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.
The Living Years
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blames the one before
And all of their frustrations
Come beating on your door
I know that I'm a prisoner
To all my Father held so dear
I know that I'm a hostage
I just wish I could have told him
In the living years
Crumpled bits of paper
Filled with imperfect thought
Stilted conversations
I'm afraid that's all we've got
You say you just don't see it
He says it's perfect sense
You just can't get agreement
In this present tense
We all talk a different language
Talking in defence
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye
So we open up a quarrel
Between the present and the past
We only sacrifice the future
It's the bitterness that lasts
So don't yield to the fortunes
You sometimes see as fate
It may have a new perspective
On a different day
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
You may just be OK
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye
I wasn't there that morning
When my Father passed away
I didn't get to tell him
All the things I had to say
I think I caught his spirit
Later that same year
I'm sure I heard his echo
In my baby's new born tears
I just wish I could have told him
In the living years
Say it loud, say it clear
You can listen as well as you hear
It's too late when we die
To admit we don't see eye to eye
The Living Years by Glee Cast is a powerful ballad that speaks about the importance of communicating with loved ones before it's too late. The first verse speaks about how every generation blames the one before them for their problems, which leads to frustration and resentment. The second verse talks about how we all communicate differently and how disagreements can arise even when we're talking about the same thing. The last verse is particularly poignant, as it reflects on the regret of not being able to tell one's father how much they loved and appreciated him before he passed away.
The lyrics paint a picture of missed opportunities and regret, highlighting how important it is to be there for the people you love and to express your feelings while you still have the chance. The chorus, with the repeated phrase "say it loud, say it clear," encourages listeners to be honest and open with their loved ones and to listen just as much as they speak.
This song was originally written and performed by Mike & The Mechanics in 1988, but it has been covered by various artists and used in different media over the years. It remains a timeless classic because the message it conveys is universal and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Every generation
Each group of people born in a specific period
Blames the one before
Acts according to anger and disappointment at the previous generation
And all of their frustrations
All the things causing annoyance and disappointment
Come beating on your door
Affect the current generation in a negative way
I know that I'm a prisoner
I realize that I'm limited by something that my Father believed in
To all my Father held so dear
Everything that my Father considered important
I know that I'm a hostage
I'm trapped in my Father's hopes and fears
To all his hopes and fears
All the things that he dreamt of and was scared of
I just wish I could have told him
I regret not being able to communicate with him
In the living years
While he was alive
Crumpled bits of paper
Incomplete or badly planned ideas
Filled with imperfect thought
Full of mistakes and wrong concepts
Stilted conversations
Unnatural, awkward talks
I'm afraid that's all we've got
Unfortunately, that's all we have as communication
You say you just don't see it
You express the opinion that you don't understand what's going on
He says it's perfect sense
He thinks the situation is completely logical and makes sense
You just can't get agreement
You fail to reach a decision that everyone can accept
In this present tense
During this moment in time
We all talk a different language
We all have different communication styles and patterns
Talking in defence
Communicating as if one needs to justify one's actions
Say it loud, say it clear
Communicate in a clear and concise manner
You can listen as well as you hear
It's important to be an active listener
It's too late when we die
Regrets are useless after someone's death
To admit we don't see eye to eye
To confess that we don't agree
So we open up a quarrel
So we start a disagreement
Between the present and the past
Concerning the current and past events
We only sacrifice the future
The outcome of our actions only hurts ourselves and the next generation
It's the bitterness that lasts
The resentment is what remains
So don't yield to the fortunes
Don't be influenced by the good or bad luck
You sometimes see as fate
The illusion that life is predetermined
It may have a new perspective
The situation may look different from another angle
On a different day
During another moment
And if you don't give up, and don't give in
If you don't surrender or abandon the situation
You may just be OK
You might have a chance to solve the problem and be alright
I wasn't there that morning
I wasn't present on the specific day
When my Father passed away
When my Father died
I didn't get to tell him
I didn't have the opportunity to say something to him
All the things I had to say
All the thoughts and feelings that I had
I think I caught his spirit
I believe I comprehended his personality and essence
Later that same year
During the same calendar year
I'm sure I heard his echo
I'm sure I perceived his influence
In my baby's new born tears
In the tears of my newborn child
Contributed by Jordyn F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dalek194
This was actually really good! :) It's really nice when they actually show the performance of the third glee club involved rather than a few-second clip, and even better when they actually release it (unlike Magic / You Raise Me Up, Jesus is My Friend, She Walks in Beauty, Starlight Express, etc)
Karen Johnson
Umm NO
Jennifer Brigitte
Dalek194 this was better than the new directions
Holly Wilborn
For real.... There are too many short clip songs that I wish they had made a full version of :(
James Calderwood
Glee actually made a neat job of this emotional charge song. I lost dad to small cell lung cancer on 9/11 in 2013 and this totally speak out to me 🙏
Neil Perena
this song has been stuck in my head for at least a month, then i finally found it
Audrey Dewey
Love this song. First heard this song tonight on the radio
Lucas Pluma
perfeito demais
Emily 22
I love this song ❤️
Dylan Trindade
love this song