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.
Good Riddance
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable,
but in the end it's right
I hope you had the time of your life
The lyrics to the Glee Cast version of Good Riddance are a poignant and bittersweet reflection on the passage of time and the choices and experiences that define our lives. The first verse sets up a familiar scene of a turning point in life, where we are faced with a choice between two paths and must decide which way to go. Time, the great equalizer, is personified as grabbing us by the wrist and directing us where to go, underlining the idea that our lives are ultimately out of our control.
The second verse offers a bit of advice to the listener, urging them to make the best of the situation they find themselves in and to not question the inevitability of the journey they are on. The lyrics suggest that every experience we have, good or bad, is a lesson that we can learn from and that over time, these lessons accumulate to form the person we become.
The final verse is perhaps the most poignant, capturing the bittersweet feeling that comes with the passage of time. The lyrics suggest that memories and experiences are the only things we truly have to hold onto and that we should cherish and celebrate them while we can. Ultimately, the song is a celebration of life's ups and downs and a reminder to live every moment to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Life is full of choices and unexpected events that can lead to a new path.
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
Time moves forward and can often feel like it's controlling us rather than the other way around.
So make the best of this test, and don't ask why
Life is full of challenges that are meant to be overcome, so focus on doing your best rather than questioning why things happen.
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
Every experience we have in life is a chance to learn and grow, even if it's not always clear what the lesson is in the moment.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right
Life is full of surprises, but ultimately everything happens for a reason and we'll end up where we're supposed to be.
I hope you had the time of your life
We should cherish every moment and make the most of the time we have, so that when we look back on our lives we can say we had a good time.
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Memories are precious and worth holding onto, so take pictures and remember the good times.
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
We should preserve our memories and keep them safe, so that we can look back on them with a smile.
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
The memories we hold dear are a permanent part of us, like tattoos on our skin.
For what it's worth it was worth all the while
No matter what struggles we face in life, the good times and memories are worth it in the end.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Michael Pritchard, Frank Wright III, Billie Joe Armstrong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind