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“It was
as if the Lord said, ‘Well, here
it is, now stop worrying about
it!” |
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- Harold Arlen
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Judy Garland introduced “Over
the Rainbow” in the 1939, MGM film,
The Wizard of Oz. The filming of the production
began in October of 1938 with premiers
on August 15, 1939, at Grauman’s
Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and
on August 17, 1939, at the Capitol
Theatre in New York City.
Within days of the two premiers,
recordings of “Over the Rainbow”
were climbing the pop charts with
Glenn Miller and Larry
Clinton leading the pack. By
mid-September four recordings
were in the top ten
And in 1960, the Dimensions’
hit recording rose to number sixteen
on the pop charts.
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“Over the Rainbow” was to be
the first of many
Judy Garland hit recordings
and would be recognized as her signature
song. Her 1939 rendition was inducted
into the National Academy of Recording
Arts and Sciences Grammy Hall of
Fame in 1981.
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In 2001, “Over the Rainbow” was
voted the best song of the twentieth
century as part of the “Songs of
the Century” project, a distinction
created by the Recording Industry
of America Association (RIAA) and
the National Endowment for the Arts
(NEA). Three years later, in 2004,
the song was voted the top movie
song of all time, with the American
Film Institute (AFI) declaring,
“In the venerated #1 spot was
Judy Garland’s soulful and iconic
rendition of ‘Over the Rainbow’
from the beloved family classic,
The Wizard of Oz.”
The story for the film originated
in 1899 when 43-year-old L. Frank
Baum authored what was to become
one of fourteen Oz books, The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published
in 1900. On the face of it, The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a
children’s book, but many scholars
see the story as an allegory for
the dangers of retaining the gold
standard. A hot political topic
of the time, the hard-money East
opposed the Silverites who
advocated bimetallism, the addition
of silver coinage to the gold standard.
It was thought that the inflationary
effect of a looser monetary policy
would help the farmers, and others
hit hard by the 1890’s depression,
to reduce their debts. In this scenario,
Oz is the abbreviation for “ounce”
(of gold); the Scarecrow represents
the Western farmer, who turns out
to be more intelligent than he realizes;
the Tin Woodsman represents the depleted
American factory worker; and the
Cowardly Lion is William Jennings
Bryan who betrayed the Silverites,
and so on.
Another speculation cited by
Alan Lewens in his book,
Popular Song: Soundtrack of the
Century, equates the journey
to Oz with the one of America’s
gold rushes, depicting how greed
drove farmers (the Scarecrow), industrialists
(the Tin Woodsman), and others who
lacked moral courage (the Cowardly
Lion) in search of the holy grail
of personal wealth.
Yet another account has Baum
getting the idea for the name Oz
when he saw the letters O-Z on a
file cabinet drawer.
Regardless of the intended allegory,
The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
was a huge success, and in 1902
an extravagant musical stage version
opened in Chicago to great critical
acclaim. The next year the show
opened on Broadway becoming one
of the greatest successes in Broadway
history to that point. The book
was also adapted for the screen
with silent features in 1910, 1915,
and 1925, none of which were successful.
MGM had originally wanted
Jerome Kern to score the film
but Kern’s doctor vetoed the idea,
having prescribed rest to the songwriter
who was recuperating from a recent
heart attack. MGM also had to settle
for second choice with the film’s
star, casting Garland only after
they were unable to borrow Shirley
Temple from Twentieth Century-Fox.
After multiple changes to the screenplay
and cast and with contributions
from four directors, The Wizard
of Oz was completed in March
of 1939 and went on to receive six
Academy Award nominations, winning
in the Best Score and Best Song
categories, the latter for “Over
the Rainbow”.
A number of film scholars have
written analyses with Dorothy representing
a depressed America turning to FDR’s
New Deal for hope. Yip Harburg,
who made contributions to the production
beyond writing the lyrics, at least
partially substantiated the claims
in a Washington Post interview,
saying that Emerald City was the
New Deal.
