There have been few children’s songs that had as much success on the charts as “The Rainbow Connection”. The song was written specifically for the opening scene in “The Muppet Movie” which has Kermit the Frog sitting alone playing the banjo. The song was later featured in “The Muppet Show” with Debbie Harry joining Kermit for a duet which is why I chose the song today.
The song was written in 1979 by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher who also collaborated the music for the 1976 movie “A Star is Born”. The song is sung by Jim Hensen as Kermit the Frog.
This duet was televised on “The Muppet Show” in 1980 when Debbie Harry was a guest on the show. The scene is a rather cute bit where Kermit, when discovering Debbie wants to sing a song about rainbows, pushes her to sing “The Rainbow Connection”.
Debbie Harry co-founded the group Blondie in 1974. (Her story is one I hope to have the opportunity to write about in the future.) In 1978, Blondie released their album “Parallel Lines” which included “Heart of Glass”. This album was responsible for the band’s global appeal so when Debbie Harry appeared on “The Muppet Show” it was on the heels of international success.
”The Rainbow Connection” reached #25 on Billboard’s Top 100 and remained in the Top 40 for seven weeks. It even garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for Williams and Ascher.
Debbie Harry was only one of the long list of celebrities whose performances on “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street” showed their love and respect for Jim Henson and his muppets. I guess this is my combined tribute to Debbie Harry, Jim Henson and the muppets for I loved them all.
The Rainbow Connection
Lyrics from Songfacts.com
Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what’s on the other side
Rainbows are visions
They’re only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we’ve been told and some chose to
Believe it
But 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
And look what it’s done so far
What’s so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see
Someday we’ll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me
Have you been fast asleep
And have you heard voices,
I’ve heard them calling my name
Is this the sweet sound that calls
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
La lala la lala la la la lala la la la
Thanks as always to Jim Adams for hosting Song Lyric Sunday. Jim’s instruction today was:
Look for songs that are written or sung by someone named Tom/Dick/Harry or a song that includes one of these names in the lyrics.
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