BROADWAY
* Evita (1979) — Che (Tony Award, 1980)
* Sunday in the Park with George (1984) — George (Tony Award Nominee, 1984)
* Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Dress Casual (1989)
* The Secret Garden (1991) — Archibald Craven
* Falsettos (1993) — Marvin (Replacement)
* Sunday in the Park with George (Tenth Anniversary Concert) (1994) — George
* Mandy Patinkin in Concert (1997)
* Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Mamaloshen (1998)
* The Wild Party (2000) — Burrs (Tony Award Nominee, 2000)
* Celebrating Sondheim
DISCOGRAPHY
* Evita (1978)
* Sunday in the Park with George (1984)
* Mandy Patinkin (1989)
* Dress Casual (1990)
* The Secret Garden (1991)
* Experiment (1994)
* Oscar & Steve (1995)
* Mamaloshen (1998)
* The Wild Party (2000)
* Kidults (2001)
* Mandy Patinkin sings Sondheim (2002)
Patinkin can also be heard in Adam Guettel's Myths and Hymns, the Placido Domingo-starring studio cast recording of Man of La Mancha (1996), the Leonard Bernstein compilation Leonard Bernstein's New York (1996), Madonna's album I'm Breathless (1990), the studio cast recording of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific (1986), and the concert version of Sondheim´s Follies in Follies in Concert (1985).
Over The Rainbow
Mandy Patinkin 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?
"Over the Rainbow" is a song about hope, dreams, and yearning for something better. The song speaks to that place where we want to escape to, a magical world where our dreams can come true. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high, there's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby" suggests the singer has already heard of this place, and it's something that he/she has dreamt of before.
The second verse, "someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me" talks about the hopes and dreams of the singer. To achieve dreams, you have to work hard, and this is the singer's aspiration. He or she knows this land is achievable because there is where "troubles melt like lemon drops high above the chimney tops." This song could also be interpreted as someone having a tough time, and that over the rainbow is the sanctuary they need. The singer suggests that we should believe in our dreams because "the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."
The last verse, "if happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can't I?" is an expression of a longing for a better life, and it's a question that the singer is asking. The song is a call to never give up on our dreams and to keep hoping that the life we desire is just around the corner.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There exists a place beyond our grasp, high up in the sky
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
This magical place has been spoken of before in a sweet, soothing melody
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In this place, the clear blue skies stretch on forever
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
There, the aspirations and hopes you hold in your heart can come to fruition
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
One day, I will cast all my hopes upon a star and find myself in a place free of complications
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
There, my problems will dissipate like candy on a hot day, far from common stressors
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
In that far off land, blue birds take flight unencumbered. This begs the question, why can't I reach that place too?
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
If even small birds can soar to that mystic land, why can't I, with all my longing and determination?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, TuneCore Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind