Get Happy: "The Rainbow Connection"

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.