somewhere over rainbows in Kansas

Didn't see a rainbow, a tornado, or Oz for that matter but enjoyed my first trip to Kansas this week. Wichita was the site of the statewide Parish Nursing Conference and I was among them as a guest presenter. Being there made me think about Judy Garland's signature song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow and how after 70 years (Garland recorded it in 1938) it's ranked as the #1 song of the century, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Google it - see how many renditions there are. Think of how many times it's been performed and recorded. What's the appeal? There are three draws that hook me in.

• cross generational appeal - Songs that find their original context in family settings seem to pull on the heartstrings of all ages and especially mine. A young girl facing loss of family, the unknown, new friends and danger, albeit fictional, is a story we are drawn into. The song comes at a time when the theme gives us hope for her plight and we have been endeared to her and the other Oz characters.

• resonant truth - Songs that stand the test of time are great stories with timeless themes that cross contexts and ring true. Whose world hasn't been in a hopeless jumble at one point or another? I can relate to that. Who hasn't experienced rainy, down days where there's doesn't seem to be horizon beyond the window? Taking us to the possibility of another place apart from our current bleak circumstance - transcendence - may be a resonant truth we share. All of us can relate to this song. Tragedy and transcendence -human themes.

• musical shape - Songs that have melodic hooks grab our attention and I like to analyze why. Harold Arlen, the composer opens the melody of the chorus with an octave span. This sure fits the story: Dorothy on the ground pondering what's beyond - what's up high beyond the tornado. He creates the happy bluebird feeling with repeated third patterns in the bridge. This almost sounds like a bird call.

Some reflections from Wichita. Oh yes, the other cool thing about Wichita is it is the home of Pizza Hut (I saw the original hut on the campus of University of Wichita) and Coleman camping equipment, a staple on our family vacations for more than twenty years.

© 2009, Bev Foster