Who could forget this timeless classic, sung by Kermit the Frog when opening the iconic Muppet Movie in the late 1970s? Even the Library of Congress deemed the song culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant in 2020, selecting it for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
If you, too, deem this to be a culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant recording for you personally, and wish to learn this song on the mighty ukulele, then look no further! Below, you will find all you need to know about the Rainbow Connection ukulele version.
The Story of Rainbow Connection Ukulele
Williams and Ascher had previously collaborated on several songs for the 1976 film A Star Is Born and here were tasked with writing the songs for The Muppet Movie. For the song that became Rainbow Connection ukulele, Jim Henson who plays Kermit the Frog told the composers that the opening scene should feature Kermit the Frog by himself singing and playing the banjo.
Subsequently, Williams and Ascher wrote most of the song fairly quickly at Williams’ house, but got stuck trying to think of appropriate words for the part in the chorus that eventually became the well known phrase ‘the rainbow connection’; they were looking for a way to tie in the chorus to the song’s theme of rainbows. As they sat down for dinner with Williams’ then wife, Kate Clinton, they explained to her their predicament of looking for a phrase that would provide ‘a rainbow connection’, then realized in the course of explaining the problem to her, that the phrase ‘the rainbow connection’ would actually be an apposite fit.
Williams has said that his favorite lyrics in the song are ‘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’, because they imply that ‘there’s power in your thoughts’. He also noted that the lyrical phrasing was written specifically with Kermit’s speech patterns in mind.
Chords and Lyrics to Rainbow Connection Ukulele
Although there are a lot of differences between guitar and ukulele chords, this one is rather simple both to convert and play since the entirety of the song can be played with just six chords. It would be pertinent to explore the lyrics in more detail, though before we go on the chords will be detailed below, for your diligent study:
The Actual Lyrics to Sing Along to
Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what’s on the other side
Rainbow’s are visions
But only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we’ve been told and some Choose 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
Look what it’s done so far
What’s so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
And what do we think we might see
Someday we’ll find it
That 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 call’s the young sailors
The voice might be one and the same
I’ve heard it too many times to ignore it
Its something that I’m supposed to be
Someday we’ll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me
Final Tones
So, there you have it! Hopefully this article has been helpful in bringing you and the Rainbow Connection ukulele version closer together in your respective orbits and trajectories.
FAQs Rainbow Connection Ukulele
The timeless and all encompassing song from The Muppet Movie is made up only six chords, making Rainbow Connection ukulele chords more than digestible for a beginner ukulelist. These chords, however, are slightly less usual and common than those a beginner might be used to, so it is likely a song for the beginner ukulelist in want of a challenge. These four chords are: A minor chord – B minor chord – Db Minor 7 – D – E7 – Gbm.
