Tuesday, December 4, 2012

An Anthology of Looking: Israel Kamakawiwoʻole - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I'm reminiscing this time of the year precisely a year ago. I spent a bloody good Sunday in Jakarta with a person that I came to really care about, but alas the feeling went unrequited. 

More about that tomorrow; in the mean time I believe you would enjoy this song. This is a genius interpretation of that famous Somewhere Over the Rainbow...I don't think anyone else could've done better. I wish I could get a  hold of more of his music (Iz has 8 albums, 4 of which were released posthumously after his death on 1997 -- more about Iz here), but that is for another posting perhaps. 


Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by E.Y. Harburg
Original artist: Judy Garland for the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz"
Interpretation by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, featured in the album "Facing Future" (1993)

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby ii ii iii
Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh
Someday I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind me ee ee eeh
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me oh
Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to,Oh why, oh why can't I?

Well I see trees of green and
Red roses too,
I'll 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 brightness 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 world

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 top that's where you'll find me
Oh, Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
And the dream that you dare to, why, oh why can't I? I?

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