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.
Cough Syrup
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Life's too short to even care at all oh,
I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control.
These fishes in the sea they're staring at me oh oh,
Oh oh oh oh,
A wet world aches for a beat of a drum.
Oh.
I'd run away
To some fortune that I should have found by now
I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down
Life's too short to even care at all oh
I'm coming up now coming up now out of the blue
These zombies in the park they're looking for my heart
Oh oh oh oh
A dark world aches for a splash of the sun oh oh
If I could find a way to see this straight
I'd run away
To some fortune that I should have found by now
And so I run now to the things they said could restore me
Restore life the way it should be
I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down
Life's too short to even care at all oh
I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control
If I could find a way to see this straight
I'd run away
To some fortune that I should have found by now
So I run now to the things they said could restore me
Restore life the way it should be
I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down
One more spoon of cough syrup now
The Glee Cast's song "Cough Syrup" is a deeply emotional and introspective examination of the human experience. The lyrics express a feeling of being lost and disconnected from oneself, and a desperate search for something to bring meaning and purpose to life. The opening lines, "Life's too short to even care at all," speak to a sense of disillusionment with the world and a feeling of being adrift in a sea of confusion and uncertainty.
The singer of the song struggles to maintain control over their thoughts and emotions, and feels as though they are losing their grip on reality. The metaphor of "fishes in the sea" staring at the singer represents the weight of judgment and pressure from those around them. They crave an escape, running away to find a "fortune" that has thus far eluded them.
The central theme of the song is the search for a cure for the feelings of isolation and pain that the singer is experiencing. The repeated references to "cough syrup" suggest a desire for something to numb the pain and make life bearable. The line "one more spoon of cough syrup now" represents a last-ditch effort to find some kind of relief.
Overall, "Cough Syrup" is a powerful and introspective rumination on the human condition. It is a poignant reminder of the universal struggles that we all face in our quest for meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
Life's too short to even care at all oh,
Life is brief, and it is not worth worrying about things that do not matter.
I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control.
I am going crazy, and I am unable to control myself.
These fishes in the sea they're staring at me oh oh,
The people around me watch my every move like fish in the ocean.
A wet world aches for a beat of a drum.
The world is full of unsatisfied people who crave rhythm and excitement.
If I could find a way to see this straight
I'd run away
To some fortune that I should have found by now
I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down, come down
If I could get my head straight, I would escape to a better future that I should have achieved already. I am waiting for this cough syrup to calm me down.
I'm coming up now coming up now out of the blue
I am feeling better now, as if out of nowhere.
These zombies in the park they're looking for my heart
Oh oh oh oh
A dark world aches for a splash of the sun oh oh
The people surrounding me are lifeless and do not care about anything, but I am desperate for something more cheerful and bright.
And so I run now to the things they said could restore me
Restore life the way it should be
I'm waiting for this cough syrup to come down
I am seeking help from things that people told me could make me feel alive again. I am waiting for the cough syrup to take effect.
One more spoon of cough syrup now
I need one more dose of cough syrup.
Contributed by Lincoln B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.