Glee featured multiple major and secondary roles who have contributed vocals to the show: Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Dianna Agron, Cory Monteith, Amber Riley, Chris Colfer, Mark Salling, Jenna Ushkowitz, Kevin McHale, Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Jayma Mays, Jane Lynch, Chord Overstreet, Darren Criss, Harry Shum, Jr., Damian McGinty, Vanessa Lengies, Samuel Larsen, Blake Jenner, Alex Newell, Melissa Benoist, Jacob Artist, and Dean Geyer. Numerous special guests have also featured on tracks, including Jonathan Groff, Kristin Chenoweth, Grant Gustin, Olivia Newton-John, John Stamos, Neil Patrick Harris, Idina Menzel, Charice, Gwyneth Paltrow, k.d. lang, Ricky Martin, Matt Bomer, Kate Hudson, and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The pilot episode of the show was broadcast on May 19, 2009 and the first season began airing on September 9, 2009. The show was created by Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Murphy selects all music featured within the series himself, with the intent of maintaining a balance between show tunes and chart hits. Songs featured on the show are available for digital download through iTunes up to two weeks before new episodes air, and through other digital outlets and mobile carriers a week later.
Their debut single, "Don't Stop Believin'", a cover of the 1981 Journey song, was a top ten hit, and was certified platinum in Australia and gold in the US. The group's cover of The All-American Rejects' "Gives You Hell" reached number one in Ireland, giving them their first number one single.
There has been Nineteen soundtracks released through Columbia Records: Glee: The Music, Volume 1, Glee: The Music, Volume 2, Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Glee: The Music, Volume 4, Glee: The Music, Volume 5, Glee: The Music, Volume 6, Glee: The Music, Volume 7 and Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2,Glee: The Music, Volume 7,Glee: The Music, The Graduation Album,Glee: The Music, Season 4, Volume 1,Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 3,Glee Sings the Beatles and Glee: The Music - Celebrating 100 Episodes.
Nineteen EPs have also been released: Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna, Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals,Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show.Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show,Glee: The Music, Love Songs,Glee: The Music, The Rocky Horror Glee Show,Glee: The Music, Love Songs,Glee: The Music, Dance Party,Britney 2.0,Glee: The Music Presents Glease,The Quarterback (Music from the TV Series),A Katy or a Gaga (Music from the Episode),Movin' Out,Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 4,City of Angels,New New York,Glee: The Music, Bash,Glee: The Music, Tested,Glee: The Music, Opening Night,Glee: The Music, the Back Up Plan,Glee: The Music, Old Dog, New Tricks,Glee: The Music – The Untitled Rachel Berry Project,Glee: The Music – Loser Like Me and Glee: The Music – Homecoming.
The cast is second behind The Beatles for most chart appearances by a group act in the Billboard Hot 100's history, and holds the record of sixth overall among all artists, with sixty-nine appearances. The cast has sold over thirty six million and over eleven million albums worldwide. The series' cover versions have also had a positive effect on the original recording artists, with sales of Rihanna's "Take a Bow" increasing by 189 percent after the song was covered in the Glee episode "Showmance".
The series features covers of numerous songs sung on-screen by the characters. Musical segments typically take the form of performances, as opposed to the characters singing spontaneously, as the intention is for the series to remain reality-based. Murphy is responsible for selecting all of the songs used, and strives to maintain a balance between show tunes and chart hits, as: "I want there to be something for everybody in every episode. That's a tricky mix, but that's very important — the balancing of that." Song choices are integral to script development, with Murphy explaining: "Each episode has a theme at its core. After I write the script, I will choose songs that help to move the story along."
Glee is choreographed by Zach Woodlee, and features five to eight production numbers per episode. Once music rights are cleared, songs are arranged and pre-recorded by the cast. Woodlee constructs the accompanying dance moves, which are then taught to the cast and filmed. Numbers can take several weeks to prepare, depending on complexity. Each episode costs at least $3 million to produce, and can take up to 10 days to film as a result of the elaborate choreography.
