The classic song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” (properly titled “Over the Rainbow”) was written by composer Harold Arlen (music) and lyricist E.Y. “Yip” Harburg (words) for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

Quick Scoop: Who Wrote “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”?

  • Music by Harold Arlen, a prolific American songwriter who wrote hundreds of songs for Broadway and Hollywood.
  • Lyrics by E.Y. “Yip” Harburg, known for his poetic, socially conscious writing and other classics like “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”.
  • Written in 1939 for The Wizard of Oz and introduced by Judy Garland as Dorothy.
  • The song is often called “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” but its official title is “Over the Rainbow.”

A Little Story Behind the Song

Harold Arlen reportedly came up with the melody while riding in a car with his wife in Los Angeles; he asked her to pull over near Schwab’s Drug Store so he could jot it down on manuscript paper. Yip Harburg then shaped the lyrics as a ballad for a lonely Kansas girl longing for a more colorful, hopeful world beyond her everyday troubles.

First sung by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz , the song went on to win the Oscar for Best Original Song and has since been ranked among the greatest songs of the 20th century by organizations such as the RIAA and NEA.

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