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.
Poison
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, poison!
Yeah Spiderman & Freeze in full effect
You ready, Ken?
Ken
I'm ready
Will
You ready, Henri?
I'm ready, Will, are you?
Will
Oh yeah, break it down
Girl, I must warn you
I sense something strange in my mind
The situation is serious
Let's cure it 'cause we're runnin' out of time
Howard
Can't get her outta my head
Henri
Miss her, kiss her, love her
Ken
Wrong move, you're dead
That girl is poison
Howard
Never trust a big butt and smile
That girl is poison
Ken
Poison, deadly, moving it slow
Looking for a mellow fellow like DeVoe
Getting paid, laid, so better lay low
Schemin' on hots, my end the pro show
The low pro ho should be cut like an afro
See what you're sayin', huh
She's weighin' you, but I know she's a loser
Henri
How do you know?
Me and the crew used to do her
The Glee Cast's rendition of Bell Biv DeVoe's "Poison" features Will, Ken, Howard, and Henri taking turns singing about their experiences with a toxic woman. The song has a catchy beat, but the lyrics are what really stand out. Will sings about sensing something strange in his mind, and while the situation is serious, they can still cure it before it's too late. Howard can't get the woman out of his head, while Henri misses kissing and loving her. Ken warns that the girl is poison and that you should never trust a big butt and smile. The low pro ho (the girl) should be cut like an afro, according to Ken. The crew had experience with the girl, according to Henri.
The interpretation of these lyrics is that they are warning men to be careful of a woman who is bad news. Her physical appearance may be tempting, but her true intentions are dangerous. She may try to lure men in with her seductive ways, only to hurt them in the end. The Glee Cast brings a fresh take on this classic song, warning their listeners to stay away from toxic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Girl, I must warn you
The singer warns the girl because they sense something strange in their mind
I sense something strange in my mind
The singer senses something strange that they want to warn the girl about
The situation is serious
The situation is grave and requires attention
Let's cure it 'cause we're runnin' out of time
Something needs to be done fast to avoid further trouble
Can't get her outta my head
The artist is struggling to forget about the girl
Miss her, kiss her, love her
The singer still harbours feelings for the girl
Wrong move, you're dead
Making the wrong move with the girl will have dire consequences
That girl is poison
The girl is something dangerous or toxic
Never trust a big butt and smile
Don't be fooled by appearances or charm
Poison, deadly, moving it slow
The danger posed by the girl is significant and gradually increasing
Looking for a mellow fellow like DeVoe
The girl is seeking a relaxed or easy-going person
Getting paid, laid, so better lay low
The girl is motivated by money and sex, and is best avoided
Schemin' on hots, my end the pro show
The girl is planning or plotting something, and the singer wants to put a stop to it
The low pro ho should be cut like an afro
The girl should be eliminated or avoided, like trimming or cutting an Afro hairstyle
See what you're sayin', huh
The singer understands the point being made by others
She's weighin' you, but I know she's a loser
The girl is assessing someone, but the artist believes she is not worth the effort
How do you know?
The artist is questioning how the other person knows the girl is a loser
Me and the crew used to do her
The singer and their group have had experience with the girl and know how she operates
Contributed by Penelope D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Flaminia Rufo
Howard Bamboo deserved more solos
Jak sparrow
Straight like Barrington Levy smooth lol
Berta Dellasala
Frrrr
LightningLances
He’s better than Finn no cap
Avery
Howard has a good voice wtf-
Blake Fletcher
Honestly will's dad just shows up in everything.
Javi Pérez
Just like will🤷🏻♀️
21melpomene
This cover introduced me to the original. Thanks, Glee!
schroeder7m
@Ryan Fox poison? 😂
cheiLa
glees cover introduced me to 80% of the original songs they had in the show😂😂