Original artwork, not a still
The Munchkins
Follow the yellow brick road.
— The Wizard of Oz ‧ 1939
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the film's marching order: an instruction from the whole of Munchkinland that sends a lost farm girl on the journey that is the story. The yellow road became shorthand for any path with a promised ending, and a joke for anyone told simply to follow the obvious route. The chant is the hook before the song takes over.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Wizard of OzShow the scene
In the Munchkinland sequence of The Wizard of Oz (1939), Dorothy has just been told which way to go if she wants to find the Wizard, and the Munchkins turn the instruction into a chant. The line first appears as a call from the Munchkin chorus, with Judy Garland echoing it, and then becomes the film's song "We're Off to See the Wizard" as Dorothy skips onto the road. The song has lyrics by E.Y. Harburg and music by Harold Arlen, and it returns three more times as Dorothy gathers her companions.
Sources (1)
- Wikipedia: We're Off to See the WizardLead and film appearancesReference checked
Context reviewed
