“Rainbow Connection” (Kermit the Frog/Jim Henson)

Today is the first day of the new year, a day full of hopes and wishes, and today’s classic song of the day for the new year is “Rainbow Connection.” You first heard the song in the 1970 film The Muppet Movie, sung by Kermit the Frog (voiced by head Muppeteer Jim Henson), accompanying himself on banjo. It’s a song about hopes and wishes, just perfect for the new year.

“Rainbow Connection” was written by the team of Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher. Mr. Williams was a successful and prolific songwriter during the 1970s, writing or co-writing tunes such as “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” and “We’ve Only Just Begun” for the Carpenters; “An Old Fashioned Love Song,” “The Family of Man,” and “Out in the Country” for Three Dog Night; “You and Me Against the World” for Helen Reddy; and “Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star is Born)” for Barbra Streisand. You may also know him for his acting roles in the Smokey and the Bandit movies, Phantom of the Paradise, Battle for the Plant of the Apes, and numerous guest-starring slots on a variety of television shows. Mr. Ascher was a well-known composer and arranger in the rock, pop, jazz, and classical fields.

What most people like about “Rainbow Connection” is its theme of longing and hope, using rainbows as a metaphor. The lyrics say it best:

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 stargazing
And what do we think we might see?

Someday we’ll find it, the rainbow connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

“Rainbow Connection” resonated with audiences of multiple generations on multiple levels. Released as a single, “Rainbow Connection” hit #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song. (It lost to “It Goes Like It Goes” from Norma Rae, which was absolutely not right.)

The song is so universally loved it’s been covered by dozens of artists over the years, from Judy Collins and the Carpenters to Willie Nelson and Johnny Mathis. I’m particularly fond of the version by Weezer and Hayley Williams from the 2001 Muppets tribute album The Green Album. It rocks it up a little but still keeps the tune’s basic innocence and wistfulness. It is a song, after all, for all the lovers and dreamers out there—and for you and me, too.

Happy new year, everybody!