"The Impossible Dream (The Quest)" is a

popular Popularity or social status is the quality of being well liked, admired or well known to a particular group. Popular may also refer to: In sociology * Popular culture * Popular fiction * Popular music * Popular science * Populace, the total ...

song composed by

Mitch Leigh Mitch Leigh (born Irwin Michnick; January 30, 1928March 16, 2014) was an American musical theatre composer and theatrical producer best known for the musical ''Man of La Mancha''. Biography Early years Leigh was born in Brooklyn, New York as Irw ...

, with lyrics written by

Joe Darion Joe Darion (30 January 1917 — 16 June 2001) was an American musical theatre lyricist, most famous for ''Man of La Mancha'', which is considered, by some critics, as a precursor to 1980s sung-through musicals such as '' Les Miserables''. Dario ...

. The song is the most popular song from the 1965 Broadway musical '' Man of La Mancha'' and is also featured in the 1972 film of the same name starring Peter O'Toole. The complete song is first sung by

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

as he stands vigil over his armor, in response to Aldonza ( Dulcinea)'s question about what he means by "following the quest". It is reprised partially three more times – the last by prisoners in a dungeon as

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

and his manservant mount the drawbridge-like prison staircase to face trial by the

Spanish Inquisition The Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition ( es, Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición), commonly known as the Spanish Inquisition ( es, Inquisición española), was established in 1478 by the Catholic Monarchs, King Ferdinand ...

. A version recorded by Jack Jones peaked at No. 35 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and reached No. 1 on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

chart. Leigh received the Contemporary Classics Award from the Songwriter's Hall of Fame for the song.

Notable renditions

*1965: Richard Kiley on the original Broadway cast album of '' Man of La Mancha'' *1966: Jack Jones (with altered lyrics) on his album ''The Impossible Dream''; this version hit No. 35 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and went to No. 1 on the

chart *1966:

Ed Ames Ed Ames (born Edmund Dantes Urick; July 9, 1927), who also recorded as Eddie Ames, is an American singer and actor. He is known for playing Mingo in the television series ''Daniel Boone'', and for his pop hits of the mid-to-late 1960s including " ...

on his album ''More I Cannot Wish You'' *1966: Frank Sinatra on his album '' That's Life'' *1966:

Jim Nabors James Thurston Nabors (June 12, 1930 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and comedian, widely known for his signature character, Gomer Pyle. Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith while working at a Santa Monica nightclub, an ...

on his album ''Love Me With All Your Heart'', and performed in the 1967 '' Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.'' episode "

The Show Must Go On "The show must go on" is a phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer phra ...

" *1967:

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

on the album '' The Temptations in a Mellow Mood'' *1967: Shirley Bassey on her album '' And We Were Lovers'' *1967: Robert Goulet on his album ''More Great Songs From the Big Hit Shows: Robert Goulet On Broadway, Volume 2'' *1967:

Matt Monro Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons, 1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer. Known as "The Man with the Golden Voice", he performed internationally during his 30-year career. AllMusic has described Monro as "one of the m ...

on his album ''Invitation to Broadway'' *1967: Brazilian singer Ronaldo Reys did a Portuguese translation titled ''Sonho Impossível'', which was later covered by several Brazilian artists *1968: Roger Williams on his album ''More Than a Miracle'' *1968: The Hesitations on their album ''Where We're At!'' *1968:

The Imperials The Imperials are an American Christian music group that has been active for over 55 years. Originating as a southern gospel quartet, the innovative group would become pioneers of contemporary Christian music in the 1960s. There have been many ...

on their album ''New Dimensions'' *1968:

Andre Kostelanetz Andre Kostelanetz (russian: Абрам Наумович Костелянец; December 22, 1901 – January 13, 1980) was a Russian-born American popular orchestral music conductor and arranger who was one of the major exponents of popular orch ...

on his album ''For the Young at Heart'' *1968: Jacques Brel (in the French translation titled ("La Quête") on his album ''

L'Homme de la Mancha ''L'Homme de la Mancha'' ( en, The man of la Mancha) is Jacques Brel's twelfth studio album. Released in 1968, it is the cast recording of the Man of La Mancha#Foreign language stage adaptations, French adaptation of ''Man of La Mancha, The Man of ...

