Tag Archives: finding hope in music

♫ The 🌈 Rainbow 🌈 Connection ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music, Social commentary

Last time I played this one was on April 3rd, 2020, because an old friend reminded me that it was National Find A Rainbow Day.  This is not April 3rd, is not a national day dedicated to rainbows, but … it’s been a bitch of a week here in the U.S., my psyche is strained to the max after watching four days of a political circus in our Congress, plus the memories that came flooding back yesterday on the anniversary of January 6th, the day we damn near lost our future.  So, I needed a bit of happy music, something that would bring a smile to my very tired old face.  The music purists among you won’t like it, and I’m sorry, but … humour me for this one day … I need a rainbow in my life right now, ‘k?

Each year on April 3rd, National Find A Rainbow Day challenges us to look to the sky and find a colorful ray of hope cast across it. 

There are people that see rainbows as an artistic masterpiece in the sky, to others it is a sign of hope and to many a sign of promise.
It can be all three; beauty, hope and promise.    (Jill Magnus) 

A spectrum of light in the form of a multicolored arc, appearing in the sky, is caused by both reflection and refraction of light in water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere. These rainbows always appear directly opposite of the sun.  The light is refracted (bent) when it enters a droplet of water, then is reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it.

Red is the color that is visible on the outer part of a rainbow and violet on the inside of a primary rainbow. Children learn in science class the mnemonic ROYGBIV to help them to remember the sequence of colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Many forms of airborne water can cause rainbows including, rain, mist, spray, and dew.  

Now, rainbows are rare in nature, but … perhaps we can make our own rainbow today?  I think we all need a sign of hope and promise, so … maybe if we just take ten minutes to close our eyes, listen to some music, and imagine a beautiful rainbow in our hearts.  Or draw one, if you have any artistic talent.  Anyway … this is a music post, and anytime I think of a rainbow, I think of one of my favourite characters of all time …

And in case any of you are curmudgeons that don’t just love Kermit, here is The Carpenter’s version …

The Rainbow Connection
Kermit the Frog/Carpenters

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 wishes would be heard and answered when wished on the morningstar?

Someone thought of that and someone believed it
Look what it’s done so far
What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing 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 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
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Kenny Ascher / Paul Hamilton Williams
The Rainbow Connection lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company

♫ The 🌈 Rainbow 🌈 Connection ♫

Posted on by under music, Social commentary

Today, our friend Ellen reminds me, is National Find A Rainbow Day!  According to the National Day Calendar people …

Each year on April 3rd, National Find A Rainbow Day challenges us to look to the sky and find a colorful ray of hope cast across it. 

There are people that see rainbows as an artistic masterpiece in the sky, to others it is a sign of hope and to many a sign of promise.
It can be all three; beauty, hope and promise.    (Jill Magnus) 

A spectrum of light in the form of a multicolored arc, appearing in the sky, is caused by both reflection and refraction of light in water droplets in the Earth’s atmosphere. These rainbows always appear directly opposite of the sun.  The light is refracted (bent) when it enters a droplet of water, then is reflected inside on the back of the droplet and refracted again when leaving it.

Red is the color that is visible on the outer part of a rainbow and violet on the inside of a primary rainbow. Children learn in science class the mnemonic ROYGBIV to help them to remember the sequence of colors in a rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. Many forms of airborne water can cause rainbows including, rain, mist, spray, and dew.  

Now, rainbows are rare in nature, but … perhaps we can make our own rainbow today?  I think we all need a sign of hope and promise, so … maybe if we just take ten minutes to close our eyes, listen to some music, and imagine a beautiful rainbow in our hearts.  Or draw one, if you have any artistic talent.  Anyway … this is a music post, and anytime I think of a rainbow, I think of one of my favourite characters of all time …

And in case any of you are curmudgeons that don’t just love Kermit, here is The Carpenter’s version …

The Rainbow Connection
Kermit the Frog/Carpenters

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 wishes would be heard and answered when wished on the morningstar?

Someone thought of that and someone believed it
Look what it’s done so far
What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing 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 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
Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Kenny Ascher / Paul Hamilton Williams
The Rainbow Connection lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company

The Rainbow Connection …

Posted on by under music

I have absolutely no idea why I keep feeling a compulsion to share music with you guys every night, and I don’t imagine this will last long.  I suspect it is my way of working through the mass of angst that resides somewhere in the core of me at the moment. As I chat with you all via comments, write my posts for the next day, and do other tasks such as research, scanning the news, etc., I am most always listening to something (sometimes I am simply listening to the purrrrrr of a contented kittie in my lap).  I cannot write while I listen to anything with lyrics, for I am too easily distracted, so while I am writing, I am usually listening to Beethoven’s Pastorale or other classical selections.  But then later, I come upon something and for some reason just feel compelled to share.  Bear with me, for I’m sure this phase will pass, but meanwhile, I hope you enjoy at least some of the tunes.

Tonight, I find myself softly singing the Rainbow Connection … as sung by my favourite, Kermit THE Frog!  ♫  There is a better version done by the Carpenters, but somehow … sometimes … nothing will do but the Kermit version! (For the record, Willie Nelson even did a version of this, which I have not heard.  I love Willie … in some things, like Blue Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain, and Always on my Mind, but the Rainbow Connection???  NO … just no.)