Most of the Arlen/Harburg songs
for The Wizard of Oz are
remarkably memorable compositions
with memorable lyrics. They are
praised within the context of the
film, but jazz instrumentalists
and vocalists do not routinely perform
them. Termed by Arlen the “lemon
drop” songs, “Ding-Dong! The Wicked
Witch Is Dead,” “The Merry Old Land
of Oz,” and “We’re Off to See the
Wizard” are usually considered novelty
fare, too closely connected with
the movie plot to have become widely
accepted by jazz musicians. “We’re
Off to See the Wizard” did gain
some notoriety, however, when Australia
adopted it as their wartime marching
song during World War II.
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According to the official Harold
Arlen website,
www.haroldarlen.com, after completing
the “lemon drop” songs, Arlen felt
a ballad was needed to balance them
out.
I felt we needed something with
a sweep, a melody with a broad,
long, line. Time was getting short,
I was getting anxious. My feeling
was that picture songs need to be
lush, and picture songs are hard
to write.
While driving, the melody came
to him out of the blue, and Arlen
said, “It was as if the Lord said,
‘Well, here it is, now stop worrying
about it!’” When Arlen played his
tune for Harburg, however, the lyricist
did not like it saying it sounded
like something that should be sung
by Nelson Eddy with a symphony orchestra
rather than a twelve-year-old girl
in a farmyard. In defense of his
composition, Arlen played it for
Ira Gershwin, knowing Gershwin
was a respected (and childhood)
friend of Harburg. Gerswin liked
it and suggested a quicker tempo and
less harmonization. With his
encouragement Harburg proceeded
to write the title and lyrics, attempting
to scale the song down with childish
words.
Once Harburg was convinced, Arlen
had to pass the song by MGM executives
who cut “Over the Rainbow” from
the film three times, thinking it
slowed the pace of their overly
long movie. In the end, it was
Arthur Freed who used his friendship
and influence with Louis B. Mayer
to get the song permanently reinstated.
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Harold Arlen wrote “Over the
Rainbow” with an introductory verse
and a 32-bar A-A-B-A refrain. Each
A section starts out “Somewhere
over the rainbow…” and continues
by describing a fairytale situation,
such as ‘a land in a lullaby,’ ‘where
bluebirds fly’, ‘skies are blue’,
or ‘dreams come true.’ The bridge
promises the singer will someday
make a wish and then wake up, freed
from past troubles; this expectation
is underscored in the song’s final
line which asks, “Why then, oh why
can’t I?”
The verse is seldom sung, but
it is one of Harburg’s best, commencing
with, “When all the world is a hopeless
jumble…” Ella Fitzgerald includes
it on the highly rated Ella Fitzgerald
Sings the Harold Arlen Song Book,
a double CD set with arrangements
by Billy May.
Arlen’s composition does have
a grand feel to it, largely a result
of the octave leap in the first
two notes (“Some-where”),
which often draws praise for its
sympathetic support as a “leap”
over the rainbow. This ascension
does support the expression of Dorothy’s
soaring dreams, but as the lyrics
were penned after the music, it
is Harburg who deserves the final
credit for fitting the perfect concept
and title phrase, “Over the Rainbow,”
to what has been voted the best
song of the twentieth century and
the top movie song of all time. -JW
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Musical analysis of
“Over the Rainbow”
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| Original
Key |
G major |
| Form |
A – A – B
– A (ends with a four measure extension
based on “B”) |
| Tonality |
Major throughout;
interspersed minor chords create drama and
emotion |
| Movement |
Soaring leaps
upward, with downward skips followed by
upward, step-wise motion; many sustained
pitches |
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Comments
(assumed
background)
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One of the most beautiful ballads penned
during the “Golden Age of American Song,”
it requires a good deal of breath and tonal
control. It uses repeated motivic devices
in the melody which help make it memorable.
The harmonic structure is actually quite
simple; functionally, it departs from the
basic I – IV – I – V7 only once, in mm.