'' *1968:

The Vogues The Vogues are an American vocal rock and roll group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original lineup consisted of Bill Burkette (lead baritone), Don Miller (baritone), Hugh Geyer (first tenor), and Chuck Blasko (s ...

on their album ''

Turn Around, Look at Me "Turn Around, Look at Me" is a song written by Jerry Capehart and Glen Campbell, though Campbell is not officially credited. In 1961, Glen Campbell released his version as a single. This was his first song to chart in the United States, hitti ...

'' *1968:

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

on his album '' Hey Little One'' *1968: Andy Williams on his album ''

Honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

'' *1968: Cher on her album '' Backstage'' *1968: The

Smothers Brothers The Smothers Brothers are Thomas ("Tom" – born February 2, 1937) and Richard ("Dick" – born November 20, 1938), American folk singers, musicians, and comedians. The brothers' trademark double act was performing folk songs (Tommy on acoustic gu ...

on their album '' Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' *1968:

Sergio Franchi Sergio Franchi (born Sergio Franci Galli; April 6, 1926 – May 1, 1990) was an Italian-American tenor and actor who enjoyed success in the United States and internationally after gaining notice in Britain in the early 1960s. In 1962, RCA Vict ...

on his album ''Wine and Song'' *1969: Sammy Davis, Jr. on his album ''The Goin's Great'' *1969:

Roger Whittaker Roger Henry Brough Whittaker (born 22 March 1936) is a British singer-songwriter and musician, who was born in Nairobi to English parents. His music is an eclectic mix of folk music and popular songs in addition to radio airplay hits. He is bes ...

on his album ''This is Roger Whittaker'' *1969: Scott Walker on his album '' Scott: Scott Walker Sings Songs from his TV Series'' *1969:

Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...

on his album ''I Play Piano and Sing (Volume Two)'' *1969: Shani Wallis on her album '' As Long as He Needs Me'' *1970:

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (born February 10, 1937) is a retired American singer. She topped the ''Billboard'' charts with the No. 1 singles "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "Killing Me Softly with His Song", " Feel Like Makin' Love", "Wher ...

on her album '' Chapter Two'' *1970:

Harry Secombe Sir Harold Donald Secombe (8 September 1921 – 11 April 2001) was a Welsh comedian, actor, singer and television presenter. Secombe was a member of the British radio comedy programme ''The Goon Show'' (1951–1960), playing many characters, m ...

on his album "A Man And His Dreams" *1971: Malcolm Roberts on his album ''Sounds Like Malcolm Roberts'' *1972:

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

on his album ''

Elvis as Recorded at Madison Square Garden ''Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden'' is a live album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in June 1972 by RCA Records. It peaked at No. 11 on the Top 200 US Billboard albums chart on August 26, 1972. Recorded at the ...

'' *1972: The

Mormon Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is an American choir, acting as part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It has performed in the Salt Lake Tabernacle for ov ...

and the

Columbia Symphony Orchestra The Columbia Symphony Orchestra was an orchestra formed by Columbia Records strictly for the purpose of making recordings. In the 1950s, it provided a vehicle for some of Columbia's better known conductors and recording artists to record using o ...

on the album ''Climb Every Mountain'' *1974:

Ken Boothe Kenneth George Boothe OD (born 22 March 1948) is a Jamaican vocalist known for his distinctive vibrato and timbre. Boothe achieved an international reputation as one of Jamaica's finest vocalists through a series of crossover hits that appeal ...

on his album ''

Everything I Own "Everything I Own" is a song written by American singer-songwriter David Gates. It was originally recorded by Gates's soft rock band Bread for their 1972 album ''Baby I'm-a Want You.'' The original reached No. 5 on the American ''Billboard'' ...

'' *1974:

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1972. Fronted by Alex Harvey accompanied by Zal Cleminson on guitar, bassist Chris Glen, keyboard player Hugh McKenna (1949–2019) and drummer Ted McKenna, thei ...

on their album '' The Impossible Dream'' *1974:

Maria Bethânia Maria Bethânia Viana Teles Veloso (; born 18 June 1946) is a Brazilian singer and songwriter. Born in Santo Amaro, Bahia, she started her career in Rio de Janeiro in 1964 with the show "Opinião" ("Opinion"). Due to its popularity, with performa ...

in the Brazilian translation titled "Sonho Impossível" her album ''A Cena Muda'' *1984:

Albertina Walker Albertina Walker ( – ) was an American gospel singer, songwriter, actress, and humanitarian. Early years Walker was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Ruben and Camilla Coleman Walker. Her mother was born in Houston County, Georgia, and ...

and the Christ Universal Temple Ensemble on the album ''The Impossible Dream'' *1989:

Colm Wilkinson Colm Wilkinson (born 5 June 1944), also known as C. T. Wilkinson, is an Irish tenor and actor who is best known for originating the lead role of Jean Valjean in ''Les Misérables'' (in the West End and Broadway) and for taking the title role i ...

on his album ''Stage Heroes'' *1989:

Scott Bakula Scott Stewart Bakula (; born October 9, 1954) is an American actor. He is known for his roles in two science-fiction television series: as Sam Beckett on '' Quantum Leap'' and as Captain Jonathan Archer on '' Star Trek: Enterprise''. For ''Quantu ...

as Sam Beckett in the ''

Quantum Leap ''Quantum Leap'' is an American science fiction television series, created by Donald P. Bellisario, that premiered on NBC and aired for five seasons, from March 26, 1989, to May 5, 1993. The series stars Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a phys ...

'' episode " Catch a Falling Star" *1992 General Craig, USMC (played by

Jon Cypher Jon Cypher (born January 13, 1932) is an American actor and singer. He is best known as playing Chief of Police Fletcher Daniels in ''Hill Street Blues'' throughout the series' run. He is also known for his work in ''Cinderella'', ''As the World Tu ...

), on Major Dad TV show S2E22. *1992: Carter USM on their album ''

1992 – The Love Album ''1992 – The Love Album'' is an album by English band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. Released on Chrysalis Records, following the demise of Rough Trade Records, the album achieved commercial success and became the band's first and onl ...

'' *1994: Luther Vandross on his album ''

Songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...

'' *1995:

on his album ''On Broadway'' *1996:

Tevin Campbell Tevin Jermod Campbell (born November 12, 1976) is an American singer and songwriter. He performed gospel in his local church from an early age. Following an audition for jazz musician Bobbi Humphrey in 1988, Campbell was signed to Warner Bros. Re ...

on the compilation album ''Rhythm of the Games: 1996 Olympic Games Album'' *2000: José Carreras on the compilation album ''Tonight - Hits from the Musicals'' *2001:

Florence Ballard Florence Glenda Chapman (''née'' Ballard; June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-o ...

on her album '' The Supreme Florence Ballard'' *2002: Brian Stokes Mitchell on the Broadway revival cast album of '' Man of La Mancha'' *2003:

Linda Eder Linda Eder (; born February 3, 1961) is an American singer and actress. She made her Broadway debut in the musical '' Jekyll & Hyde'', originating the role of Lucy Harris, for which she was nominated for the Drama Desk Award. Eder has performe ...

on her album ''Broadway My Way'' *2005: Aretha Franklin performed the song at the funeral of civil rights activist

Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "th ...

*2006: Andy Abraham on his debut album '' The Impossible Dream'' *2006:

Johnny Hallyday Jean-Philippe Léo Smet (; 15 June 1943 – 5 December 2017), better known by his stage name Johnny Hallyday, was a French rock and roll and pop singer and actor, credited for having brought rock and roll to France. During a career spanning 57 ...

in the French translation titled ''La Quête'' on the live albums ''Flashback Tour : Palais des sports 2006'' and ''La Cigale : 12-17 décembre 2006'' *2007: Christopher Lee on his album ''

Revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...

'' *2007: Sarah Connor on her album '' Soulicious'' *2007:

Jed Madela John Edward Tiña Tajanlangit (born July 14, 1977), professionally known as Jed Madela, is a Filipino singer, recording artist, songwriter, TV host, entertainer, and occasional actor. He was the first Filipino to win the World Championships o ...

on his album ''Only Human'' *2008: Rhydian Roberts on his debut album '' Rhydian'' *2009: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones recorded for the 7" ''Impossible Dream'' *2009: The Republic Tigers on the iTunes tribute album '' His Way, Our Way'' *2010: Alfie Boe on his album '' Bring Him Home'', duet with

Matt Lucas Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain'' (2003–2006, 2020) and '' Come Fl ...

