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Total ratings: 6447
Length: 5:03
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Way up high,
And the dreams that you dream of
Once in a lullaby (Ai)
(Oh) Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dream of,
Dreams really do come true (ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
High above the chimney top
That's where you'll find me
(Oh) Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dare to
Oh why, oh why can't I (hai hai, ai ai ai)
Well I see trees of green and red roses too
I watch them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Well I see skies of blue and I see clouds of white
And the bright bliss of day I like the dark
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people passing by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I, I love you
I hear babies cry and I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than we'll know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world (urld urld, urld urld urld)
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
(Oh) Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dare to,
Why, oh why can't I (hai hai, ai ai ai)
Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh
Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ah Ah Eeh Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah Ah
The Hawaiians were a slim race, island living good food, natural and wholesome.
Then the yanks turned up and shoved steroid infused meats down their necks and McDonald and donuts and look what happened to them..... obese fat bastards
I'm not sure it's accurate to say anyone force fed them or shoved anything they didn't want to eat down their throats. Lot's of thin Hawaiians out there. However there are a lot of Somoans in the Hawaiian islands and they are know for being genetically predisposed to obesity and being overweight, and that predates interaction with western culture. I'm sure this will garner me plenty of thumb down reactions but you can't lay all of the problems of overweight people in the world at the feet of western civilization. At some point you have to be responsible for your own actions. McDonald's and donuts are not the only food option in Hawaii.
If there's a hell, this will be playing there on an endless loop
If there's a braindead troll hell, you'll be the longest serving resident.
why? . . . .skip
Well based on the ratings - because apparently some people really like it? (And I'm one of them.)
Absolute drivel. EZ listening' elevator muzak.
Huh? RP must have played a different song for me.
Glorious.
Can you imagine how sick of it the people working in Hawaii's shops are? Especially since it takes the place of legit island music.
My parents paid for a honeymoon for my wife and me in Kaua'i. They got us a helicopter tour of the island, and as the copter took off, the pilot began playing this song through our headphones. Of course I'd heard it plenty of times before, and my initial reaction was to feel sorry for the poor pilot who had to hear this song every day while flying Haole mainlanders around the island. That reaction was quickly muted as we began to fly over the island, and the song became the soundtrack for Kaua'i's beautiful forests, mountains and coastlines. It was the perfect music for a magical experience, and I honestly would have been disappointed if the pilot hadn't played it.
Iz was a gift to us. This recording was done in the middle of the night in one take. It was just something he needed to get done. It will of course be his lasting legacy. So gentle, so soothing, from the heart and so real given the mistakes in lyrics. If you cannot appreciate this song then just remain quiet.
The story as I've heard it told;
In 1988 someone agreed to keep a recording studio open in the middle of the night so he could come in and put something on tape. Time went on and in 1993 he was recording the material for "Facing Future". The producer needed another track to fill out the album and remembered that "demo" Izzy did 5 years before. It was essentially an afterthought. It became his "Stairway To Heaven".
If there is a heaven, this will be on the continuous loop of music played there.
Absolute drivel. EZ listening' elevator muzak.
Can you imagine how sick of it the people working in Hawaii's shops are? Especially since it takes the place of legit island music.
Why does this song make me want to cry every time I hear it?
Because it's designed to tug at your heartstrings - even though the juxtaposition of these two songs (wanting to leave/happy with where you are) makes absolutely no sense.
Absolute drivel. EZ listening' elevator muzak.
my, but we live a sad life, don't we?
Then the yanks turned up and shoved steroid infused meats down their necks and McDonald and donuts and look what happened to them..... obese fat bastards
I heard a story that said he called the studio in the middle of the night and said "I'm ready."
It was recorded in one take and he went home.
Anyone else here this?
No, but it's too good to check.
Tiny Tim was better.
thewiseking: Once a jerk .... always a jerk
what's next- Jake Shimabukuro?
You should be so lucky
It was recorded in one take and he went home.
Anyone else here this?
We played this song at my wedding reception. One of the few good memories of my marriage.
Easy 10 still, though.
Ditto, ditto in spades......after this song the nightmare began.
Insipid pablum.
Listen to the original - at least that some edge to it. This is trite, easy listening'.
Agree. Now prepare to be downvoted, bruddah.
I’m in Hawaii at the moment and feel sorry for the clerks in stores who have to hear this every hour on the hour “for the tourists.” Wouldn’t visitors be better served by hearing some real music from the islands, even if only subliminally?
Listen to the original - at least that some edge to it. This is trite, easy listening'.
If there's a hell, this will be playing there on an endless loop
If there's a hell, your whiny posts will be playing on an endless loop.
What an idiotic assumption: FORCED FED? It's a choice and in many cases lifestyle. You won't be confused with having a degree in anthropology.
The only song I've seen rated higher than this on RP is the Louis Armstrong original, What a Wonderful World (1968). Louis lived in a time of greater racial tension and hate than anything seen today (in America), yet produced a universal classic of optimism and appreciation of life. I assume Israel would have agreed; that's why he covered it.
Greater racial tension than today? Are you sure you mean America on planet earth? Or do you maybe mean on Alpha Centaury?