7-8 of the “B” section (“where troubles
melt”). However, the melody is flexible
enough to lend itself to a wide range of
chord substitutions and variations. Arlen’s
original uses quite a few of these substitutions
to add harmonic variety and interest. His
use of I – iii – I7 – IV and the IV – iv
– iii – VI+7 sequence in mm.5-6 of “A” are
purely decorative rather than functional,
but they increase tension and build interest
by taking the ear down unexpected paths
and delaying resolution until the end of
the line. |
K. J. McElrath - Musicologist for JazzStandards.com
Check out K. J. McElrath's book of Jazz Standards Guide Tone Lines at his web site (www.bardicle.com). |
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“Over the Rainbow”
was included in these films:
- Wizard of Oz (1939, Judy Garland)
- The Philadelphia Story (1940,
James Stewart, Katherine Hepburn)
- I Wake Up Screaming (1941,
instrumental)
- Junior Miss (1945)
- Springtime for Thomas (1946)
Tom and Jerry cartoon
- The Truce Hurts (1948) Tom
and Jerry cartoon
- Casanova Cat (1951) Tom and
Jerry cartoon
- The Glenn Miller Story (1953,
The Glenn Miller Orchestra)
- Interrupted Melody (1955,
Eleanor Parker dubbed by Eileen Farrell)
- A Patch of Blue (1965)
- The Abominable Dr. Phibes
(1971, instrumental)
- Dr. Phibes Rises Again (1972,
Vincent Price)
- That's Entertainment! (1974,
Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz, 1939)
- Saxophone Colossus (1986,
Sonny Rollins)
- Made in America (1993)
- Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
- Corrina, Corrina (1994, Jevetta
Steele)
- That's Entertainment III (1994,
Judy Garland from the Wizard of Oz, 1939)
- To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything!
Julie Newmar (1995, Patti La Belle)
- My Fellow Americans (1996,
instrumental)
- Contact (1997)
- Face/Off (1997, Olivia Newton-John)
- Harold Arlen: Somewhere over the Rainbow
(1998, Judy Garland)
- Meet Joe Black (1998, Israel
Kamakawiwo'ole)
- You've Got Mail (1998, Harry
Nilsson)
- Finding Forrester (2000, 1-Bill
Frisell; 2-Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
- The Majestic (2001, Chet Baker)
- Unconditional Love (2002,
Jonathan Pryce)
- The Big Bounce (2002, Israel
Kamakawiwo'ole)
- Stormy Weather: The Music of Harold
Arlen (2003, Jimmy Scott)
- Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
(2004, Jane Monheit)
- 50 First Dates (2004, Israel
Kamakawiwo'ole)
And on stage:
- The Wizard of Oz (1987, Gillian
Bevan) Royal Shakespeare Company, London
- Forbidden Broadway 1990 (1990,
Kevin Ligon) Off-Broadway satirical revue
- Hakosem! (1994, Michal Yanay)
Tel-Aviv, Israel revival 1999
- The Wizard of Oz on Ice! (1996,
Oksana Baiul, skater; Shanice, singer) CBS special
- The Wizard of Oz on Ice (1996,
Jeri Campbell, skater; Laurnea Wilkerson, singer)
touring show
- The Wizard of Oz (1997, Jessica
Grove) touring show
- The Wizard of Oz (2001, Nikki
Webster) Australian revival
- Wizard: The Music of Harold Arlen
(2004) cabaret
And on television:
- Ford Star Jubilee: The Wizard of Oz
(1956, Judy Garland) CBS special
- The Muppet Show (1978, Robin)
Season 3, Episode 55
- Rainbow (1978, Andrea McArdle)
NBC biopic
- Picket Fences (1993, signed
by Marlee Matlin) CBS drama series, Episode
27, "The Dancing Bandit"
- First Do No Harm (1997, Aretha
Franklin) made-for-tv movie aired 2/16/97
- Little Girls in Pretty Boxes
(1997, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) Lifetime TV
- Party of Five (1998, Israel
Kamakawiwo'ole) FOX drama series, Season 4,
Episode 83 "Of Human Bonding"
- Young Americans (2000, Israel
Kamakawiwo'ole) WB drama series, Season 1, Episode
1, Pilot aka "The Beginning"
- Gideon's Crossing (2001, Israel
Kamakawiwo'ole) ABC drama series
- Life with Judy Garland: Me and My
Shadows (2001, Judy Garland) tv biopic
Tammy Blanchard
- ER (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
NBC drama series, Season 8, Episode 21: "The
Beach"
- Pasadena (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
FOX drama series, Episode 13, "Don't It Always
Seems to Go?"
