"Over the Rainbow"
Music by	Harold Arlen
Lyrics by	E.Y. Harburg
Published	1939
Language	English
Original artist	Judy Garland (1939)
Recorded by	Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Eva Cassidy ...

"Over the Rainbow" is a popular song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written to showcase Judy Garland's talents in the star vehicle movie The Wizard of Oz, and it became her signature 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 a door will magically be opened 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.

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-rending 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.

Eva Cassidy

Eva Cassidy arranged her own version of the song and performed it at Blues Alley, a nightclub in Georgetown. This particular performance was recorded on hand-held video camera by Eva's friend, Bryan McCulley. 5 years after Eva passed away, this amateur recording of Eva was played on Top Of The Pops 2, a TV show in the UK. The producer, Mark Hagen, was having doubts about playing it on air due to the video's poor quality and amateur style of recording but took a risk by airing it on December 13th, 2000. The video had a phenomenal reaction from viewers. People were bombarding the studio with calls about the song, trying to find out more information about this unknown person Eva Cassidy. The video was later announced as the most requested video in the history of Pop.

Lyrics

The song is often referred to as "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," but the actual title is simply "Over The Rainbow." The introduction was not used in the movie, nor was there ever any intention of using it; but it is often used in theatrical productions of The Wizard of Oz. And 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?")

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 is not the version of the song featured in the film, Decca would continue to re-release the "Cast Album" well into the 1970's.[1].

It was not 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.[2] The Soundtrack version has also been re-released numerous times over the years, most notably in a "Deluxe Edition" from Rhino Records in 1995.[3]

Modern-day recordings of the song

• Connie Talbot 6 year old singer sang it on Britain's Got Talent show reducing Judge Amanda Holden to tears and praise from the other celebrity Judges Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan.
• Olivia Newton-John's recording is played over a fight scene in the John Travolta starrer Face/Off.
• 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 portions of the song in concert.
• Another version 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, 50 First Dates,and Son of the Mask, and the final episode of the British TV show Life on Mars. It was also performed by The Blanks 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. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0568062/fullcredits.
• 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.
• The song has become singer Patti LaBelle's signature song. Her gospel inspired sometimes overly dramatic rendition ends each of her shows and climaxes with her throwing a microphone stand into the wings of the stage as she belts the final note.
• 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.
• The version by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is used in the final episode of the BBC series Life On Mars when Sam Tyler has returned to 2006 to show his longing for his 1973 life.
• 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 second 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 a beautiful rendition of Eva Cassidy's unique 1996 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. It has become her signature song.

• Kyla, a Philippine R&B artist unexpectedly showcased her vocal range in a showdown with contemporaries, pop singers Sarah Geronimo & Sheryn Regis at the Regining Still concert at the Araneta Coliseum, Philippines and ended up winning the audience approval as the heir to popular artist Regine Velasquez.
• 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.
• 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.
• "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was performed by LeAnn Rimes in a London club and later released an 'a cappella' version of the song on her album "The Best of LeAnn Rimes: Remixed."

Hundreds of notable musicians have performed their own versions of "Over the Rainbow", including:

Preceded by "Thanks for the Memory" from The Big Broadcast of 1938	Academy Award for Best Song 1939	Succeeded by "When You Wish upon a Star" from Pinocchio