Was an American compo… Read Full Bio ↴Harold Arlen (February 15, 1905 – April 23, 1986)
Was an American composer of popular music. Having written over 400 songs, a number of which have become known the world over, Arlen is a highly regarded contributor to the Great American Songbook. His 1938 song "Over the Rainbow” was voted the twentieth century's No. 1 song by the Recording Industry Association of America
Biography
Arlen was born Hyman Arluck, in Buffalo, New York, the child of a Jewish cantor. His twin brother died the next day. He learned the piano as a youth and formed a band as a young man. He achieved some local success as a pianist and singer and moved to New York City in his early 20s. He worked as an accompanist in vaudeville.[1] At this point, he changed his name to Harold Arlen. He performed on record with the "Buffalodians" orchestra, as well as those of Red Nichols, Henny Hendrickson and Arnold Johnson.
Between 1926 and about 1934, Arlen appeared occasionally as band vocalist on records by The Buffalodians, Red Nichols, Joe Venuti, Leo Reisman and Eddie Duchin, usually singing his own compositions.
In 1929, Arlen composed his first well-known song: "Get Happy" (with lyrics by Ted Koehler). Throughout the early and mid-1930s, Arlen and Koehler wrote shows for the Cotton Club, a popular Harlem night club, as well as Broadway musicals and Hollywood films. Arlen also continued to perform with some success, most notably on records with Leo Reisman's society dance orchestra.
Arlen's compositions have always been popular with jazz musicians because of his facility at incorporating a blues feeling into conventional American popular songs.
Arlen and Koehler wrote several hit songs during the early and mid-1930s.
In the mid-1930s, Arlen married, and spent increasingly more time in California, writing for movie musicals. It was at this time that he began working with lyricist E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. In 1938, the team was hired by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to compose songs for The Wizard of Oz. The most famous of these is the song "Over the Rainbow" for which they won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Song. They also wrote "Down with Love", a song later featured in the 2003 movie Down with Love.
Arlen was a longtime friend and former roommate of actor Ray Bolger who would star in The Wizard of Oz, the film for which "Over the Rainbow" was written.
In the 1940s, Arlen teamed up with lyricist Johnny Mercer, and continued to write hit songs like "Blues in the Night" ("My Mama Done Tol' Me") and "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive".
This Time The Dream's On Me
Harold Arlen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We'll be close together, wait and see
Oh, by the way, this time the dream's on me
You'll take my hand
And you'll look at me adoringly
But as things stand, this time the dream's on me
To know that I at least supply the shoulder you cry upon
To see you through till you're everything you want to be
It can't be true, but this time the dream's on me
The lyrics to Harold Arlen's "This Time the Dream's on Me" paint a picture of a hopeful dreamer who longs for a future where they will be close to someone they care deeply about. The lyrics suggest that this person is confident that their dreams will come true and that they will finally be able to be with the one they adore. The song's protagonist expresses their desire to take their loved one's hand and be adored by them while, at the same time, acknowledging that the reality is different. The song concludes with the singer expressing a desire to be the one to support their loved one through their journey to becoming everything they want to be.
The song's lyrics capture the universal themes of hope, longing, and the pursuit of love. It speaks to the human experience of wanting to be loved and to find happiness with someone special. The song's melody is sweet and catchy, and it complements the lyrics perfectly. The music creates an atmosphere of romance, and the lyrics evoke a sense of optimism and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere, someday
At some unspecified point in time and place
We'll be close together, wait and see
We will eventually be physically and emotionally close, though it is uncertain when exactly that will happen
Oh, by the way, this time the dream's on me
I will take on the responsibility of making our shared dreams a reality
You'll take my hand
You will physically grasp my hand
And you'll look at me adoringly
You will gaze at me lovingly and with admiration
But as things stand, this time the dream's on me
Despite your affection, I am the one who must make our dreams come true
It would be fun to be certain that I'm the one
It would be enjoyable to know that I am the person you truly desire
To know that I at least supply the shoulder you cry upon
To understand that I am the person who provides you with emotional support when you need it
To see you through till you're everything you want to be
To support and encourage you until you reach your full potential and achieve your goals
It can't be true, but this time the dream's on me
Although it seems unlikely, I am committed to taking on the burden of realizing our shared aspirations
Contributed by Liam T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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