Academy Award-winning ballad, “Over the Rainbow”, also known as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, was written by E.Y. Harburg with music by Harold Arlen. The song, written for the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, was sung by Judy Garland, an actress who played the role of Dorothy Gale, the main female lead and over time, which later became her signature song. The song was ranked the “the greatest movie song of all time” and was even “adopted by American troops in Europe [during] World War II as a symbol of the United States”. Because the tune became a great hit, different versions of the song have been created, resulting in different interpretations of the song itself. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” written by E.Y. Harburg is a marvelous song but very …show more content…
Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, referred to as IZ, was one of the most respected Hawaiian musicians to have lived. IZ was known as the master of ukulele who was able to combine “traditional Hawaiian styles of music with jazz and reggae”. His cover of “Over the Rainbow” is remarkable. “It feels Hawaiian in the way that his voice is airy and the slight bounce with the way he sings each note. He glides effortlessly through the notes dipping into a rich dark chest voice while floating up to higher brighter tones.” His voice presents strength, softness, and joy throughout the song and compliments the melody perfectly ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel …show more content…
Rather than singing the longing leap in the original version, IZ stays on the same pitch making it more reflective. IZ is also able to take the optimism of “Over the Rainbow” to the next level. He is able to imply that though things may be good or great, there is no wrong in hoping for more. IZ’s edition was able to climb the charts not only nationally, but internationally at number eight. Many would argue that Judy’s mature voice is the reason for the dark connotation, but there’s more to it than that. The primary purpose as to why Judy Garland’s version is on the more sad side of the spectrum may be due to the time period the song was released. If the song would have been released before the great depression or even a few decades after, the possibility for the song to be considered joyful and warm would have been high. The musical instruments used in the tune also play a large role in emotion of the song. In IZ’s version, he sung while playing the ukulele, an instrument that would be difficult to use in a sad song due to its upbeat and cheerful notes, while in Judy Garland’s version, harmonicas, harps, and flute are used and play the melody. The tone of the singer’s voice also greatly influences the song’s meaning. Judy Garland has a deep, mature voice that would typically be found in gloomier tunes, while IZ’s soft and nurturing voice could be found in the complete
“Over There” is a song written by George M. Cohan in 1917. Nora Bayes, Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray, and Charles King were among many who recorded the song. It was written as a propaganda piece encouraging young American men to join the army to fight in World War I. The song was incredibly popular, selling over two million copies of sheet music and one million copies of recordings by the end of the war. Cohan, the writer, was eventually even awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his work on this song. The lyrics of the song are listed below:
Dorothy, the hero in this film learned an appreciation of the life she already had in her ordinary life. Dorothy had complaints about her ordinary world and dreamed of being somewhere else, because she did not have a complete appreciation of her life. She experienced companionship from the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion who became her mentors and allies in her adventure world. However, these same individuals were her mentors and allies in her ordinary world. Dorothy also experiences real fear and challenges in her adventure world that caused her to grow and mature. She learned to stand on behalf, support and defend others and not only consider her desires. Being away from her Aunt Em, her Uncle and the farm hands made Dorothy realize she already had love on the dusty farm in Kansas and all she needed to do was embrace it. Dorothy’s use of the magic ruby slipper, coupled with her desire to return home to Kansas from the magical Land of Oz, is a classic example of a magic flight. .Although she had been anxious to leave home and sung “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” her call to adventure, she later expressed her love for her family, executing her magic flight and upon returning to her sweet ordinary world, she exclaimed with a heart filled with love and appreciation: “There is no place like home.” This statement was evidence of her maturity and transformation Dorothy’s joy and appreciation of being back on the farm in Kansas is also evidence that she had mastered both her ordinary world and her adventure
“The Wizard of Oz” was for many years shown annually until the rights for the film were bought by Ted Turner the owner of Turner Classic Movies. After the movie was bought by Turner it has aired over 32 times since 2000. The songs and images from the movie are a recognizable part of American culture and have been borrowed from numerous artists, filmmakers, advertisers, and cartoonists. A number of films have been made in honor of “The Wizard of Oz” like “The Wiz” and “Wild at Heart” along with musicals like “Wicked”. The movie also inspired one of Elton John’s album cover for “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, lunchboxes, backpacks, and commemorative plates. The movie has also been referenced in many songs, such as “Tin Man” by America, and “Return to Oz” by Scissor
The Wizard of Oz was written by L. Frank Baum and was published by George Hill Company on May 17, 1900. The story wasn’t intended to become very popular, but by the year 1956, 3 million copies had been sold. Today, this story remains popular, and is forever considered a classic. In short, the story begins in Kansas with Dorothy and her dog Toto, a cyclone comes and sweeps up the house, landing Dorothy and Toto in the Land of Oz. The house had also landed on top of the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her. Dorothy simply wanting to get back home encounters the Good Witch of the North, who she suggests that Dorothy find her way to the Emerald City, following the yellow brick road, to speak with the Great and Powerful Oz and ask for his help to get back home. On her journey she encounters three characters, the Scarecrow, the Tin man, and the Cowardly Lion. As well as defending herself from the Wicked Witch of the West, attempting to
The instrumentation relies on string accompaniment, which is common in Baroque pieces. Additionally, this helps to support the emotive nature of the piece as the mechanics of string instruments are very similar to the mechanics of the human voice; thus, strings can mimic human expressions like sighing and weeping. For example, in measure 8, the 9-8 suspension in the second violin part seems to indicate tension. When this is combined with the voice-like timbre of the instrument and the falling, melismatic line within the melody, it reflects a human’s sobbing. The ensemble is also intimate, involving only five voices, and this seems appropriate for the emotional but private message within the lyrics.