*2011:

Jackie Evancho Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling EP and nine albums, including three ''Billboard'' 200 top 10 ...

on her album '' Dream With Me'' Deluxe edition *2014: Susan Boyle on her album '' Hope'' *2015: Christina Bianco as Miss Wyoming, Mindy Maloney in the TV movie Signed, Sealed, Delivered:The Impossible Dream *2015:

Gerphil Flores Gerphil Geraldine Flores is a German-Filipino classical crossover singer. In 2015, she joined the Asia's Got Talent (season 1), inaugural season of ''Asia's Got Talent'', where she finished as second runner-up. A soprano, she was dubbed "Asia's Go ...

sang the

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

tic version of the song as a contest piece for the grand finals of the inaugural season of Asia's Got Talent which put her on third place *2016:

Ramon Jacinto Ramón Pereyra Jacinto (born June 3, 1945), best known by his initials RJ, is a Filipino businessman, musician and radio TV personality. He previously served as Undersecretary for Government Digital Broadcast Television and the Digitization of ...

on his first ballad album ''Romancing RJ'' *2016:

Cynthia Erivo Cynthia Erivo (; born 8 January 1987) is an English actress, singer, and songwriter. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Grammy Award and a Tony Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Awa ...

performed the song at the 2016 Kennedy Center Honors *2017:

Jason Manford Jason John Manford (born 26 May 1981) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and singer. Manford was a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' from 2007 until 2010 and has presented numerous television shows for the BBC a ...

on his debut album '' A Different Stage'' *2020:

Josh Groban Joshua Winslow Groban (born February 27, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. His first four solo albums have been certified multi-platinum, and he was charted in 2007 as the number-one best selling artist in the United States, wi ...

on his album '' Harmony''

In politics

During

Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, ...

's long shot campaign for the presidency in 1968, Senator George McGovern introduced him before a South Dakota stump speech by quoting from "The Impossible Dream". Afterwards Kennedy questioned McGovern whether he really thought it was impossible. McGovern replied, "No, I don't think it's impossible. I just... wanted the audience to understand it's worth making the effort, whether you win or lose." Kennedy replied, "Well, that's what I think."Schlesinger, Arthur M. (1978; 1990). ''Robert Kennedy and His Times''. Ballantine Books. It was actually Robert Kennedy's favorite song. One of Kennedy's close friends, Andy Williams, was one of many vocal artists of the Sixties that recorded the song. The song was also a favorite of younger brother

Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States senator from Massachusetts for almost 47 years, from 1962 until his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic ...

and was performed by Brian Stokes Mitchell at his memorial service in 2009. The song was a favorite of Philippine hero

Evelio Javier Evelio Bellaflor Javier (October 31, 1942 – February 11, 1986) was a Filipino politician. He served as governor of the province of Antique and was an opponent of the dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos. His assassination on February 11, ...

, the assassinated governor of the province of Antique in the Philippines, and the song has become a symbol of his sacrifice for democracy. Javier was shot and killed in the plaza of

San Jose, Antique San Jose de Buenavista, officially the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, ( krj, Banwa kang San Jose de Buenavista; hil, Banwa sang San Jose de Buenavista; tl, Bayan ng San Jose de Buenavista), is a 1st class municipality and capital of th ...

, during the counting following the 1986 Snap Elections, an act which contributed to the peaceful overthrow of Ferdinand Marcos by Cory Aquino in the

People Power Revolution The People Power Revolution, also known as the EDSA Revolution or the February Revolution, was a series of popular demonstrations in the Philippines, mostly in Metro Manila, from February 22 to 25, 1986. There was a sustained campaign of c ...

. Every year, Javier is remembered on

Evelio Javier Day Evelio Javier Day, officially Governor Evelio B. Javier Day, is a special non-working public holiday in the Philippines to "commemorate the death anniversary of the late Governor Evelio B. Javier" in the four provinces that comprise Panay Isla ...

and the song is featured. The song's lyrics are written in brass on a monument in the plaza where he was shot.

Notable renditions

In politics

See also

References

Further reading