- Providence (2002, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
NBC drama series, Season 4, Episode 15, "Act
Naturally"
- Charmed (2003, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
WB
- Chocolate com Pimenta (2003,
Luiza Possi) Brazilian TV
- Taxicab Confessions (2003,
Willie Nelson) HBO documentary
- Tempted (2003, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole)
Lifetime TV
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Click on a CD for more details
at Amazon.com
Jane Monheit
Taking a Chance on Love
2004, Sony
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| Talented young vocalist Jane Monheit
delivers a delicate and touching rendition
of the song. Her sincerity and emotion are
reminiscent of the Judy Garland original. |
James Moody
1949-1950
2001, Melodie Jazz Classic
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| Moody’s tenor saxophone is rich
and imaginative on this intriguing bop reading
of the song. The improvisation on the solo
runs is fantastic and vaults the song to
a whole other musical level. |
Stan Kenton
Sketches on Standards
2002, Blue Note
Original recording, 1953, Capitol
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| This rather moody version of “Over
the Rainbow” is uncharacteristic of not
only the song but the artist as well. A
wonderful trombone solo highlights a big
brass sound courtesy of such greats as Lee
Konitz and Maynard Ferguson. |
Art Pepper
More for Les—At the Village
1992, Orig. Jazz Classics 697
Original recording, 1977 (Live at the Village
Vanguard Vol #4)
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| Saxophonist Pepper’s trio (George
Cables, George Mraz, Elvin Jones) sits
this one out as he proffers his emotional
solo interpretation of “Over the Rainbow.” |
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Pee Wee Russell was a marvelous yet misunderstood
clarinetist whose career began in the 1920s. For
many years he was stereotyped as a “Dixieland” musician,
although he stated, “I never played Dixieland in
my life; I played jazz music.”
Russell came into his own in the 1950s when he
was given more freedom and opportunities to record
with younger musicians. Coleman Hawkins stated,
“For thirty years, I’ve been listening to him play
those funny notes...he’s always been way out, but
they didn’t have a name for it then.”
A 1958 date finds Russell accompanied by a rhythm
section. As a single voice, his playing is quiet,
introspective, and oddly similar in approach to
Lester Young’s later playing.
Pee Wee Russell: Over the Rainbow. Xanadu
192 (out-of-print, but available for download at
www.emusic.com)
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This section shows the jazz standards
written by the same writing team. Click on a name
to see all of a writer's jazz standards.
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Additional information on “Over the Rainbow” may be found in:
2 paragraphs including the following types of information: lyric analysis and music analysis.
1 page including the following types of information: history and lyric analysis.
3 paragraphs including the following types of information: history.
3 paragraphs including the following types of information: anecdotal and history.
6 pages including the following types of information: history and music analysis.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: anecdotal, summary and film productions.
1 paragraph including the following types of information: history and performers.
7 paragraphs including the following types of information: anecdotal and history.
1 page including the following types of information: history, performers, style discussion and song writer discussion.
2 paragraphs including the following types of information: history. (Page 133).
3 paragraphs including the following types of information: anecdotal. (Page 147).
1 page including the following types of information: anecdotal. (Pages 234-235).
Includes the following types of information: song lyrics.
3 paragraphs including the following types of information: anecdotal and history. (Page 8).
2 paragraphs including the following types of information: history.
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