Sunday, April 22, 2012

Rainbow Connection


Why are there so many songs about rainbows
and what's on the other side?
Rainbows are visions, but only illusions,
and rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it.
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Who said that every wish would be heard

and answered when wished on the morning star?
Somebody thought of that and someone believed it.
Look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing
and what do we think we might see?
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell. We know that it's probably magic.


Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?

I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me. 


Lately, I've been fixated on this song. I've always loved anything that the Muppets sing. I'm a HUGE Muppets fan. I was raised on the Muppet Movie, Muppet fairy tales (yes, they exist), Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island (my personal favorite- CABIN FEVER!), Muppets from Space, and of course- The Muppet Show itself.
I had a Miss Piggy doll, and I own a Kermit lunchbox. I almost cried when we visited the Muppet Studios at Disney World. If I ever do meet Kermit- I will melt into a sobbing puddle of overwhelming joy. I could barely contain myself when I saw the Jim Henson exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Anything Jim Henson, I love. The man was a genius.

But my official Jim Henson/Muppet post will be coming mid May. This post is about the Rainbow Connection song.

Now I've grown up on this song and it's always inspired me. I value Rainbows because of the Biblical promise they hold that God will never abandon me. Now I understand that Rainbows are also a Gay-Pride symbol, but I'm not referring to that particular association in this post at all- This post is merely about how I relate to Rainbows on a personal level as they apply to the song.

The first verse is simple a statement about the singer disagreeing with what psychologists call convergent thinking. It's giving the "correct" or "grammar school" put it in-spit it out answer. The singer of this song is a bit more, dare I say, creative and curious that the black and white answer accepting people. The singer could be a divergent thinker. I like to think that I'm a divergent thinker, because I like looking at different perspectives of things and finding out multiple answers to everything except math problems.

The second verse goes deeper into what the singer is actually feeling. In looking at the rainbow, they're reminded of the stars. Another phrase I've heard put into song (from the Broadway Mary Poppins) is "If you reach for the heavens, you get the stars thrown in." I've been reaching for the heavens ever since I can remember in my dreams. Now I'm reaching for them in my life. There are plenty of times that I wish for the impossible and believe that something has to happen. Only instead of wishing, I pray, and some pretty impossible things have been happening to me. So I believe in "wishes." And in chasing those wishes I'm looking for my "rainbow connection." It sounds way to cheesy put that way, but I'm trying to use the song's phrase-ology.

The third verse is the declaration of the singer. They've got something they need to find, chase, do, insert your verb here. There's something that I'm supposed to be, and I'm going after it.

Personally there are only two versions of this song that I truly adore. The first and top ranking is Jim Henson's original from The Muppet Movie. It was the first recorded version and it's the best- deal with my opinion! The second best for me is probably Kenny Loggins. He has a beautiful rendition of this song. He puts so much passion into the third verse that you can't help but be swept up in whatever dream he's chasing through his song. I grew up listening to his version on a lullaby CD.

And now I can be at peace because I finally wrote a post about this song, it's been niggling at me for a while and now I've gotten it done, and shared this very special song. I will sing this song to my children, grandchildren, and any child who I babysit. I'd love to record my own version of this song and dance to it, but I don't think I'd be able to sing it that well.

So here's a link to Kenny Loggins' version if you haven't heard it. There isn't a very good quality version of Jim Henson singing on Youtube, but I do have the song on my itunes if you'd ever like a listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1j2uBbBifkI

Signing off!

2 comments:

  1. I think this is a really cool song.
    In my opinion, the Rainbow connection is the often mysterious and elusive path that connects what we dream about doing, with how we actually live.
    Here's my take on the song:
    The first verse suggests that wishes/dreams are not just fantasy, but that we have the ability to make them come true.
    This is enforced by the second verse, which adds the reminder that you can't just sit around wishing for things and expect them to happen. In fact, if all people do is sit around and wish for things, we will find ourselves with a generation of lazy people, who have grand ideas, and zero accomplishments.
    I think that the third verse is referring to conscience (or, for Christians, The Holy Spirit). It's the inner voice that says, "I want to do this," or "I want to be that." The still, small voices that inspires and motivates us to pursue our dreams and aspirations.
    So yes, this is a pretty neat song with a great message.
    Although I may not be a big fan of the Muppets themselves, I would take their message and values any day over some of the crap that's fed to kids today.
    Good post Kaite!
    P.S. I watched Labyrinth last night. I liked it about as much as I can considering that I am soundly outside of the age demographic, and didn't grow up on the Muppets. :D

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  2. I'm glad you liked both my post and the Labyrinth! Yeah, it's technically classified as a "cult classic" so I can totally understand your logic. I think it was the 1980s version of Twilight XD, However, I'd watch Labyrinth over Twilight any day (and it has a wayyy better plot anyway!)

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