Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Original Judy Garland Version
Verse 1
[C]Somewhere [Em]over the rainbow,
[F]Way [Dm]up [C][high, [C7]
[F]There’s [Fm]a [C]land that I heard of,
[Dm]Once in a [G7]lulla- [C]by.
Verse 2
[C]Somewhere [Em]over the rainbow,
[F]Skies are [C]blue, [C7]
[F]And [Fm]the [C]dreams that you [Am]dare to [Dm]dream,
Really [G7]do come [C]true.
Chorus
Some [C]day I'll wish upon a star,
And [G]wake up where the clouds are far be- [Am]hind [F]me.
Where [C]troubles melt like lemon drops,
[D]Way above the chimney tops,
That's [G]where you'll [G7]find me.
Verse 3
[C]Somewhere [Em]over the rainbow,
[F]Blue [Dm]birds [C]fly, [C7]
If [F]birds [Fm]fly [C]over the rainbow,
[Dm]Why then, oh [G7]why can’t [C]I?
Outro
If [C]happy little blue birds fly,
Be- [Dm]yond the rainbow,
[Dm]Why, oh why can’t [C]I?
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The Story Behind the Song
The original “Over the Rainbow” was written in 1939 for the classic movie The Wizard of Oz. Composer Harold Arlen and lyricist Yip Harburg created the song to express the hopes and dreams of Dorothy, a young girl longing to escape her troubles and find a better place.
According to Arlen, the melody came to him suddenly while riding in a car through Los Angeles. He was so inspired that he asked his wife to pull over so he could write it down. Harburg then added lyrics about a magical place “over the rainbow,” symbolizing hope, freedom, and the possibility of a brighter future.
The song was performed in the film by a 16-year-old Judy Garland as Dorothy. Remarkably, MGM executives almost removed it from the movie because they felt it slowed the story. Fortunately, it was kept, becoming the emotional centrepiece of the film.