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.
Papa can you hear me
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
God... our heavenly Father
Oh, God... and my father, who is also in heaven
May the light... of this flickering candle
Illuminate the night the way your spir't illuminates my soul...
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see me?
Papa, are you near me?
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you help me not be frightened?
Looking at the skies I seem to see a million eyes
Which ones are yours?
Where are you now that yesterday has come and gone
And closed its doors?
The night is so much darker
The wind is so much colder
The world I see is so much bigger now that I'm alone
Papa, please forgive me
Try to understand me
Papa, don't you know I had no choice?
Can you hear me praying?
Anything I'm saying?
Even though the night is filled with voices
I remember everything you taught me
Every book I've ever read...
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller
The moon is twice as lonely and the stars are half as bright
Papa, how I love you
Papa, how I need you
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me good night...
In Glee's version of "Papa Can You Hear Me?", Rachel Berry sings to her deceased father who is now in heaven. She begins with a prayer, addressing both God and her father, asking for guidance and strength. She goes on to ask if her father can hear and see her in the night, if he is near her, and if he can help her not be frightened. Rachel reminisces about her father and his teachings, wondering if they will help her face what is ahead. She is now alone and the world seems much bigger and scarier. Rachel ends the song expressing her love, need, and longing for her father.
The song "Papa Can You Hear Me?" was written by Michel Legrand, Alan Bergman, and Marilyn Bergman for the 1983 film "Yentl" directed by Barbra Streisand. The song was performed by Streisand, who also starred in the film. The song was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song, but it lost to "Flashdance...What a Feeling." In addition, the song was also covered by James Ingram and Celine Dion.
Line by Line Meaning
God...
Acknowledging our heavenly Father.
Oh, God...
Acknowledging Rachel's father who has passed away and is now in heaven.
May the light...
Requesting for the light of the candle to illuminate her path, just as God's spirit illuminates her soul.
Papa, can you hear me?
Asking her father if he can hear her voice from heaven.
Papa, can you see me?
Asking her father if he can see her from heaven.
Papa, can you hear me in the night?
Asking her father if he can hear her when she's feeling lonely in the night.
Papa, are you near me?
Asking her father if he's near her, even though he's no longer alive.
Papa, can you help me not be frightened?
Asking her father for help to not be scared, as it's hard to go through life without him.
Looking at the skies I seem to see a million eyes
Which ones are yours?
Questioning which star in the sky represents her father's presence, as the sky feels so vast and infinite.
Where are you now that yesterday has come and gone
And closed its doors?
Reflecting on her father's absence in the past, present, and future events of her life.
The night is so much darker
The wind is so much colder
The world I see is so much bigger now that I'm alone
Feeling lonely and scared as the world seems larger, darker, and colder without her dad by her side.
Papa, please forgive me
Try to understand me
Papa, don't you know I had no choice?
Asking her father for understanding and forgiveness, as she's had to face difficult situations without him.
Can you hear me praying?
Anything I'm saying?
Even though the night is filled with voices
Asking if her father can hear her prayers and if he knows what's happening in her life, even though she can't physically see or hear him.
I remember everything you taught me
Every book I've ever read...
Remembering the life lessons her father taught her and the books she's read, hoping they'll help guide her in life without him.
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
Questioning if words and books can provide enough comfort and guidance to help her cope with the future without her dad.
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller
The moon is twice as lonely and the stars are half as bright
Feeling small and insignificant in a world where everything seems bigger and more daunting without her father beside her.
Papa, how I love you
Papa, how I need you
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me good night...
Expressing the intense love, need, and missing feelings towards her father, as she recalls the comforting memories of him kissing her good night.
Contributed by Alex Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lucie Staes
God - our heavenly Father
Oh God - and my father
Who is also in heaven
May the light
Of this flickering candle
Illuminates the night the way
Your spirit illuminates my soul
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see me?
Papa, can you find me in the night?
Papa, are you near me?
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you help me not be
Frightened?
Looking at the skies
I seem to see a million eyes
Which ones are yours?
Where are you now that yersterday
Has waved goodbye
And closed its doors?
The night is so much darker.
The wind is so much colder
The world I see is so much bigger
Now that I'm alone
Papa, please forgive me
Try to understand me
Papa, don't you know I had no choice?
Can you hear me praying
Anything I'm saying
Even though the night is filled
With voices?
I remember ev'rything you thaught me
Every book I've ever read
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller
The moon is twice as lonely
And the stars are half as bright
Papa, how I love you.
Papa, how I need you.
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me goodnight
Charles Hines
Her runs throughout this song are legendary.
Lara Duff
Like a religious lullaby... It's so beautiful. Lea is unbelievably talented
A
Lea has the voice of an angel
4AngstyZukos Productions
I sing this to my mom a lot since she died.... Mama I hope you're proud of me. Life isn't the same without you
Miriam Gałązka
Luna Scarlet So sorry for Your lost.. She is proud of you im sure.. !
Barbara Jefferson
I'm sure she's proud of you and loves you so much.
Jacob K
Luna Scarlet I thought I was alone, mama was my papa too.
Bruno Santos
I know I would if my daughter sing this to me. ☺️
Fujiboo
Can you tell me how you’re doing now..? I recently lost mine and I.. I’m just curious about the future,
Yoonji-m
I'm not really religious but I LOVE this song!