I fell in love with this song when I sang it for the school choir when I was 10 years old. This was such a profound song – it always made people cry. And to this day I always cry when I hear it because it will always be wonderously beautiful. So much so, that it won an Academy Award for best song for (you know this) The Wizard of Oz sung by Judy Garland. A truckload of people have covered it – even musicians like Steve Vai. The song is number one on various ‘Best Song of All Time” lists, and it represented the US for the American troops during WWII. Apparently, this song was to be scrapped from the film – imagine that!
My favourite two versions must be by the legend himself, Les Paul, who played this song often, and of course, Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version, which he famously and beautifully teamed with What A Wonderful World. It has been used in so many films a TV shows that I can’t even count on two hands.
I still enjoy singing this song with everything I have inside.
Enjoy!
Gotta love the Israel Kamakawiwo’ole version!!
I use to have a wind-up toy radio that would play over the rainbow, fond memories, takes me al the way back. Amazing what memories music can stir up.
that is precisely the reason for this blog – so you just made my day!