A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette," where he used whistling and guitar in unison. He worked both as a bandleader and as a sideman, including many projects with composer/arranger Quincy Jones. He performed on many film soundtracks, such as Midnight Cowboy, Cinderella Liberty, Jean de Florette, The Sugarland Express, The Yakuza, Turkish Delight, the 1972 version of The Getaway, French Kiss, Dunderklumpen!, and in various television programs, including Sesame Street, whose closing credits (which did not list him accordingly) featured his performance, on harmonica, of the show's theme, the Belgian television series Witse, and in the Netherlands, for the Baantjer series.
Thielemans started his career as a guitar player. In 1949 he joined a jam session in Paris with Sidney Bechet, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Max Roach and others. In 1951 he went on tour with Bobbejaan Schoepen.
He moved to the United States in 1952 where he was a member of Charlie Parker's All-Stars. He played and recorded with names like Ella Fitzgerald, The George Shearing Quintet, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Astrud Gilberto, Elis Regina and others.
A jazz standard by Toots Thielemans is "Bluesette" where he used whistling and guitar in unison. Bluesette became a major 1962 world-wide hit for him and this still much beloved and requested piece has been re-recorded by him and commercially released on records/CDs many times over both in various studio versions and live on-stage performances performed in several different countries. His trademark harmonica playing can also be heard in movie scores such as Breakfast at Tiffany's (where his plaintive "Moon River" solo in the opening scene brilliantly establishes the film's mood of romance noir), Midnight Cowboy, Bagdad Café, French Kiss, and in various TV programs like Sesame Street, the Belgian TV series Witse and the Dutch TV series Baantjer. His professional whistling and harmonica playing can be heard on Old Spice radio and TV commercials that have been made over the years. In 1983 he contributed to Billy Joel's album An Innocent Man, and his trademark harmonica can be heard on "Leave a Tender Moment Alone."
In the 90s Thielemans embarked on theme projects that included world music. In 1998 he released the a French flavoured album titled "Chez Toots" that included the Les Moulins De Mon Coeur (The Windmills of My Heart) featuring guest singer Johnny Mathis. This CD continues to sell well.
Today Jean "Toots" Thielemans remains a strong favorite among jazz aficionados and professional critics alike. His music CDs continue to delight (many of which were recorded in the 2000s) and have introduced him to entire new generations of keen fans.
Apart from his popularity as an accomplished musician, he is well liked for his modesty and kind demeanor. In his native Belgium, he is also popular for describing himself as a Brussels "ket", which means "street kid" in old Brussels slang. He received a joint honorary doctorate from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) and in 2001 Thielemans was ennobled a baron by King Albert II of Belgium.
In 2005 he was nominated for the title of De Grootste Belg (The Greatest Belgian). In the Flemish version he ended 20th place, in the Walloon version he ended 44th place.
Thielemans may have had a significant impact on The Beatles, (John Lennon in particular), during the group's pre-fame formative years. When performing in a 1959 Hamburg Germany with the pre-fame Beatles, John Lennon (sometimes with fellow Beatle George Harrison in tow) would often go over to the club where Toots was performing (at a noontime venue) as a member of The George Shearing Quintet. Lennon evidently was taken with Toot's harmonica playing and also for the guitar Toots was playing, an electric American made Rickenbacker with a short play neck. Based on the sound Lennon heard, he decided to purchase a natural alder wood "alderglo" colored three pickup Rickenbacker 1958 model 325 Capri guitar with a short scale as former Beatle and friend, George Harrison would recall to various interviewers many years later. (This iconic famous guitar often fondly referred to as the "Holy Grail" of all guitars, which was customized and tinkered with many times over the years by Lennon including being re-painted to jetglo black in September 1962, is the very same guitar that he played on The Beatles first and third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show during February 1964).
Toots Thielemans died peacefully in his sleep on August 22, 2016 after being hospitalized for a fall a month earlier.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Toots Thielemans 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 Somewhere Over The Rainbow is a beautiful representation of the dreams and desires that everyone holds. The song offers a hopeful message and tells the story of a place somewhere over the rainbow where everything you dream of can come true. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a place in the clouds where troubles and worries are left far behind as you are transported to a magical land. The song also talks about the feeling of being left behind, the desire to escape, and the hope that someday we will find our own little slice of paradise.
The opening lines of the song speak about a place high above in the sky that the singer has only heard about once in a lullaby. It is a world where the skies are blue and the dreams you dare to dream really do come true. The singer then talks about wishing upon a star and waking up where troubles melt like lemon drops and the sky is high above the chimney tops. This shows the desire to leave the problems of daily life behind and find a place where happiness and joy reign.
The lyrics also touch upon the idea of the unattainable. The blue birds fly over the rainbow, but the singer wonders why they can fly there and why they can't join them. The song is an acknowledgment of the fact that not all dreams come true, but it is also a message of hope, telling us that if we keep dreaming and working hard, we might just get to that place where everything is perfect - somewhere over the rainbow.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high
The possibility of a better life exists beyond the limits of what's visible.
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby
This mystical place may exist only in the imagination but still provides hope and inspiration.
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
The promise of a brighter future is always present, even when things seem dark and gloomy in the present.
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
With courage and persistence, it's possible to achieve even the most seemingly impossible dreams.
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
One day, the struggles and hardships of the past will fade away and be replaced with joy and tranquility.
Somewhere over the rainbow blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why, then, oh, why can't I?
Even though others seem to have more freedom and opportunity, it's important to keep believing in oneself and striving toward success.
If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh, why can't I?
Just because something seems out of reach doesn't mean it's impossible; perseverance and optimism can lead to great achievements.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAROLD ARLEN, E HARBURG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Amelia Hall
Ge-wel-dig!!! Zo mooi deze combi Treintje en Toots !!
Melissa Salas Blair
Love this version 🌌❣️🌠
Kozak Yuriy
Прекрасно!!!
Shelley Summers
amazing... beautiful this song put me a wonderful mood this morning. also to the family i send my condolences. I loved listening to him id bring up my spirits even if i was in a bad mood....
Elizia Lima
Muito lindo
Erani Mongelos
Emocionante !!!!
info info
wonderful and a joy to watch
Alonso Toro
la cara de horror de Toots cuando arranca la leoparda lo dice todo
Marc Van den Broecke
At the age of 90 !
Cyan Cat
Be nicer to hear her sing in her "true voice" on that second melody note in the verse. I think the tune is actually in the wrong key for her voice. See her Burt Bacharach concert video for reference...