... Peterson and Alan Jefferson categorize Strauss’s songs differently. Petersen divides Strauss Lieder into three categories based upon style: lyric, dramatic and declamatory (Jefferson, 31). Most of Sophie’s music falls into the lyric category, but contains some declamatory and dramatic moments as well. Sophie sings in all three styles; therefore, selections from each category will be necessary to prepare the singer for this role. Strauss scholar, Jefferson, classifies the songs by mood and text using lusty songs, love songs, sentimental songs and songs describing seasons or time of day as categorical headings (Petersen, Ton und Wort: 67). Sophie experiences a variety of emotions ranging from joy to fear and anger to passion. Strauss songs contain examples of these emotions as well, allowing the student to study and explore these feelings in a more intimate genre.
upon the natural ability of the race in song and is acknowledged to be Dunbar's
At the beginning of the film, Dorothy sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, where she quotes “If happy little bluebirds fly, beyond the rainbow why, oh, why can’t I? Portraying to the audience that Dorothy wants more than the life she has. However, as the film progresses, she does indeed understand that this fantasyland is not her home and she has obligations to her aunt and uncle. She is not swayed by the Land of Oz to the extent that she wants to reside there and realises that her roots and identity lie back in Kansas. The director uses the quote ‘There’s no place like home’ as it represents the major theme and reinforces an understanding of the importance of being true to where you come from. Finally, at the end of the film, Dorothy acknowledges the lure of faraway places while affirming that her emotional compass always points homeward in the quote "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard," Dorothy says to further illustrate her awakened state of mind she has acquired through her adventures in the Land of Oz.
Enhancing and progressing the histrionic narrative, Oz superbly fuses the action of the plot with the film’s musical numbers. “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” “If I Only Had a Brain,” and the enduring immortality of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” are songs almost everyone is familiar with and are fundamental to the film’s standing as a major work of art.
...r songs are still covered to this day and are known throughout the world as the epitome of torch singing and general beautiful singing. Due to her immense usage of torch singing, her music makes the listener feel what she is feeling. If the song is about lost love, the listener feels sad, but if the song is talking about how she feels when she is in love, the listener feels happy. The emotions that the listener feels are reflective of those of the singer. If Billie Holiday were alive today, one would hope that, however unrealistic it may seem, she wouldn’t be as involved with drugs as she was during her lifetime. Holiday would also develop her own style, one different than any style heard before. One could also assume that she would be happy with the state of racial relations today, seeing as the music industry has been diversified throughout the past thirty years.
During 1939, The Wizard of Oz made its debut in the United States. Based off the 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the movie displays the mystical adventure of a young girl, Dorothy Gale. Beginning in Kansas on Dorothy’s aunt and uncle’s farm, the film focuses around Dorothy and her monotonous life. Shortly into the movie, Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are swept away by a twister and dropped off in the magical Land of Oz. Here she meets the Good Witch of the North, Glinda. She advises Dorothy to follow the Yellow Brick Road and find the Wizard, who can grant Dorothy her wish of returning to Kansas. Along her path to the Emerald City, where the Wizard of Oz lives, she encounters the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. Each
“Over There” is a song written by George M. Cohan in 1917. Nora Bayes, Enrico Caruso, Billy Murray, Arthur Fields, and Charles King were among many who recorded the song. It was written as a propaganda piece encouraging young American men to join the army to fight in World War I. The song was incredibly popular, selling over two million copies of sheet music and one million copies of recordings by the end of the war. Cohan, the writer, was eventually even awarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for his work on this song.
“Reuben, Reuben” was a much happier song and the first of the songs performed in English; however, my favorite pieces were “Water Come-A-Me Eye” and “Great Day!” I especially enjoyed “Water Come-A-Me Eye” because of the percussion instruments that some of the choir members played. Jasmina Begovic kept a steady beat on the maracas and provided a pleasant accompaniment to the melodies of the choir. The other percussion instruments were equally enjoyable and added an element to the song that other songs did not have. “Great Day!” was particularly enjoyable because of the fast-paced rhythm and the energy of the performers. This song had a faster tempo than the other songs and was a great way to conclude the concert. Though it seemed as if the entire concert had picked up speed when the choir sang “Reuben, Reuben,” “Guantanamera,” and “Water Come-A-Me Eye” consecutively, the rhythm eventually slowed down when they performed “Fare You Well,” a traditional American folksong with a rather melancholy sound to it.
Many say that music has evolved over the years. This essay shall explore the elements of two versions of one song. It shall discuss the correlations and disparities of these songs and confer how it has been revolutionised to entertain the audiences of today.
The Wizard of Oz is a film created by MGM Studios in 1939, directed by Victor Fleming and starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale, Frank Morgan as the Wizard and Margaret Hamilton as The Wicked Witch of the West. The Wizard of Oz is commonly known as the classic film of American cinema and is loved by many people. It can be classified as a Family, Fantasy, Musical film due to the touching messages told throughout the film, the magical special effects featuredn and the beautiful musical numbers highlighted in the film.