Everything about Over The Rainbow totally explained
"
Over the Rainbow" (mistakenly known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow") is a
popular song with music by
Harold Arlen and lyrics by
E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the
movie The Wizard of Oz, and it became
Judy Garland's
signature song.
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 a door will magically be opened to a place where "troubles melt like lemon-drops".
The song is so popular that it 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 wasn't sung in the film by Garland. However, there's one known recorded instance of her singing the full song with the introductory verse, on The Louella Parsons Radio Show in December 1948.
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. The music is heavily inspired by the 'Song to the Moon' by Dvorak's opera
Rusalka.
A time-honored story tells that this classic song was cut from the film after a preview, because MGM head
Louis B. Mayer thought the song "slowed down the picture" and that "our star sings it in a barnyard". 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 the deleting of the song was short lived. Harold Arlen, who was at the preview, and executive producer
Arthur Freed lobbied to get the song reinstated in the film, which it was.
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.
Original Garland recordings
Garland first pre-recorded the song on the MGM soundstages on October 7, 1938. It was released as a single by
Decca Records in September of 1939. In March of 1940, that same recording was included on a Decca "Cast Album" entitled "The Wizard of Oz." Although this isn't the version of the song featured in the film, Decca would continue to re-release the "Cast Album" well into the 1970's. Garland always performed the song without altering it. She sang exactly as she did for the movie. She did this because she said that she was staying true to the character of Dorothy and the message of really being somewhere over the rainbow.
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It wasn't until 1956, when
MGM released the first true soundtrack from the film that the film version of the song was available for sale to the public. The 1956 Soundtrack release was timed to coincide with the television premiere of the movie.
(External Link) The Soundtrack version has also been re-released numerous times over the years, most notably in a "Deluxe Edition" from
Rhino Records in 1995.
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Lyrics
The song is often referred to as "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," but the actual title is simply "Over The Rainbow." The introduction wasn't used in the movie, nor was there ever any intention of using it; but it's often used in theatrical productions of
The Wizard of Oz. In addition, contemporary singers often use the introduction to lengthen the single for their album. Verse two was intended to be used when Dorothy was locked in the Witch’s castle. But that intent was never carried out: Dorothy simply resang the main verse. The only time verse two has been used in a recording was in 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 too, but it remains almost unknown.
"Over the Rainbow" is one of many popular songs whose lyrics use a "
Bluebird of Happiness" as a symbol of cheer. ("If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?")
Further Information
Get more info on 'Over The Rainbow'.
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