Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow

Walter Frisch

Oxford Keynotes

Examines a number of cultural contexts in which "Over the Rainbow" has been interpreted since its inception
Positions itself as a "song biography", tracing the life of this influential number across much of the later twentieth century
Accompanied by a companion website of audio and video examples tracing the song's evolution

Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow

Walter Frisch

Description

"Over the Rainbow" exploded into worldwide fame upon its performance by Judy Garland in the MGM film musical The Wizard of Oz (1939). Voted the greatest song of the twentieth century in a 2000 survey, it is a masterful, delicate balance of sophistication and child-like simplicity in which composer Harold Arlen and lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg poignantly captured the hope and anxiety harbored by Dorothy's character.

In Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow, author Walter Frisch traces the history of this song from its inception during the development of The Wizard of Oz's screenplay, to its various reinterpretations over the course of the twentieth century. Through analysis of the song's music and lyrics, this Oxford Keynotes volume provides a close reading of the piece while examining the evolution of its meaning as it traversed widely varying cultural contexts. From its adoption as a jazz standard by generations of pianists, to its contribution to Judy Garland's role as a gay icon, to its reemergence as a chart-topping recording by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, "Over the Rainbow" continues to engage audiences and performers alike in surprising ways. Featuring a companion website with audio and video supplements, this book leaves no path unexplored as it succeeds in capturing the extent of this song's impact on the world.

Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow

Walter Frisch

Oxford Keynotes

Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow

Walter Frisch

Oxford Keynotes

Author Information

Walter Frisch is H. Harold Gumm/Harry and Albert von Tilzer Professor of Music at Columbia University. He has written widely about music from the Austro-German sphere in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Frisch served as general editor of the series Western Music in Context from W. W. Norton, and as author of the series volume Music in the Nineteenth Century. His current research involves the music and career of American songwriter Harold Arlen.

Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow

Walter Frisch

Oxford Keynotes

Reviews and Awards

"Walter Frisch is that rare thing, a meticulous scholar who also writes wonderfully readable books. In Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow, Frisch leads us on a journey that uncovers facts, theories, and anecdotes that even the most ardent fan of The Wizard of Oz will find fascinating. Altogether a revelatory book about the most beloved song from Hollywood's most beloved film." - Ken Bloom, author of Show and Tell: The New Book of Broadway Anecdotes

"Frisch's book is the best reflection to date on a popular song that is as classic as a lied by Schubert or Strauss. With its 'Additional sources for reading and listening,' it also fills any music lover's or scholar's need to know more about The Wizard of Oz, Judy Garland, Harold Arlen, or popular song. The eight pages of notes and extensive index at the end also facilitate anyone wanting to do further research." --ARSC Journal

Arlen and Harburg's Over the Rainbow

Walter Frisch

Oxford Keynotes

From Our Blog

Five favorite 'Rainbows'

'Over the Rainbow,' voted the greatest song of the twentieth century in a survey from the year 2000, has been recorded thousands of times since Judy Garland introduced it in The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Even the most diehard fans, including myself), are unlikely to have listened to every version.

Posted on December 9, 2017

Read the blog post