Donaldson attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro in the early 1940s. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was trained at the Great Lakes bases in Chicago, where he was introduced to bop music in the lively club scene there. At the war's conclusion, he returned to Greensboro, where he worked club dates with the Rhythm Vets, a combo composed of A and T students who had served in the U.S. Navy. The band recorded the soundtrack to a musical comedy featurette, "Pitch a Boogie Woogie," in Greenville, North Carolina, in the summer of 1947. The movie had a limited run at black audience theatres in 1948 but its production company, Lord-Warner Pictures, folded and never made another film. "Pitch a Boogie Woogie" was subsequently restored by the American Film Institute in 1985 and re-premiered on the campus of East Carolina University in Greenville the following year. Donaldson and the surviving members of the Vets performed a reunion concert after the film's showing. In the documentary made on "Pitch" by UNC-TV, "Boogie in Black and White", Donaldson and his musical cohorts recall the film's making—he originally believed that he had played clarinet on the soundtrack. A short piece of concert footage from a gig in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is included in the documentary.
Donaldson's first jazz recordings were with the Charlie Singleton Orchestra in 1950 and then with bop emissaries Milt Jackson and Thelonious Monk in 1952, and he participated in several small groups with other jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, pianist Horace Silver and drummer Art Blakey.
In 1953, he also recorded sessions with the trumpet virtuoso Clifford Brown, and Philly Joe Jones.
He was a member of Art Blakey's Quintet and appeared on some of their best regarded albums, including the two albums recorded at Birdland in February 1954 Night at Birdland.
Donaldson has recorded in the bop, hard bop, and soul jazz genres. For many years his pianist was Herman Foster.
He was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame on October 11, 2012.
Over The Rainbow
Lou Donaldson 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" talks about a beautiful place far away from the troubles of the world - a place where dreams come true. The singer speaks of having heard about this place before through a lullaby. He hopes to reach that place someday by wishing upon a star, where he can leave his problems behind him and find happiness. The line "where troubles melt like lemon drops" is a vivid metaphor that suggests the troubles of life can dissipate and disappear as easily as disposing of a lemon drop.
The chorus of the song talks about bluebirds flying over the rainbow and asks why the singer can't do the same. The bluebirds are symbolic of happiness and freedom - qualities the singer longs for. The song touches on themes of longing for a better life, hope for the future, and the desire for a place where one can be truly happy.
Overall, the song reinforces the idea that there is always hope, even in difficult circumstances. It encourages listeners to hold on to their dreams and pursue them, never losing sight of the brighter future they wish to reach.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There is a place in the sky, far from here
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
This is a place that is familiar to me, but only in my dreams
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In this far-off place, the sky is a bright and vibrant blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
The aspirations that may seem impossible, but inspire us nonetheless
Really do come true.
These dreams can actually come to fruition in the world beyond our current understanding.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
One day, I will make a wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
My dreams will call me to a place where I am free from obstacles or negativity
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
In that place, my problems will be resolved effortlessly, just like a melting candy
High above the chimney tops,
This place is located far above where humans have laid their foundations
That's where you'll find me.
In this fantastical place is where I will reside
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
This idyllic place is so pure that blue birds, the universal symbol of happiness, live there
Birds fly over the rainbow
The freedom and joy the place offers allow the birds to fly over it effortlessly
Why then, oh why can't I?
The singer wants to know why they can't experience this joyous state of being as well.
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
The idea that bluebirds represent happiness suggests they have found an even greater sense of contentment and joy beyond what we can see.
Why, oh why can't I?
Which begs the question, why can't we find it too?
Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind