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Usage in popular culture. A theme from "America" was referenced by John Williams for his celebratory For New York, composed in 1988 for Bernstein's 70th birthday gala. [8] In 1989, a verse of the song was sampled in Big Audio Dynamite 's single "James Brown" with a 4/4 beat underneath. In 2011, the song was covered by the cast of musical comedy ...
Jun 22, 2023 · Stephen Sondheim’s grandparents were from Germany and Lithuania. They knew what it was like to seek a new land for a better life. ‘OK by me in America.’ The same goes for Irwin Kostal and Sid Ramin who helped Bernstein arrange and orchestrate the music. ‘Everything free in America / For a small fee in America.’ West Side Story. We ...
- Joe Stilgoe
Sep 19, 2023 · Leonard Bernstein’s iconic song “America” from the musical “West Side Story” holds a deep meaning and resonates with many listeners around the world. The song is a reflection of the American Dream, the struggles of immigrants, and the complex socio-cultural landscape of the United States. Through its lyrics and melodies, “America ...
Apr 30, 2024 · Themes of America. On the surface, “America” is a catchy, upbeat number that celebrates the energy and optimism of the American experience. But beneath the surface, there are deeper themes at work. The song is a commentary on the challenges and contradictions of the American Dream, particularly for immigrants and minorities.
- Kevin Vincent
Feb 25, 2010 · Lisa Wade, PhD on February 25, 2010. Dmitriy T.M. reminded me of this classic performance of the song “America” from a classic American musical, West Side Story (1961; it won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture). The song features white New Yorkers and Puerto Rican immigrants debating about the benefits of living in America.
Nov 18, 2018 · The journey that the song follows over its three-and-a-half minutes is hardly Odyssean — the biggest obstacle the narrator encounters is a paucity of cigarettes — but it too is steeped in a kind of mythology; the swelling refrain of “all come to look for America” refers both to the “real” country and the ineffable, mythic America — the home of freedom and endless opportunity.
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Rita Moreno, who sings the song on the movie soundtrack, is a native of Puerto Rico. Chita Rivera, who played Anita on Broadway, is the American daughter of a Puerto Rican father. Their versions – especially Moreno's – remain the definitive recordings of the song and it is rarely covered. West Side Story was originally about a romance ...
