We're Off to See the Wizard
Encyclopedia
"We're Off to See the Wizard" is one of the classic and most memorable songs from the Academy Award-winning film The Wizard of Oz
. Composer Harold Arlen described it, along with "The Merry Old Land of Oz
" and "Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead", as one of the "lemon drop" songs of the film.
The melody's first appearance begins with the Munchkins reciting and Judy Garland
echoing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
", which turns into a group vocal by the Munchkins (while Garland skips and dances along the road) and then segue
s into "You're Off to See the Wizard".
The song occurs as a vocal three more times in the film soundtrack, along with several short instrumental references in the underscore:
Although Jack Haley
replaced Ebsen on-screen and in the Tin Man's solo recording of "If I Only Had a Heart
", it was deemed unnecessary for the group vocal to be re-recorded, so the voice in the film as released remains Ebsen's. His voice can be detected by listening for the male voice enunciating the "R" in words like "Wizard", as Ebsen's regional accent emphasized the "R" much more strongly than Haley's did.
In The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs, Shorty Rogers
re-worked the song as (in the words of Talkin' Broadway) "a high-energy, wild Latin dance extravaganza".
A popular urban legend
claims that at the very end of the second reprise of this song, a Munchkin or stagehand or some other person could be seen committing suicide, hanging from a rope. Re-examination and digitization of the film have debunked this myth, as the background object turned out to be one of the large birds that were rented from the Los Angeles Zoo
and placed on stage to give the indoor scenes a more outdoor look and feel.
The song was later heard in a few MGM animated cartoons, notably a Tom and Jerry
one, in which Jerry becomes friends with a small duck and marches off with him at the end to an instrumental version of the song.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
covered this song for their 1969 album The Chipmunks Go to the Movies
.
Mitch Miller
and his male chorus later recorded a single of the song for the children's label Golden Records. Singer Anne Lloyd was featured as Dorothy on the song.
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
. Composer Harold Arlen described it, along with "The Merry Old Land of Oz
The Merry Old Land Of Oz
"The Merry Old Land of Oz" is a song from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and the musical. It is sung by the townspeople of the Emerald City, who are joined at appropriate times by the group of four travelers: Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion....
" and "Ding-Dong! The Witch is Dead", as one of the "lemon drop" songs of the film.
The melody's first appearance begins with the Munchkins reciting and Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
echoing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
Yellow brick road
The road of yellow brick is an element in the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, with additional such roads appearing in The Marvelous Land of Oz and The Patchwork Girl of Oz...
", which turns into a group vocal by the Munchkins (while Garland skips and dances along the road) and then segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
s into "You're Off to See the Wizard".
The song occurs as a vocal three more times in the film soundtrack, along with several short instrumental references in the underscore:
- As a duet, sung by Judy GarlandJudy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
and Ray BolgerRay BolgerRaymond Wallace "Ray" Bolger was an American entertainer of stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the Scarecrow and Kansas farmworker Hank in The Wizard of Oz.-Early life:... - As a trio, sung by Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, and Jack HaleyJack HaleyJohn Joseph "Jack" Haley was an American stage, radio, and film actor best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and Kansas farmworker Hickory in The Wizard of Oz.-Career:...
onscreen, but Buddy EbsenBuddy EbsenBuddy Ebsen was an American character actor and dancer. A performer for seven decades, he had starring roles as Jed Clampett in the long-running television series The Beverly Hillbillies and as the title character in the 1970s detective series Barnaby Jones, and played Barnaby Jones in the movie...
's voice heard instead of Haley's - As a quartet, sung by Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, again Buddy Ebsen's voice, and Bert LahrBert LahrBert Lahr was an American actor and comedian. Lahr is remembered today for his roles as the Cowardly Lion and Kansas farmworker Zeke in The Wizard of Oz, but was also well-known for work in burlesque, vaudeville, and on Broadway.-Early life:Lahr was born in New York City, of German-Jewish heritage...
Although Jack Haley
Jack Haley
John Joseph "Jack" Haley was an American stage, radio, and film actor best known for his portrayal of the Tin Man and Kansas farmworker Hickory in The Wizard of Oz.-Career:...
replaced Ebsen on-screen and in the Tin Man's solo recording of "If I Only Had a Heart
If I Only Had A Brain
"If I Only Had a Brain" is a song by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg . The song is sung in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz by the characters that meet Dorothy...
", it was deemed unnecessary for the group vocal to be re-recorded, so the voice in the film as released remains Ebsen's. His voice can be detected by listening for the male voice enunciating the "R" in words like "Wizard", as Ebsen's regional accent emphasized the "R" much more strongly than Haley's did.
In The Wizard of Oz and Other Harold Arlen Songs, Shorty Rogers
Shorty Rogers
Milton “Shorty” Rogers , born Milton Rajonsky in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, was one of the principal creators of West Coast jazz. He played both the trumpet and flugelhorn, and was in demand for his skills as an arranger. Rogers worked first as a professional musician with Will Bradley and...
re-worked the song as (in the words of Talkin' Broadway) "a high-energy, wild Latin dance extravaganza".
A popular urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
claims that at the very end of the second reprise of this song, a Munchkin or stagehand or some other person could be seen committing suicide, hanging from a rope. Re-examination and digitization of the film have debunked this myth, as the background object turned out to be one of the large birds that were rented from the Los Angeles Zoo
Los Angeles Zoo
The Los Angeles Zoo , is a zoo founded in 1966 and located in Los Angeles, California. The City of Los Angeles owns the entire zoo, its land and facilities, and the animals...
and placed on stage to give the indoor scenes a more outdoor look and feel.
The song was later heard in a few MGM animated cartoons, notably a Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are the cat and mouse cartoon characters that were evolved starting in 1939.Tom and Jerry also may refer to:Cartoon works featuring the cat and mouse so named:* The Tom and Jerry Show...
one, in which Jerry becomes friends with a small duck and marches off with him at the end to an instrumental version of the song.
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered this song for their 1969 album The Chipmunks Go to the Movies
The Chipmunks Go to the Movies (album)
The Chipmunks Go to the Movies is a 1969 music album by David Seville and The Chipmunks, released by Sunset Records, the budget-line subsidiary of Liberty Records....
.
Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
and his male chorus later recorded a single of the song for the children's label Golden Records. Singer Anne Lloyd was featured as Dorothy on the song.
External links
- Sheet music cover for We're Off To See The Wizard at the U.S. Library of Congress
