Israel Kamakawiwo'ole!

I am not up to date on the music scene at all, so this is an old version of an even older song - but this singer was new to me that day. Since I now have a nine-year-old who finally weighs enough to ride in the front seat - he is in charge of what we listen to on the radio when we drive to school. KFOG is his favorite station.

What catches my interest in music is when it communicates humility, gratitude, especially gratitude born of suffering, deep spiritual insight, silence and peace, or any other form of love that lives at a higher level than romance or heartbreak.

Thanks to the digital age the name of a singer and song title appears on the radio display in my car and I can search for the song when I get home. This is what happened with this Hawaiian giant, singing Over The Rainbow and What A Wonderful World. It sounded so genuine and sweet I had to look it up. To sound true, old cliche songs like these have to be sung by very special people. Thank You, Israel Kamakawiwo'ole!

Here it is - with the lyrics below if you want to sing along

Ooh...ooh..ooohh...
Ooooh...oohhh

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
And the dreams that you dreamed of
Once in lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dream of
Dreams really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind
Me-ee--eee
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top that's where
You'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
And the dreams that you dare to, oh why,
Oh why can't I?

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 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, singing,
"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

Some day I'll wish upon a star
Wake up where the clouds are far behind
me-ee--eee
Where trouble melts like lemon drops
High above the chimney top
that's where you'll find me

Somewhere, over the rainbow way up high
and the dream that you dare to why, oh why can't I?