I Can Sing a Rainbow

"I Can Sing a Rainbow"
Song
LanguageEnglish
GenreChildren's song, Nursery rhyme
Songwriter(s)Arthur Hamilton, Traditional

"I Can Sing a Rainbow," also known simply as ''Rainbow Song'', "Sing a Rainbow," or ''I can see a Rainbow'' is an English-language popular nursery rhyme and a children's song of American origin. The song written by Arthur Hamilton. It was featured in the 1955 film Pete Kelly's Blues, where it was sung by Peggy Lee.

Background

The song has been used to teach children names of colours.[1][2] Despite the name of the song, two of the seven colours mentioned ("red and yellow and pink and green, purple and orange and blue") – pink and purple – are not actually a colour of the rainbow (i.e. they are not spectral colors; pink is a variation of shade, and purple is the human brain's interpretation of mixed red/blue [see line of purples]). They are also not presented in order of the visible light spectrum.[3]

Lyrics

Red and yellow and pink and green

Purple and orange and blue,

I can sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow too.

Listen with your ears,

Listen with your eyes,

And sing everything you see!


Other version include:

Red and yellow and pink and green

Orange and purple and blue,

I can sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow too.

Listen with your ears,

Listen with your eyes,

And sing everything you see!

I can sing a rainbow,

Sing a rainbow,

Sing along with me…

Versions

References

  1. ^ "I Can Sing A Rainbow". National Institutes of Health, Department of Health & Human Services. Archived from the original on 2014-10-30. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
  2. ^ "I can sing a rainbow". British Council. Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
  3. ^ Borland, Sophie (2008-01-11). "Ed Balls red-faced after 'Singing a Rainbow'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 2009-09-28. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  4. ^ "Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 2012-04-19.
  5. ^ Lonergan, David F. (2005). Hit Records, 1950-1975. Scarecrow Press. p. 89. ISBN 978-0-8108-5129-0. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
  6. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 154.
  7. ^ "RPM100" (PDF). Library and Archives Canada.
  8. ^ "Love is Blue". The Irish Charts.
  9. ^ The Dells: Awards, AllMusic
  10. ^ "The Dells: Singles". The Official Charts Company.
  11. ^ "Delta beats Hogan in attraction stakes". news.com.au. 2005-05-07. Retrieved 2008-09-03. [dead link]