Chris Higgins
Get Happy: “The Rainbow Connection”
by Chris Higgins - December 18, 2009 - 2:13 PM

Here’s a sweet song to end a long week. In 1979, Jim Henson (as Kermit the Frog) performed “The Rainbow Connection” in The Muppet Movie. The song reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1979, and remained in the Top 40 for seven weeks — not too bad for a song sung by a puppet. (Sorry: muppet.) Writers Kenny Ascher and Paul Williams were nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the song, but lost both to rival song “It Goes Like It Goes” from the movie Norma Rae. Remember Norma Rae? Me neither.

“The Rainbow Connection” has popped up in pop culture quite a bit over the years. For one thing, in 1996, a man held the manager of a New Zealand radio station hostage; one of his major demands was that the station play “The Rainbow Connection.” (The station did not play the song, and the man was arrested and charged with kidnapping.) Also, the song has been covered by artists including Sarah McLachlan, Kenny Loggins, The Dixie Chicks, Jason Mraz, The Pussycat Dolls (!), Willie Nelson, Weezer, and Debbie Harry (in a duet with Kermit).

Enjoy:

After the jump, a bunch of cover versions!

Debbie Harry & Kermit, 1981

The Dresden Dolls, 2006

Jason Mraz

Sarah McLachlan

A fan video with photos of rainbows, and rainbow-dissolves.

Willie Nelson

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Comments (18)

  1. When my son was a baby, playing or singing this song was the only way to get him to go to sleep. Other songs wouldn’t work. Thank you, Jim Henson!

    posted by Eric on 12-18-2009 at 2:26 pm

  2. I have a two year old son, and he likes the show “Yo Gabba Gabba”, Paul Williams performs this song in one of the ‘Super Music Friend Show’ segments.

    Man I feel like a loser for knowing that. :-)

    posted by Witty Nickname on 12-18-2009 at 2:43 pm

  3. I always loved this song and when I was in elementary school, I want to say 5th grade so it would have been 1983, I was in choir at school and we sang this at the local mall during a performance.

    posted by Sarah in CA on 12-18-2009 at 2:54 pm

  4. aaaannnnndddd…. now I’m crying. :)

    I don’t know what it is about this song that brings joy to my heart and tears to my eyes. *sigh* Love it and the Muppets so much.

    posted by Andrea on 12-18-2009 at 3:30 pm

  5. This is one of my favorite songs. Love the Jason Mraz version too…Hubba Hubba

    posted by Ruthie on 12-18-2009 at 4:05 pm

  6. Sarah–me too, in New Mexico. “For lovers, for dreamers and meeeee…”

    posted by Helenann on 12-18-2009 at 4:16 pm

  7. I love the Mraz version that I’ve been listening to lately. Is from a live show that I found on archive.org (link in my footer).

    They have tons of live performances (all legally obtained) from any performer that allows recording at their shows.

    posted by Troy H. on 12-18-2009 at 4:25 pm

  8. The band Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are famous for doing Punk covers of showtunes, folk songs and R&B. they do a great version of “The Rainbow Connection”. Fast and furious, but still sweet and melodic.

    posted by Dave on 12-18-2009 at 4:31 pm

  9. I miss Jim Henson.

    posted by Christina on 12-18-2009 at 5:14 pm

  10. I HEART Paul Williams!

    posted by Amy on 12-18-2009 at 5:22 pm

  11. Always loved the song and the slightly modified version they reprise at the end of the Muppet Movie where, as far as I can tell, EVERY Muppet sings “…the lovers, the dreamsers, and YOOOuuuuuuuu!!” Brings a lump to my throat every time!

    posted by Marty on 12-18-2009 at 6:48 pm

  12. My husband and I love the Saturday Night Live monologue featuring Justin Timberlake, where he said he always loved this song. So Kermit was there, and Justin accidentally stepped on Kermit’s puppeteer, and they exchange words…leading to them singing together.

    Kermit sings “the lovers, the douchebags, and meeeee” and fist fly. So hilarious.

    posted by Tracie on 12-18-2009 at 7:23 pm

  13. Glaring omission: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

    posted by Glen on 12-18-2009 at 7:42 pm

  14. I always associate this song with the “Picket Fences” episode where they find Ginny frozen to death in her freezer. Sung by Paul Williams, of course. Starts at about 2:13 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjLwFhjnopE

    posted by Julie on 12-18-2009 at 9:46 pm

  15. yeah my favorite is justin timberlake and kermit singing it together on SNL

    posted by nicole on 12-19-2009 at 12:04 am

  16. 1st movie I ever watched in someones home on a Beta machine, probably ’80 or ’81 brings back a lot of memories! Always loved the muppets show. One of the best was the forest animals signing “Stop Children Whats That Sound” with hunters.

    posted by liz on 12-19-2009 at 4:11 pm

  17. Yep. My first thought was that “Me First and the Gimme Gimmes” should have been included.

    Love the original. But the covers that stand out for me are the ones by Sarah McLachlan & Jason Mraz (who is from my hometown of San Diego!).

    posted by Nerak on 12-20-2009 at 3:06 pm

  18. I love this song. It reminds me of my father, who passed away when I was very young. A friend of ours played this for us at our wedding, and it made me feel that my father could be there for us in some small way.

    posted by Louise on 12-21-2009 at 3:39 am

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