The Marcels were a doo-wop group known for turning beloved American classic… Read Full Bio ↴The Marcels were a doo-wop group known for turning beloved American classical pop songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, Ron Mundy, and Richard Knauss. In 1961 many were shocked to hear a new version of the ballad, "Blue Moon" that began with the bass singer say, "bomp-baba-bomp" and "dip-da-dip." Still, the record sold a million and is featured in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

The disc climbed all the way to number one in the UK singles chart. However all follow-ups sank without trace, and the group became known there as a one-hit wonder. Even in their U.S. homeland, later revivals in the same vein as "Blue Moon" - "Heartaches" and "Melancholy Baby" - were much less successful.

In August of 1961, Knauss and Bricker left and were replaced by Alan Johnson (brother of Fred) and Walt Maddox. Mundy left soon after, leaving the group a quartet.

In 1962, Harp and Alan Johnson left, and were replaced by Richard Harris and William Herndon. There was a brief reunion of the original members in 1973. The group made several recordings in 1975 with Harp back on lead.

By the early 1990s the group was Johnson, Maddox, Harris, Jules Hopson and Richard Merritt.

The group split around 1995. Fred Johnson formed his own group with new members, while the other four members recruited new bass Ted Smith. Maddox won a lawsuit against Sunny James Svetnic, the manager of Johnson's group, for trademark infringement in 1996. Svetnic died in 2002.

Johnson reunited with Harp, Mundy, and Knauss in 1999 for the PBS special Doo Wop 50 with a fifth member.

Over the Rainbow
The Marcels Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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?

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?

Overall Meaning

The Marcels's song Over the Rainbow is a classic that has been performed by many artists throughout the years. The first stanza of the song describes a magical place "somewhere over the rainbow" where the singer imagines a land that he has heard of in a lullaby. In this imaginary place, the sky is blue and the dreams that you dare to dream come true. This is a song about hope and the power of imagination. It suggests that if you can imagine a better world, it's possible to make it a reality.

The second verse of the song begins with the promise that someday the singer will wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind him. He longs to be in a place where troubles melt like lemon drops, and the world is carefree and happy. The imagery of chimney tops and bluebirds flying add to the whimsical and dreamy atmosphere of the song. The singer acknowledges that he can see these bluebirds flying over the rainbow, but he wonders why he can't do the same. He longs to be free of the burdens that hold him down and soar with the birds, high above the rainbow.

In conclusion, The Marcels's song Over the Rainbow is a song about imagination, hope, and longing for a better life. It conveys the idea that if you can dream it, you can achieve it. This classic song has a timeless quality and continues to resonate with listeners today.

Line by Line Meaning

Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
There is a place high above the earth that seems to only exist in dreams.

There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby.
There is a magical land that exists in the imagination and in song.

Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue
The skies in this far-off place are peaceful, clear, and free from troubles.

And the dreams that you dare to dream, Really do come true.
Even the most ambitious and daring dreams can come true in this far-off land.

Someday I'll wish upon a star And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
The artist hopes to find their way to this magical place by making a wish upon a star.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops, High above the chimney tops, That's where you'll find me.
In this place beyond the rainbow, even the most difficult struggles disappear, and the singer would be happy to stay there forever.

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly Birds fly over the rainbow Why then, oh why can't I?
Even though birds can freely fly to this magical place, the singer laments that they themselves cannot find a way there.

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow Why, oh why can't I?
The artist is hopeful that, if birds can make it to this magical place and find happiness, then there must be hope for them to do the same.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Yip Harburg, Harold Arlen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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