| "My Favorite Things" | |
Soundtrack to the film version of The Sound of Music |
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| Music by | Richard Rodgers |
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| Lyrics by | Oscar Hammerstein II |
| Published | 1959 |
| Language | English |
| Recorded by | Mary Martin (1959), John Coltrane (1961), Julie Andrews (1965), Herb Alpert (1968), and various others |
"My Favorite Things" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music.
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The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film.
In the musical, the lyrics to the song are a reference to things Maria loves, such as 'raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens'. These are the things she selects to fill her mind with when times are bad.
The original Broadway musical places this song in the Mother Abbess's office, just before she sends Maria to serve Captain von Trapp's family as governess to his seven children. However, Ernest Lehman, the screenwriter for the film adaptation, repositioned this song so that Maria would sing it with the children during the thunderstorm scene in her bedroom, replacing "The Lonely Goatherd", which had originally been sung at this point. Many stage productions also make this change, shifting "The Lonely Goatherd" to another scene.
The first section of the melody has the distinctive property of using only the notes 1, 2, and 5 (Do, Re, and Sol) of the scale. Rodgers then harmonized this same section of the melody differently in different stanzas, using a series of minor triads one time and major triads the next.
The song ends with a borrowed line of lyric and notes from Rodgers' earlier composition with Lorenz Hart, "Glad to Be Unhappy," a standard about finding peace in the midst of unrequited love. Using the same two notes for the phrasing of "so sad" in the original song, Rodgers brings the gloom of my "Favorite Things" to a similar upbeat ending – "and then I don't feel so bad."
The song has been recorded hundreds of times.[1] Jazz artist John Coltrane did an extended, close to fourteen-minute version on his 1961 album taken from the title of the song. It became a jazz classic and a signature for Coltrane in concert, also appearing on New Thing at Newport and Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up in 1965, and Live at the Village Vanguard Again! in 1966. Coltrane's version differs significantly from the song as originally conceived; using modal patterns and being much darker and more frenzied in feel.
While it was never conceived as a Christmas song, the wintertime imagery of some of the lyrics has made "My Favorite Things" a popular selection during the holiday season, and it often appears on seasonal albums and compilations. For example, The Supremes recorded the song on their 1965 Christmas album, Merry Christmas. Barbra Streisand recorded it for A Christmas Album in 1967, as did Tony Bennett on his seasonal album the following year. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass had a #45 Billboard 100 hit single with the song in 1969, taken off their Christmas Album. Country music singer Lorrie Morgan covered the song on her 1993 Christmas album Merry Christmas from London. This version received Christmas airplay in 1994 and again in 1999, bringing it to #64 and #69, respectively, on the Hot Country Songs charts in those years.[2] Barry Manilow recorded the song for his album A Christmas Gift of Love in 2002. Jazz saxophonist Kenny G covered the song for his 2005 album The Greatest Holiday Classics. The song was also covered by the cast of Glee for their 9th episode of the season, and was released on December 13th.
Acclaimed hip hop duo Outkast appropriated the motif of the song in their album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.
Panic! at the Disco's song Build God, Then We'll Talk includes a verse that parodies My Favorite Things.
The Animaniacs episode "The Sound of Warners", a parody of The Sound of Music, has a similar song called "That's What I Ponder When I Am Afraid", sung by Prunella Flundergust when she thinks Yakko, Wakko, and Dot are afraid of the lighting.
A filk version of the song with lyrics revolving around old age, first seen on the Usenet newsgroup alt.idiots in June 2001, has become attached to an urban legend claiming that it was sung by Julie Andrews herself at a benefit concert for AARP.[3]
In 2008 the indie group Pomplamoose released a video song version of the song. The track also appears on their 2009 release Video Songs, as well as their 2010 album Tribute to Famous People.
Glee' actress Lea Michele did a cover of the song featured in a Dove shampoo commercial.
A re-worded version of the song was created by Borgore, an Israeli Dubstep producer.
A parody using AC/DC as an influence, in fact going so far as to take a riff right out of Highway to Hell, known as "Jingle Hells Bells" appeared on the album I Am Santa Claus by Bob Rivers.
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes recorded a punk rock version of the song for their album Are a Drag.
Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara performed a jazz version on her album "Beyond Standard", released in 2008.
Chicago included a Latin/Brazilian jazz infused version on their album Chicago XXXIII: O Christmas Three, released in 2011.
The 2011 Glee episode, Extraordinary Merry Christmas covered this song, but did not include it on the album.
In Dragon Ball Abridged, Frieza sings his own twisted version of the song. It can be viewed here. [[1]].