David Fermers Lyric Lane „Over The Rainbow“ by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Aktuelle Hits zu verstehen ist oft nicht ganz leicht. Gut, wenn ein Engländer erklärt, worum es dabei eigentlich geht. David Fermer erzählt auf englisch diesmal - über „Over The Rainbow“ by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. Fürs Hörverständnis mit Audio.

At the top of the German charts this October is a very beautiful song called “Over The Rainbow“. Some of you might already know the song from the film “The Wizard of Oz“. This magical story about a girl called Dorothy and her adventures in the Land of Oz was made in 1939. The song was composed for the film and Dorothy sings it at the beginning when she talks to her aunt and uncle about her dog, Toto, who just bit Miss Gulch. Her aunt tells Dorothy to “find yourself a place where you won't get into any trouble“. Dorothy then starts singing the song.

More than fifty years after the film, a man from the Pacific island of Hawaii picked up his little guitar or ukelele and sang that very same song from “The Wizard of Oz“. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole was already a famous musician in Hawaii at the time, mixing traditional music with jazz and other American styles. He first recorded his version of “Over The Rainbow“ in 1993. It was an international success and was used in several TV films and commercials. Tragically, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole died only a few years later, his life shortened by his weight problems. His version of “Over The Rainbow“ was one of the most beautiful works he left behind .

Now, more than 13 years after his death, the song has been discovered again. Its timeless lyrics tell of “the dreams that you dreamed of, once in a lullaby“. The dreams are “somewhere over the rainbow, way up high / where trouble melts like lemon drops/ high above the chimney tops“ and where “bluebirds fly“. Israel Kamakawiwo'ole tells his listeners that “dreams really do come true“. For most musicians, it is a dream to be heard by millions of people across the world. It is sad that Israel Kamakawiwo'ole isn't alive today to see that dream come true.

Vokabeln

adventure = Abenteuer
to compose = komponieren
to bite = beißen
trouble = Schwierigkeiten
to record = aufnehmen
success = Erfolg
commercial = Fernsehwerbung
weight = Gewicht
to leave behind = hinterlassen
to be discovered = entdeckt werden
lullaby = Schlaflied
to melt = schmelzen

lemon drop = Zitronendrop
chimney top = Schornstein
to come true = wahr werden