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.
It's My Life / Confessions
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This ain't a song for the brokenhearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud
New Directions boys:
These are my confessions
I ain't gonna live forever
These are my confessions
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
Artie:
These are my confessions
And just when I thought I said all I could say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
These are my confessions
If I'm gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all
I damn near cried when I got that phone call
I'm so thrown, I don't know what to do
But to give part two of my...
New Directions boys:
Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby don't back down
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
These are my confessions
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
Just when I thought I said all I could say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
These are my confessions
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life
The lyrics in Glee Cast's song "It's My Life/Confessions" are about living life boldly and without regret. Finn starts the song by declaring that this isn't a song for the brokenhearted or those who have lost their faith, and that he will not fade into the crowd. The New Directions boys join him to sing about their confessions and the urgency to live life while they're still young. Artie sings about his personal confession, which is that he's just found out that he's going to be a father, despite having a girlfriend on the side. He doesn't know what to do or how to react.
The song encourages listeners to stand tall and not let anyone bring them down or make them feel less than they are. It's a call to action to live life to the fullest and be true to ourselves, even if it means making tough choices and facing difficult situations head-on. The chorus repeats the line "It's my life, it's now or never, I ain't gonna live forever, I just wanna live while I'm alive" to drive home the idea that life is short and we should seize every moment and opportunity that comes our way.
Overall, the song is a message of empowerment and personal agency. It encourages listeners to live their lives authentically and boldly, without fear of judgment or failure.
Line by Line Meaning
This ain't a song for the brokenhearted
This is a song for the strong and resilient, not for those who have given up on love
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
This song won't be a quiet tribute to those who have lost their faith or left religion
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
I refuse to be anonymous and blend in with the masses. I want to be recognized for who I am and what I believe
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out loud
I will make myself heard and speak up proudly so that my message is not lost
These are my confessions
I'm about to share some personal stories you might not have heard before
It's now or never
The time has come to be brave and take action, as there may not be another chance
I ain't gonna live forever
Life is precious and fleeting, and I don't want to waste a single moment
I just wanna live while I'm alive
I want to experience everything that life has to offer, while I still have the chance
And just when I thought I said all I could say
I thought I had exhausted all of my stories, but then something else happened that I just had to share
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
I just found out that the person I've been seeing on the side is pregnant
If I'm gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all
I can't hold back any important details, or else the story won't make sense
I damn near cried when I got that phone call
I was almost brought to tears when I received that news
I'm so thrown, I don't know what to do
I'm in shock and I'm not sure how to handle this situation
But to give part two of my...
I have to continue with my confession, even though it's difficult
Better stand tall when they're calling you out
You need to have confidence and integrity when others are criticizing you or trying to bring you down
Don't bend, don't break, baby don't back down
Stay strong and don't let anyone make you compromise your principles or lose sight of what's important
It's my life
I'm in charge of my own destiny, and I want to make the most of it
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@levisimp446
[FINN:]
This ain't a song for the broken hearted
No silent prayer for the faith departed
And I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice when I shout it out aloud
[GUYS:]
It's my life!
[FINN:]
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive
[GUYS:]
It's my life!
These are my confessions
[ARTIE:]
Just when I thought I said all I could say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
[GUYS:]
These are my confessions
[ARTIE:]
If I'm gonna tell it then I gotta tell it all
Damn near cried when I got that phone call
I'm so thrown and I don't know what to do
But to give you part two of mine
[GUYS:]
You better stand tall
When they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break
Baby, don't back down
These are my confessions
[FINN:]
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
[GUYS:]
These are my confessions
[FINN:]
I just wanna live while I'm alive
[GUYS:]
It's my life
[ARTIE:]
Just when I thought I said all I can say
My chick on the side said she got one on the way
[GUYS:]
These are my confessions
[FINN:]
I just wanna live while I'm alive!
[GUYS:]
It's my life!
@Papabear4564
this is by far my favorite mashup of the whole series
@rbishop95
Benjamin Fortes same here
@morgancha1272
me too! and closely followed is the umbrella / singing in the rain one
@droidzzz8530
He was so smacked he didn’t even need the microphone to project his voice 😂
@imnotbushra
Fir me this is second
Bye bye bye and i want it that way is first although i do not like storyline behind it
@anasophiamele4908
Benjamin Fortes it really hit’s different
@Luna-to9cl
i wanna have those vitamines
@zi9597
Luna042682 same😂
@vulkanlives9776
Luna042682. definitely
@avagallagher7998
Luna042682 aw I could use a good few of em