Kermit the Frog (#25 in 1979), From The Muppet Movie, Paul Williams, Carpenters, Willie Nelson
Why are there so many songs about rain-bows
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
Some day, we'll find it, the rainbow connection the lovers, the dreamers and me
Who said that every wish would be heard and answered if wished on the morning star
somebody thought of that someone believed it look what it's done so far
What's so amazing, that keeps us star gazing, and what do you think we might see
someday, we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me
Bridge: and 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
But I've heard it too many times to ignore it, it's something that I'm s'pored to be
someday we'll find it the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me
"Rainbow Connection" is a song from the 1979 film "The Muppet Movie", and was performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog during the film's opening number. It reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1979.
In 2020, "Rainbow Connection" was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry. The American Film Institute named "Rainbow Connection" the 74th greatest movie song of all time in AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs.
Kermit the Frog sings with all the dreamy wistfulness of a short, green Judy Garland" and went on to add that "'Rainbow Connection' serves the same purpose in The Muppet Movie that 'Over the Rainbow' served in The Wizard of Oz, with nearly equal effectiveness: an opening establishment of the characters' driving urge for something more in life." Others have similarly referred to "Rainbow Connection" as the film's "I Want" song.
Ascher and Williams received Oscar nominations at the 52nd Academy Awards for the score of The Muppet Movie and for "Rainbow Connection", which was nominated for Best Original Song. The score lost to Bob Fosse's All That Jazz. The song lost to "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae, a win that some critics denounced.
The Carpenters recorded it in 1980 during the sessions that eventually produced Made in America. Karen's vocal wasn't intended to be the finished master vocal. Richard describes it as a "work lead", essentially a vocal laid down while the arrangement was still being developed. Karen disliked the song, so they abandoned it.
Richard himself later answered a fan's question about it very plainly: "Karen just didn't like the song, and it didn't make the album. For years fans kept requesting the recording, so I completed the chart and put it out." Resisting all calls to release the song, he also famously said to fans "If I ever released it, Karen would come down and get me!".
-1.gif)
-2.gif)