Glee was an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on t… Read Full Bio ↴Glee was an American musical comedy-drama television series that aired on the Fox network in the United States from May 19, 2009, to March 20, 2015. It focused on a high school show choir, also known as a glee club, set within the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio.

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.

Over the Rainbow
Glee Cast Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Somewhere over the rainbow way up high,
There's a land that I dreamed of once in a lullaby
Haaaaai

Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Uuuuuh

Oooh someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.

Oh somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly

Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?

Overall Meaning

The classic song "Over the Rainbow" from the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, performed by Judy Garland, is a poignant reminder of the eternal human yearning for a better life. The song is one of the most iconic melodies in the history of American popular music, and it remains popular today. The song's opening lyrics evoke a sense of longing and escape as the singer wishes to travel to a place beyond their current circumstances. The lyric "Somewhere over the rainbow way up high" creates a feeling of hope and optimism while acknowledging the singer's current lack of direction.

As the song progresses, the lyrics continue to express the desire to escape from sadness and find happiness. The second verse uses a metaphor of a dream world overlaid onto reality, where "skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true." This line suggests that by dreaming of a better future, one's environment can change for the better. The singer wishes to be freed from their current problems, represented by the "troubles" that "melt like lemon drops."

The final verse includes a yearning to experience the world that is felt by many people. The lyric "Oh somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly, birds fly over the rainbow, why then, oh why can't I?" expresses a sense of loss and a desire to find a way to feel connected to nature and the world beyond.

Overall, "Over the Rainbow" is a powerful song that has transcended its roots in a movie musical to become a universally resonant expression of hope, longing, and the human desire for a better life.

Line by Line Meaning

Somewhere over the rainbow way up high,
I imagine a place beyond my reach, somewhere in the sky.

There's a land that I dreamed of once in a lullaby
It's a place that I longed for, something that I've seen only in my dreams.

Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
In this place, the sky is always blue, the color that represents freedom and peace.

And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true
Here, you can achieve whatever you imagine, even the wildest of your dreams.

Oooh someday I'll wish upon a star
I believe that one day I will find my way to this magical place.

And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
A place where there are no more obstacles or barriers holding me back.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Here, all my problems will dissolve away like sweetness of a lemon drop.

High above the chimney tops
This place is up in the sky, far away from the mundane life.

That's where you'll find me.
When I reach this place, it's where I'll belong.

Oh somewhere over the rainbow
Again, I think about that special place beyond the sky.

Bluebirds fly
Even the little creatures like bluebirds can soar and travel as they please.