Lyrics I Love #27: Rainbow Connection

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About the Song

Track: Rainbow Connection

Length: 3:15

Album: The Muppet Movie: Original Soundtrack Recording

Artist: Jim Henson (as Kermit the Frog)

Songwriters: Paul Williams & Kenneth Ascher

Favorite part: 

“So we’ve been told and some choose to believe it

I know they’re wrong wait and see”

© 2013 Disney ℗ 1979 Henson Associates, Inc

Here’s Why I Love It

There’s a good chance you’ve heard this song before. And you might even be surprised to see it here. But have you ever really listened to it? Like, really listened to it. It’s amazing.

The song is about hope and dreaming, collective or individualistic, depending on how you want to see it. But perhaps it’s even more about being called to action. There’s a vein of rationality that runs through the romanticism of the song. And it happens right in the second verse. It sends a chill through my body almost every time. (The rest of the song complements this verse almost perfectly.)

The verse begins with “Who said that every wish / Would be heard and answered / When wished on a morning star?” We know this isn’t true, so you think you're heading somewhere rather pessimistic, but you’re not. You’re actually in the middle of learning a life-changing lesson. The next three lines pull it all together: “Somebody thought of that / And someone believed it / Look what’s it done so far.” And that’s right about the time the first goosebump sprouts on my arm. Why? You’ve just learned the power of storytelling. The stories we tell ourselves and the world around us. Sure, this notion can be tragic when you consider its ugly side, but everything in life can be viewed as a strength or weakness. For the lovers, the dreamers, and me, there’s also nothing that’s more empowering.

There’s a zillion recordings of this song by musicians new and old. Mainly because the song is so magical. This is a column about lyrics, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a set of six lines in any song with more meaning. It’s just...everything, really.

*** Read the lyrics and Listen to the song *** 

*This article is part of the ongoing Lyrics I Love series: short interpretations of the meaning and story behind one song with lyrics that move me.