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.
You Can't Always Get What You Want
Glee Cast Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want,
But if you try sometime,
You'll find you get what you need!
You get what you need!
I saw her today at the reception
Oh I knew she was gonna meet her connection,
At her feet was a foot-loose man.
(No you can't) you can't always get what you want, (oh no, no you can't)
You can't always get what you want, (what you want)
You can't always get what you want, (you can't always get what you want)
But if you try sometime,
Well you just might find you get what you need! (Hey)
You get what you need!
And I went down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse,
Singing, we're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50 amp fuse
(50 amp fuse, sing it to me)
You can't always get what you want,
(Oh no you cant)
You can't always get what you want, (oh)
You can't always get what you want,
(Can't always get what you want)
But if you try sometimes, (try sometimes)
Well you just might find you get what you need!
(Yeah, aw)
You get what you need!
Oh oh oh oh oh oh yeah
You can't always get what you want,
(You can't always get what you want)
You can't always get what you want,
You can't always get what you want,
(Can't always get what you want)
But if you try sometimes,
Well you just might find, you get what you need!
You can't always get what you want, (yeah, no no, no no, no)
You can't always get what you want, (no, no, no, no)
You can't always get what you want, (oh)
But if you try sometimes,
Well you just might find you get what you need!
Yeah yeah yeah
(You get what you need)
You can't always get what you want
You get what you need
Oh yeah What you need
Get what you need!
The Glee Cast's rendition of the iconic rock classic, "You Can't Always Get What You Want", explores the idea that life doesn't always give you what you want, but it gives you what you need. The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody may disguise the sobering message, but the lyrics convey an important life lesson. The opening lines repeat the song's main idea: that there is a difference between what you want and what you need. The song's speaker tells us that we can't always get everything we desire, but if we try, we will discover that what we need is enough to satisfy us.
The song's narrative is simplistic, but it's effective in conveying its message. The singer recounts meeting a girl at a wedding reception and realizing that she's going to meet a man she's been looking for. Even though it's not what the singer would want, he understands that it's what she needs. In the second verse, the singer goes to a demonstration to vent his frustrations and recognizes that he needs to be heard, even if he doesn't always get what he wants. It's a song about accepting what life gives you, even if it's not what you expected or hoped for.
Line by Line Meaning
You can't always get what you want,
Life doesn't always go as planned or desired.
You can't always get what you want,
Just in case you didn't get it the first time, life is unpredictable and uncertain.
You can't always get what you want,
Seriously, stop demanding perfection all the time.
But if you try sometime,
Don't give up just because things don't always work out.
You'll find you get what you need!
Maybe what you need is not necessarily what you want, but it's exactly what you need to grow or progress.
You get what you need!
Whether you like it or not, you gotta take what you get.
I saw her today at the reception
I saw her today at a social gathering.
A glass of wine in her hand
She had an alcoholic drink in her hand.
Oh I knew she was gonna meet her connection,
I was confident she was going to meet her drug dealer.
At her feet was a foot-loose man.
She was accompanied by a carefree and uncommitted man.
(No you can't) you can't always get what you want, (oh no, no you can't)
Reiterating the theme that life doesn't always go as planned.
But if you try sometime,
We repeat this because it's important to remember.
Well you just might find you get what you need! (Hey)
Sometimes, what you need is not what you thought you wanted or expected.
And I went down to the demonstration to get my fair share of abuse,
I attended a protest where I expected to face aggression and criticism.
Singing, we're gonna vent our frustration
I sang to release my anger and annoyance.
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50 amp fuse
If we don't express our emotions, we might get dangerously angry.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh yeah
Just a fun interlude.
You can't always get what you want,
Again, for emphasis.
You can't always get what you want,
It's a point worth reiterating.
You can't always get what you want,
Okay, we get it now. Life can be hard.
But if you try sometimes,
Still, worth trying.
Well you just might find, you get what you need!
You never know what life has in store for you, so keep trying.
Yeah yeah yeah
Another opportunity to shout.
(You get what you need)
Like it or not, this is an important fact to remember.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Abkco Music Inc.
Written by: Keith Richards, Mick Jagger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ayla G
Fun Fact: the choreographers actually had Naya Rivera, Heather Morris, Harry Shum Jr. and Dijon Talton choreograph this
Susanne Bemis
good work!
MD
I had to look up who Dijon is, lol. For other people that don't know: it's Matt (the dark dance guy that has like 3 lines in the series)
MD
Samir explain why? I just didn't know the actor's name. He barely had lines and was almost always in the background (of the story).
Bo Kim
Finn told Santana, Britney, mike, and matt to choreograph it i in the waiting room too.
kev7161
@MD At first, Santana and Brittany and Mike and Matt didn't have a whole lot to do. As the season progressed, it seems the writers found little bits for them all . . . except poor Matt. He seemed to replicate a lot of the other characters (football player like Finn and Puck, good dancer like Mike), so it seemed there was really no place for him. I think the actor chose to leave after S01. Too bad, I wish they would've given him better.
Tai Reynbo
okay but watching mr. schue fight tears and be so proud of them makes me cry like a baby
Travstar
I've always loved this song. I love how Finn leads the team to the win. I wish I had show choir or accapella choir at my school so I could be a great leader for once.
Hara Pukeu
Travis McGuire sameeeee
Allie Ivy
We used to have one but than they cut it the year I was old enough