He began arranging professionally in his teens, when he wrote charts for Nat Towles. He became a prominent composer and arranger while playing trumpet for Woody Herman; while working for Herman he provided new arrangements for "Woodchopper's Ball" and "Blowin' Up a Storm," and composed "The Good Earth" and "Wild Root." After leaving Herman's band in 1946, Hefti concentrated on arranging and composing, although he occasionally led his own bands. He is especially known for his charts for Count Basie such as "Li'l Darlin'" and "Cute".
In the 1960s and later he composed and arranged mainly for movies and television. He wrote the background music for movies such as Sex and the Single Girl, How to Murder Your Wife, Synanon, Boeing Boeing, Harlow, Lord Love a Duck, Duel at Diablo, Oh Dad Poor Dad Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feelin' So Sad, and Barefoot in the Park.
His best-known contributions of this period are the theme of the TV series such as Batman and The Odd Couple.
In 2018 (upon the death of playwright Neil Simon), critic Terry Teachout wrote "I wonder why Neal Hefti's "Odd Couple" theme never became a jazz standard. It has a great minor-key tune, tasty changes, and a nice-and-easy swing."
Over the Rainbow
Neal Hefti 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 to Neal Hefti's song "Over the Rainbow" tell the story of a person dreaming of a utopian land. The first verse introduces the idea of a place that is way up high beyond the rainbow, where one has heard of it only in a lullaby. The second verse foreshadows a desire to be in this place where the sky is blue and the dreams one dares to dream come true. The third verse speaks of someday wishing upon a star and waking up in a place where troubles are non-existent, where they melt like lemon drops high above the chimney tops. The stanza also includes a rhetorical question of why this person cannot fly up like in a similar manner to the bluebirds who fly beyond the rainbow.
There is a sense of longing that can be felt from this song, which could explain in part its universal popularity. It could also be interpreted as a message of hope for those who may feel trapped due to their circumstances, giving a glimmer of hope that they can one day live their dreams. In the lyrics, the rainbow acts as a metaphor for the limit that one may encounter in their lives, and the other side of the rainbow represents the endless possibilities that await them.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There's a place far away beyond our normal reach
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
This place is only known to me through my dreams
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
In this faraway land, the sky is a beautiful blue color
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
It's a place where your dreams can actually come true
Someday I'll wish upon a star
I hope to make my way to this place one day
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where I can leave all of my troubles and worries behind
Where troubles melt like lemon drops,
High above the chimney tops,
That's where you'll find me.
In this place, all of my problems seem to disappear into thin air
Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly
This magical place is where blue birds soar and fly free
Birds fly over the rainbow
These birds are a symbol of hope and freedom
Why then, oh why can't I?
I long to experience that same sense of freedom and hope
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Even small, seemingly insignificant things can achieve great things in this magical place
Why, oh why can't I?
I wonder why I can't experience that same sense of hope and wonder
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
This enchanting land is still far beyond my reach
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
But I'll keep dreaming of this magical place and watching for opportunities to make my way there
Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
It's a place where happiness and joy constantly fill the air
And the dreams that you dare to dream,
Really do come true.
I believe that one day, I can make my dreams a reality
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, E HARBURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
greg
on Down with the Lights
I totally loved Hefti's score for "Sex & the Single Girl" Sadly, unlike all of the wonderful Man from U.N.C.L.E. soundtracks, FSM's "Sex & the Single Girl" CD album is a BIG rip off as it has none of the original and far superior session takes used for the movie. Were the original analog or digitized mag tape or film masters really not available?