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.
River
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
But it don't snow here
I'm going to make a lot of money
And then I'm going to quit this crazy scene
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby cry
He tried hard to help me
You know, he put me at ease
And he loved me so naughty
Made me weak in the knees
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I'm so hard to handle
I'm selfish and I'm sad
Now I've gone and lost the best baby
That I ever had
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I wish I had a river so long
I would teach my feet to fly
Oh I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
I made my baby say goodbye
It's coming on Christmas
They're cutting down trees
They're putting up reindeer
And singing songs of joy and peace
I wish I had a river
I could skate away on
The Glee Cast's "River" is a cover of the classic song "River Deep - Mountain High" by Tina Turner, and it's essentially a confession of love. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about a rag doll she had when she was little, and how it was the only doll she ever owned. She then compares her love for her partner to the love she had for the rag doll when she was little, but it has grown stronger and deeper over time. Her love for her partner is like a river that gets stronger, deeper, and higher every day.
The second verse is the male counterpart to the first, and it starts with the same nostalgic vibe. The male narrator asks his partner if they had a puppy that always followed them around when they were young, and declares that he will be as faithful as that puppy. His love for his partner is also depicted as a river that grows stronger and bigger, and sweeter as time goes on.
The chorus is the most iconic part of the song. The singers express their undying love and devotion to their partners, stating that they love them like a flower loves the spring, like a schoolboy loves his pet, like a robin loves to sing, and like a river that is deep and high. They ask if they were to lose their partner, would they cry? Their love for their partners is unconditional and unending.
Overall, "River" is a love song that depicts a love that is strong, deep, and unwavering. The singers express their love through vivid metaphors and imagery, comparing it to a river that grows stronger and deeper with time.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was a little girl, I had a rag doll
Back when I was younger, I had this one rag doll and it was the only one I had
Only doll I've ever owned
It's the only doll that ever belonged to me
Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll
I love you the same way that I loved that rag doll
But only now my love has grown
However, my love for you has grown over time and it's a lot stronger than it used to be
And it gets stronger in every way
My love grows stronger every day
And it gets deeper, let me say
Not only is it growing stronger, but it's becoming deeper as well
And it gets higher, day by day
It's also growing higher as time goes on
Do I love you, my oh my?
I really love you, do you realize?
River deep, mountain high, yeah yeah yeah
My love is as deep as a river and as high as a mountain
If I lost you, would I cry?
If I lost you, it would really hurt and I would definitely cry
Oh, how I love you, baby, baby baby baby!
Oh, how much I love you, my darling!
When you were a young boy, did you have a puppy
When you were younger, did you have a puppy that followed you around?
That always followed you around?
A dog that stayed with you no matter what?
Well, I'm gonna be as faithful as that puppy
I promise to be as faithful to you as that puppy was to you
No, I'll never let you down
I will never disappoint you, I will always be here for you
Cause it grows stronger like a river flows
My love for you continues to grow just like a river flows
And it gets bigger, baby, and heaven knows
My love for you is getting bigger and deeper. It's almost infinite
And it gets sweeter, baby, as it grows
As my love for you grows, it becomes more and more sweet
I love you, baby, like a flower loves the spring
My love for you is like a flower's love for the season of spring
And I love you, baby, like the robin loves to sing
I love you as much as a robin loves to sing
And I love you, baby, like a schoolboy loves his pet
I love you the way a schoolboy loves his dearest pet
Oh baby
Oh my love
Oh baby
Oh my love
Ohhh baby, ohhh yeah
Oh, my love for you, oh yeah
Yeah
That's right
Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Integrity Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joni Mitchell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Andrea Kajakdjian
I KNEW IT. I kept thinking this song has so much potential to have been on Glee and it sounded so familiar. Bless you Ryan Murphy.
MarHewBaggins
I didn’t know The Politician was produced by the same as Glee but at the moment I heard it in The Politician, inmediately I think of Glee
JoeyS X
SAME
Justin N
we love ryan murphy
killnelle
YEAH
Rosimeire Alves
I cry so much😭
Conor Mcgranaghan
Yeah it’s Ryan Murphy 😝
Lucas Lima
I love this song. So beautiful and sad in the same time. And the Lea's voice is like an angel.
materialkid
Ryan really know how to used the same song in different shows and gave totally diferent meanings
Nguyễn Văn Dũng
I KNEW I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE COMING BACK HERE AFTER HEARING BEN PLATT'S VERSION