The idea behind this quartet's creation came to Simon Cowell after listening to Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman's rendition of "Con Te Partirò." He realized he loved lyrical voices but not opera, so he decided to form a multinational quartet (France, Switzerland, Spain, and United States) that sounded like The Three Tenors but sang pop songs and looked like handsome Armani models.
With this idea, Cowell commenced a worldwide search for young singers who were willing to embark on the Il Divo project. His search lasted two years, from 2001 until December 2003, when the fourth member of Il Divo, American tenor David Miller, was signed. The well-established formation of Il Divo comprises a renowned Spanish opera and zarzuela baritone, Carlos Marín, a French pop singer, Sébastien Izambard, and two classically trained tenors, Swiss Urs Bühler and American David Miller. Recording of their first album started in the first half of 2004 in Sweden.
The group's debut album, the self-named Il Divo, contains renditions of Frank Sinatra's hit "My Way (A Mi Manera)," Toni Braxton's hit "Unbreak My Heart (Regresa a Mi)," an adaptation of Ennio Morricone's soundtrack titled "Gabriel's Oboe" from the movie La Misión titled "Nella Fantasia" and several songs sung in Spanish, English, Italian, and Portuguese ("Volta Pra Mim"), including 1994's San Remo Festival winner "Passerà."
Il Divo hit the #1 slot on both Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com after a breakout career-defining appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show on April 5, 2005, where the quartet performed its interpretation of "Unbreak My Heart."
In the United Kingdom, the Il Divo album topped Robbie Williams as number 1 in the UK charts (allegedly Williams said to them during the Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason film premiere, "Oi, you're the bastards that knocked me off!"). This multiplatinum-selling CD became number one in the charts in a total of 13 countries around the world, and achieved top 5 placing in 25 countries.
Il Divo's second album, Ancora, was recorded in both Sweden and London with world-renowned recording giants Per Magnusson and David Kreuger and producer Steve Mac, who was also the producer of their first album. Released on November 7, 2005 in the UK, it hit number one both in the UK and Australia within one week. Ancora was released in the US on January 24, 2006. It entered the Billboard albums chart at number 1, selling more than 150,000 copies during its first week of sales.
Highlights on Ancora include "Isabel," "I Believe In You," a duet with Céline Dion, and Il Divo's cover of Eric Carmen's "All By Myself (Solo Otra Vez)." Two of the tracks on this CD, "O Holy Night" and "Ave Maria," appear on the 2005 US-only release, Christmas Collection.
Il Divo was the perfomer of the 2006 FIFA World Cup official song "A Time of Our Lives."
Over The Rainbow
Il Divo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
The song "Over the Rainbow" is about a place beyond our current realities where our dreams can come true. It alludes to a magical place where colors are vibrant, skies are blue, and everything is in harmony. The singer talks about this imaginary world that exists "over the rainbow, way up high" that they have heard of once in a lullaby. This world seems to be the epitome of happiness and peace, as it is described as a place where troubles melt like lemon drops high above the chimney tops. The singer longs to reach this amazing world where their dreams will come true and all their troubles will dissipate.
In the second verse, the singer talks about "wishing upon a star" and how they believe that someday they will reach that world beyond the rainbow. The singer believes that if they wake up beyond the clouds where nothing holds them back, they will finally be free. And like the bluebirds, they too would be able to fly beyond the rainbow. The song ends on the same note it began, asking the same question, "why can't I?"
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
Up in the sky, there exists a place far away that exists only in our imaginations
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
In a dream-like state, we have heard or read of a magical place that is filled with wonder, beauty and hope
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In that special place, the sky is always blue and clear
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
We can dream big, and have faith that those dreams can come true
Really do come true.
Indeed, our biggest dreams can become a reality if we keep believing in ourselves and keep persevering
Someday I'll wish upon a star
One day we hope that we can make a wish come true by wishing upon a star that shines brightly in the sky
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
When that happens, we will find ourselves in a place where all our troubles and worries are left far behind us
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
In that magical place, our problems disappear as quickly as a drop of lemon in water
High above the chimney tops,
Away from the mundanity of our everyday lives in a place where we can be free like a bird flying high above the roof of our homes
That's where you'll find me.
That is where we want to be, the place that we can call our own
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
In that fantastical place we imagine, there exist beautiful blue birds flying in the sky filled with joy and freedom
Birds fly over the rainbow
There are no limits to what birds can do, just like there are no limits to what we can achieve if we keep our minds and hearts open
Why then, oh why can't I?
Even though we know that we can achieve greatness, why do we feel stuck in the routine of our everyday lives?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
If others can be free and happy, why can't we do the same?
Why, oh why can't I?
Why do we keep getting in our own way, blocking ourselves from achieving our dreams and happiness?
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
Up in the sky, there exists a magical place far away from our troubles
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
In our dreams and imagination, we can feel and sense the existence of a perfect and beautiful land
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In that land of dreams, everything seems perfect and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
If we dare to dream big and believe in ourselves, anything is possible
Really do come true.
Our dreams can become a reality if we keep striving towards them with unwavering determination
Someday I'll wish upon a star
One day, we will find the right moment and opportunity to make a wish that we hope to come true
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
When that moment arrives, we will find ourselves in a happy and carefree place, free from worries and negativity
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
Our problems will disappear as quickly and easily as lemon drops melting in water
High above the chimney tops,
Up in the sky, we will be free to soar and explore our boundless potential
That's where you'll find me.
That is where we will be, living our best lives, free and happy
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
High up in the sky, beautiful blue birds fly with freedom and joy
Birds fly over the rainbow
Birds have no limits or boundaries, just like our dreams and aspirations
Why then, oh why can't I?
Why do we sometimes feel like we are chained down by the shackles of life, prevented from achieving our dreams?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
If others have found happiness and contentment, we too can find our own version of happiness beyond our own boundaries
Why, oh why can't I?
Why do we keep holding ourselves back when we know we have so much potential to achieve greatness?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
CARMEN ANGOSTO GARCIA
Es la canción qué más me gusta de todas y la cantan de manera magistral espero qué Carlos este arriba del arco iris
Teodora Ramos
Que linda canción, como todas las que interpreta , sus voces son maravillosas y juntos forman un cuarteto fantástico, no me canso de escucharlos y decirles que los amo,,,,💕 💖 ❤
Jo Schmo
This is the most beautiful version of this song that I've ever heard. Thank you, guys.
Natanael Mota
Maravilhosa canção. Uma bela viagem no tempo. Um tempo que não voltará. Além do arco íris...
Bravíssimos!
Larissa Navas
nada mas lindo que sus voces ;no he podido ir a sus últimos conciertos,espero sí al siguiente. Los amo
Wildwoodaugust
Such an incredible arrangement of a great classic! Your voices are etherial in this performance!
Nathanael Brito
top d+ esses caras são fora do normal
Astrid Ramírez Córdoba
Voces angelicales 😍💖
Sheyla chalacan
Me encanta¡ ¡¡sus voces!!
Marisol Apeña Gomez
perfecto, sin duda alguna...
los amo <3 me encanta cada una de sus canciones <3