Rainforest Action Initiative

This week's music video is a cover of the 1939 Academy Award Winning Best Original Song, 'Over the Rainbow'. Believe it or not, this song was almost cut from the film, The Wizard of Oz, because producers found it boring and unnecessary. Can you imagine? Of course, this song became Judy Garland's signature song and has since been rearranged and rerecorded by hundreds of other artists over the last eighty years.

Since I was a little girl, I have always be OBSESSED with The Wizard of Oz. Having played Dorothy numerous times in the stage version of the musical, I was forced to really think about the subtext behind these famous lyrics. Now, facing this uncertain road ahead, I find my thoughts about what is 'over the rainbow' to be evolving. Nevertheless, the comfort this song brings me remains constant.

In the stage production, there is an added introductory verse before the part of the song that everyone knows. It quickly became my favorite part of the song. Those lyrics seem to be exceptionally fitting for our current situation...

"When all the world is a hopeless jumble, and the raindrops tumble all around... heaven opens a magic lane. When all the clouds darken up the skyway, there's a rainbow highway to be found... leading from your window pane... to a place behind the sun, just a step beyond the rain..."

Brighter days are just over the rainbow. Hang in there.