#Somewhere over the rainbow wizard of oz movie
In some gay circles, a "friend of Dorothy" is also code for a gay person, especially a gay man. Play: 02 Somewhere Over the Rainbow The song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow premiered during the movie premiere of the Wizard of Oz, the first Technicolor. Harburg, the classic Academy Award-winning ballad has received numerous historic honors and accolades over the past 75 years, and continues to resonate as one of the most important songs in popular music history. With music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E. Plus, the six-color rainbow flag is the symbol of the GLBT movement, so to some, going over the rainbow is now a cute insider metaphor for coming out of the closet. Over the Rainbow was written for the 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by actress Judy Garland in her starring role.
Gay men are known to have a sizeable Judy Garland following in their ranks. One of the more widespread re-interpretations of the rainbow is the gay interpretation. We're guessing that's because they are so scientifically cool (and seemingly mysterious) in real life. Where troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops. Rainbows have basically been an irresistible symbol since recorded human history. Someday ill wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
And from ancient times, rainbows have had a special place in mythology ranging from Hindu and Norse to ancient Japanese and Amazonian cultures.
But as the song has taken on iconic status over the decades, "the rainbow" has come to mean a lot of other things, too.įirst of all, there's the obvious leprechaun connection-those little guys have been traveling over rainbows since before Dorothy was even a seed in the brain of author L. At the surface level, "over the rainbow" is just a pretty way of saying, "somewhere far away from this crummy place." When Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale sings the song in the film, Dorothy is fed up and just wants to get away from her life in Kansas.