Where have you been the last 50 years? Or on 25.05 2020?
When I read such crap I can'keep calm. Geez.
We were ascending the darkening Haleakala; I put on this track and could feel that this moment would remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Now, whenever "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" comes up, I instantly teleport to that wonderful autumn evening in Maui.
This Most Excellent track suffered from horrible abuse in TV ads and soundtracks, especially in the late 90s and early Aughts.
I heard it today, and enjoyed it for the amazing performance it is.
To paraphrase Charlton Heston - you'll have to take it from my cold, dead hands!
Well, we arranged THAT, didn't we?
Easy 10 still, though.
Judy Garland's is still the best and Eva Cassidy's version is excellent too
I think this cover is not about getting the original lyrics exactly right (he's not following the melodic line either, right?) - but I nevertheless think that I understand how this could be deemed unworthy of thee original .
Typically I'd agree about a cover, however this one's a mashup of two songs (Wonderful World and Somewhere Over the Rainbow) which requires it to be different than either original song....and this tunes one of my 11 11s....I have no words worthy of describing how important this one is for me. Long Live RP and memories of bruddah Iz!!
Gabby is Gabby Pahinui, a native Hawaiian slack key guitarist and singer (per Wikipedia). I don't claim to know anything about him.
I discovered this song on NPR a long long time ago. I had the radio on in the background doing something else. I was somewhat aware they were talking to a DJ in LA about what obscure music he'd been listening to lately. The song started from the beginning and he explains a bit about who Izzy is and that the reference to Gabby was a show of reverence from one Hawaiian to another. Gabby was a Hawaiian who made music for Hawaiians. He then went on to talk about the song, the fact that it was a medley, all the while the song is playing between his observations. I think they played it all the way through. By the time it was done I had stopped doing whatever I was doing and was transfixed. It's what NPR calls a "driveway moment". I'll never forget it.
Then some time goes by, several months, a year? Then it pops up at the end of a movie. I think it was "Meet Joe Black" and I'm like "It's that song!". I thought I'd never hear it again. We didn't really have the Internet back then. Well, turns out I'm not the only one that liked it and it started popping up everywhere.
Some may say it's overplayed. Frankly, I'm not sure how you could do that.
Me!
To paraphrase Charlton Heston - you'll have to take it from my cold, dead hands!
"From the Strong, came forth sweetness"
I think this cover is not about getting the original lyrics exactly right (he's not following the melodic line either, right?) - but I nevertheless think that I understand how this could be deemed unworthy of thee original .
"Finding Forester" had a huge impact on me on so many levels... And it kind of softly killed me when Israel's voice and unique way, out of nowhere, started over the end titles.
For years afterwards, I couldn't listen to the song for fear of too much, uhm, sadness - that's what I felt the first time. Deep, sweet, sadness like saying goodbye to a friend.
Now it's bliss 🌞
"From the Strong, came forth sweetness"
RIP Israel.
ThePoose wrote:
A big loss.
A big loss.
You idiot.
Probably Gabby Pahinui, Hawaiian slack-key guitarist.
Mahalo ~ for this one
so Sweet!
Yes, it's true indigenous populations have suffered dramatically as they've been force-fed crap, junkfood introduced by the so-called "developed" world while their native habitats have been converted to sugar plantations, pineapple farms and million-dollar coastal properties for the "white" exploitative class. Biology demonstrates that native peoples' metabolic systems can't cope with the alcohol, sugar, processed food and chemically-laden meat of the industrial food model - and other folks aren't doing too well eating that crap either. Ergo, this man died young! Despite that he sings with the voice of an angel proving he, at least, was above the evil and greed which helped form him!
and we can see this trend amongst all natives of the Americas. Except for hard alcoholics who are skinny, as soon as they start to eat some sugar, they get fat really quick.
Maybe you overlooked his discography? See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
That little part at the end makes me smile a bit, eases me out of the sadness and melancholic reflection of those lost over the years this song always brings to me.
Beautiful. The whole thing is just beautiful.
Highlow
American Net'Zen
Ain't it tho? Hope you and yours are well, idiot_wind.
Long Live RP!! And memories of the dearly Departed, including Iz.
Thank you RP
This came on right as I needed to leave for a meeting. I hit pause, and now that I'm back in my office, I'm loving it.
I needed this song today.
beauty
in such an animal
as
we
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rd8VktT8xY
If the numbers could go higher than 10, I would have to say 10 squared! And I don't care how overplayed it is.
My feelings too! His voice is/was unmatched. If you (or anyone) is inclined to learn more about Bruddah Iz, there is an excellent documentary about his life, music, weight and health issues, fame, family, and most chilling, his death and funeral. He was the 3rd person in Hawai'i to ever get a "state funeral" and the first not to be in government. State flags at half-mast, a convoy of semi trucks and everyone blaring their horns....the dumping of his ashes into the Pacific....all very chilling and well deserved respect. And after he died (June 26, 1997) this track took off (originally released in 1993 I think) and became what it is today, going platinum in 2005.
And it's a bittersweet track for me; I played this at my mom's funeral in 2008 and then at my dad's in 2015.
Long Live RP!