Song lyrics to ‘Over the Rainbow’, music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, written for — The Wizard of Oz’ where it was sung by Judy Garland
Over the Rainbow song lyrics – sung by Judy Garland
Song lyrics to Over the Rainbow, written by E.Y. Harburg with music by Harold Arlen. Over the Rainbow, often mistakenly remembered as Somewhere Over the Rainbow, was written for The Wizard of Oz where it was sung by Judy Garland — and became her signature song. The song is so popular that it tops the Songs of the Century list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. It also topped the American Film Institute’s 100 Years, 100 Songs list.
Along with Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the song was adopted by the American troops in Europe in World War II as a symbol of the United States of America, the faraway land that seemed to be “over the rainbow”. Modern listeners may be unaware that the song had an introductory stanza, as this was not sung in the film by Garland. However, there is one known recorded instance of her singing the full song with the introductory verse, on The Louella Parsons Radio Show in December 1948.
Song lyrics
Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland):
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There’s a land that I 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
Some day I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can’t I?
Some day I’ll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That’s where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds 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?