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Music by Harold Arlen, Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Performed by Israel Kamakawiwo`ole
c. 1939 Rhino Entertainment and EMI Music Publishing
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true
Someday I’ll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops thats where you’ll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to,why, oh why can’t I?
Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I’ll watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the brightness of day
I like the dark and I think to myself
What a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying, “How do you do?”
They’re really saying, I…I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow,
They’ll learn much more
Than we’ll know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Someday I’ll wish upon a star,
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that’s where you’ll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can’t I?
Do you have any dreams so amazing you are almost afraid to share them?
Where can you go and not get into trouble?
Share your thoughts on why this song has such universal appeal.
The song was originally written for the movie, The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland, eventually becoming her signature song. In 1939, the year of its release, it won the Academy Award for Best Song. It was also selected number one on the “Songs of the Century” list compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. The American Film Institute also ranked “Over the Rainbow” the greatest movie song of all time on the list of “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs”.
Besides Judy Garland and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole who has surged to the top of the charts with an updated lyrical ukulele version, this timeless song has been sung and arranged for and by every generation since, including arrangements by the Cast of Glee, Frank Sinatra, Eva Cassidy, Jason Castro and Katharine McPhee of American Idol fame, little Connie Talbot on Britain’s Got Talent, Jewel, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Rufus Wainright and Barbra Streisand to name a few.