Israel Kamakawiwoʻole - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

15 days ago
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Israel Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (May 20, 1959 – June 26, 1997), also called Braddah IZ or just simply IZ, was a Native Hawaiian musician and singer.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World" (also known as "Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World") is a medley of "Over the Rainbow" by Judy Garland and "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, recorded by Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwoʻole. First released on the 1990 album Ka ʻAnoʻi, an acoustic rendition of the medley became notable after its release on his 1993 album Facing Future. The cut version — Over the Rainbow — was released in 2001 on the posthumous album Alone In Iz World.
The cut version became a sleeper hit, after charting across Europe in 2010 and 2011 and in the meanwhile being featured in numerous film and TV soundtracks throughout the 2000s and 2010s. In 2020, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
What A Voice.

Lyrics:
[Intro]
'Kay, this one's for Gabby

Ooh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Ooh-oh-oh-oh
Ooh-oh-oh
Ooh-oh-oh

[Somewhere Over The Rainbow]
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in a lullaby
Oh, somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Dreams really do come true ooh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
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, bluebirds fly
And the dream that you dare to, oh why, oh why can't I?

[What A Wonderful World]
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 highlight 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

[Somewhere Over The Rainbow]
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?

[Outro]
Ooh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh
Ooh-oh-oh-oh
Ooh-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah
Le-ha!

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