The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is made up of some 360 men and women, all of whom are volunteers. There are many husband-wife combinations and many families have participated in the choir for generations. Choir members are currently limited to twenty years of participation, allowing new members to join the choir on a regular basis.
The choir was founded in August 1847, one month after the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. The choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to support their organization. Choir members are not paid for their participation or performances.
Although the choir has traditionally been recognized for its sound quality, the most recent director, Craig Jessop, a student of Robert Shaw, has made changes designed to improve the overall quality of the choir. Jessop's efforts to add vitality to the choir's sound include the formation of The Orchestra at Temple Square, the 2005 addition of The Bells on Temple Square (a hand bell choir), and continual refinement of the choir's tone, enunciation, and repetoire. The minimum age for participation has been reduced from 30 to 25. In addition, new choir members participate in The Temple Square Chorale training choir, a combination music theory/performance school led by associate director and composer/arranger Mack Wilberg.
Over The Rainbow
Mormon Tabernacle Choir 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 lyrics of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" convey the urge for a better and more peaceful world, portrayed as a faraway place that one can only reach through imagination, dreams, and hope. The song describes a place where there's no trouble, a magical land where the skies are blue, and one can find happiness and fulfillment. The opening lines set the stage for a place that is remote, somewhere "high up high" and inaccessible, except in the realm of the imagination. In this place, everything is possible, and the dreams that one dares to dream do come true. The song speaks of longing, of wanting to escape the troubles of everyday life, and of wishing to find a place where one can find joy and contentment.
The following verse likens this place to a reality found only in fairy tales, where one can see blue birds flying above the rainbow. These birds are a symbol of happiness and contentment. The song expresses the hope that people can find their way to this imaginary world, to a place where their wishes do come true. The repetition of the question, "why then, oh why can’t I?" emphasizes the sense of longing and the difficulty of achieving those dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a magical place high in the sky that's out of reach.
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
The magical place is described in a beautiful lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In this beautiful place, the sky is always blue.
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
In this magical place, if you dream big and work hard, your dreams will come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
One day, I'll make a wish on a star to escape from any problems.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
In this wonderful place, your problems will disappear like magic and you'll be free.
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
There are blue birds that can fly in this magical place.
Birds fly over the rainbow
The blue birds are able to fly over the magical place
Why then, oh why can't I?
I wish I could experience the freedom of flying like the blue birds.
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
If the blue birds can escape and be happy, why can't I?
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, 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
Edward Parker
This is my five year old granddaughter's favorite. She says, "Grandpa why does that music make tears come to my eyes, but I'm not sad?" It's great that a child can feel the spirit of beautiful music.
Marge Mecham
What a beautiful testament that music truly feeds our soul
Ana maria Morena
Over the rainbow by judy.garland
Snippets of Victoria
I've never heard this song sung by a choir. Simply stunning. I'm in love.
jerry n
This is just beautiful. Todays world is so full of hate and discontent, this is truly a gift to sit back and just enjoy this wonderful piece of music, so soothing.
Bertha Morgan
Beautifull
capybara bros
Ronnie abraham
Alex Waltensperger
❤❤❤❤😅
420 Mordecai
listening to the Mormon tabernacle choir gives me peace. no matter what I'm going through listening to them makes me see the beauty in the world. keep it up motab
Edward Parker
My son Jonathan's favorite song. He passed away two years ago while asking the family to play this music at his funeral. We did and everyone felt the message.
We love the Choir