Somewhere (song)

"Somewhere" is a song from the 1957 Broadway musical "West Side Story" and the 1961 film. The song has also been recorded by many artists, and released as a single by several, including Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darin, DEVO, Tom Waits, P.J. Proby, Oscar Peterson. Il Divo and Pet Shop Boys.

In the musical

"(Cast references below are to the film cast.)"

The song occurs at a pivotal point, after the rumble in which former Jets leader Tony (Richard Beymer) has stabbed his girlfriend's brother, Bernardo (George Chakiris). Having nowhere else to go, Tony runs to his girlfriend, Maria (Natalie Wood). Maria has just been told of her brother's death, and who killed him. When Tony comes to her room through the balcony window, Maria, in shock, pounds against his chest.

Realizing in spite of her anger that she still loves Tony, Maria begs him to hold her. After crying out, "It's not us...it's everything around us," Tony begins to sing 'Somewhere' to her. His comforting voice draws her in, and it becomes a duet of hope that their love will survive "somehow, someday, somewhere".

Pet Shop Boys version

Infobox Single
Name = Somewhere


Artist = Pet Shop Boys
Album = Bilingual Special Edition
A-side =
B-side = "The view from your balcony"
Released = June 23, 1997
Format = CD single, 12"
Recorded =
Genre = Dance pop
Length =
Label = Parlophone / Atlantic
Writer = Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim
Producer = Pet Shop Boys
Certification =
Last single = "To step aside" / "Se a vida é (That's the way life is)" (1997)
This single = "Somewhere" (1997)
Next single = "I don't know what you want but i can't give it anymore" (1999) "Somewhere" was released as a single by the British music group Pet Shop Boys in 1997 to promote their "Somewhere" residency at the Savoy Theatre in London, which was named after the song, and to promote a repackage of "Bilingual".

The single was another Top 10 hit for the group, peaking at #9. The single also peaked at #25 on the "Billboard" Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles, equaling #125 on the main US Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at #19 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. In the US, the song was released as a double a-side with "A Red Letter Day".

The Pet Shop Boys' version also uses elements of another "West Side Story" song, "I Feel Pretty", and the album version uses elements of "One Hand, One Heart" spoken by Chris Lowe.

Track listing

UK CD single 1: Parlophone

# "Somewhere"
# "The view from your balcony"
# "To step aside" (Ralphi's Old School Dub)
# "Somewhere" -(Forthright Vocal Mix)

UK CD single 2: Parlophone

# "Somewhere" (Orchestral Version)
# "Disco potential"
# "Somewhere" (Trouser Enthusiasts Mix)
# "Somewhere" (Forthright Dub)

UK cassette single

# "Somewhere"
# "Somewhere" (Orchestral Version)
# "The view from your balcony"

Chart positions

Notes:

* ¹ - Equaling #125 on the main Billboard Hot 100.

P. J. Proby version

In 1964, P. J. Proby released his version of "Somewhere" which reached #6 on the British singles chart and #7 on the Australian singles chart. The song also charted well in various European countries.

Barbra Streisand version

In 1985, Barbra Streisand released a version of "Somewhere" as a single off the Grammy award winning "The Broadway Album", charting at #5 in the US and #22 in the UK.