewel
• Jim Brickman
• Jimi Hendrix
• Jingle Cats
• Jo Stafford
• John Martyn
• Johnny Mathis
• Joey Foxx
• Jon Edmiston
• Katharine McPhee
• Katherine Jenkins
• Keith Jarrett
• Kenny G
• Kimberley Locke
• Kirk Whalum
• Kyla
• Kylie Minogue
• Leon Russell
• Leona Lewis
• Liberace
• Linda Eder
• Livington Taylor
• Louis Prima
• Maceo Parker
• Mägo de Oz
• Mandy Patinkin
• Mariah Carey
• Martin Taylor
• Martina McBride
• Marusha
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
• Melanie C
• Melissa Manchester
• melody.
• Metallica
• Michael Ball
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir
• Nana Mouskouri
• Norah Jones
• Olivia Newton-John
• Oscar Peterson
• Patti LaBelle
• Phil Collins
• Phish
• Plácido Domingo
• The Platters
• Queen
• Rainbow
• Ray Charles
• Reel Big Fish
• Renee Fleming
• Renee Olstead
• Richard Clayderman
• Richard Elliot
• Ricki-Lee Coulter
• Rosenshontz
• Sam Harris
• Sandy Patty
• Sarah Vaughan
• Selena
• Shawn McDonald
• Shayne Ward
• Shirley Bassey
• Stan Getz
• Stan Kenton
• Stanley Jordan
• Steve Stevens
• Steve Vai
• Susannah McCorkle
• The Flaming Lips
• The Innocence Mission
• The Mystics
• The Ohio Players
• The Platters
• The Ramones
• Tiny Tim
• Tom Jones
• Tommy Emmanuel
• Tony Bennett
• Tori Amos
• Vic Damone
• Willie Nelson
• Leona Lewis
• Chris Impellitteri
• Gene Vincent

[edit] Lyrics

The song is often referred to as Somewhere Over The Rainbow, however the actual title of the song is simply, Over The Rainbow. The intro was never used in the movie, nor was there ever intentions of using it in the movie. The intro is used more often for theatrical productions of The Wizard of Oz. However contemporary singers often use the intro to lengthen the single for their album. Verse two was intended to be used when Dorothy was locked in the witch’s castle. However that decision was never followed through, and Dorothy simply re-sang the main verse. The only time verse two has been used was during the recording of The Wizard of Oz In Concert, where it was performed by singer/songwriter Jewel. The second verse is used occasionally in theatrical productions also, and is the most unknown verse of the entire song.