Back to Black
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He left no time to regret
Kept his lips wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy
You went back to what you knew
So far removed
From all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I go back to black
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
I go back to us
I love you much
It's not enough
You love blow, and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny
Rolling up the walls inside
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
Black, black, black, black
Black, black, black
I go back to, I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to black
The Glee Cast's version of "Back to Black" is a heart-wrenching depiction of a woman who has been left by her lover for someone else. The opening lines, sung by Santana, set the stage for the rest of the song - her ex didn't give her any time to regret, he just left her high and dry. And despite all of the devastation that she feels, she's trying to keep her head held high and move on without him.
But the pain is too much, and it feels like everything is stacked against her. She's "treading a troubled track" and the odds aren't in her favor. She mourns the loss of what they had, but he's moved on without a second thought. She's left alone with her own thoughts, smoking a joint to ease the pain. Life feels like a pipe, and she's just a penny rolling up the walls inside.
Despite her attempts to move forward, she can't help but think that he's still the one for her. She dies a hundred deaths when she thinks about him moving on, while she's still stuck in her feelings for him. In the end, she can't help but go back to black, back to the emotions that consumed her when they first parted ways.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and powerful expression of heartbreak and the difficulty of moving on from someone you love. It showcases the strength and vulnerability of the human spirit, and the way we all struggle to deal with loss and change.
Line by Line Meaning
He left no time to regret
He didn't give me a chance to feel bad
Kept his lips wet, With his same old safe bet
He drowned his sorrows in alcohol, sticking to his usual habits
Me and my head high, And my tears dry, Get on without my guy
I kept my pride intact, with no more tears left to shed and moved on without him
You went back to what you knew, So far removed, From all that we went through
You returned to your old life, so out of touch with everything we went through as a couple
And I tread a troubled track, My odds are stacked, I go back to black
I'm facing many hardships, things aren't in my favor, and I fall back into a dark place
We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times, You go back to her, and I go back to...
We parted ways without feeling closure, and every time it's like a little piece of me dies. You choose to be with someone else, and I find myself back to where we started.
I love you much, It's not enough, You love blow, and I love puff
I care for you deeply, but it's not reciprocated. You indulge in hard drugs, and I prefer milder ones.
And life is like a pipe, And I'm a tiny penny, Rolling up the walls inside
Life is unpredictable and harsh, and I feel small and insignificant while struggling to make my way through it.
I go back to, I go back to...
I find myself reverting to my old ways, repeating past mistakes.
Black, black, black, black, Black, black, black, I go back to, I go back to...
The color black symbolizes my dark, oppressive emotions and negative feelings that I can't escape from.
Contributed by Grace A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Isabel Sanin Forero
Lyrics
He left no time to regret
Kept his lips wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy
You went back to what you knew
So far removed
From all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I go back to black
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to
I go back to us
I loved you much
It's not enough
You love blow, and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny
Rolling up the walls inside
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to
Black, black, black, black
Black, black, black
I go back to, I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to black
Beira Milagros
R.I.P. Naya Rivera ❤️🙏
Your voice is out of this world ⭐
emma
Santana was amazing with this song RIP naya
ValRami
Naya hubiera hecho excelente papel para la biopic de Amy hasta Oscar hubiera logrado
ValRami
aún la amo 2022 mi diva NAYA RIVERA LA MEJOR DE GLEE
Isabel Sanin Forero
Lyrics
He left no time to regret
Kept his lips wet
With his same old safe bet
Me and my head high
And my tears dry
Get on without my guy
You went back to what you knew
So far removed
From all that we went through
And I tread a troubled track
My odds are stacked
I go back to black
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to
I go back to us
I loved you much
It's not enough
You love blow, and I love puff
And life is like a pipe
And I'm a tiny penny
Rolling up the walls inside
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to
Black, black, black, black
Black, black, black
I go back to, I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to...
We only said goodbye with words
I died a hundred times
You go back to her, and I go back to black
M jose Martinez
Siempre❤
Emma Dawson
Naya sounded so much like Amy...
Olivia Chipman
Gold ❤❤❤
camila hincapie betancur
Naya...love
ValRami
te amo mi reina ..luz para ti x siempre