Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo’ole is the Peace song of the Day. Duchess Susanna asked me about a reggae song for today and somehow I ended up with this beautiful song. As Pete Seeger says folk music is just music of the folk. And this ukelele rendition is as much music of the Hawaiian folk as reggae is of the Jamaican folk.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DKWlrA24k] 
The author of the song, Yip Harburg, was called the “Broadway’s social conscience”. In addition to writing all the songs for Wizard of Oz, he also wrote the lyrics for Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?, April in Paris, and It’s Only a Paper Moon. According to his official website, his “greatest stage musicals were Bloomer Girl (1944, pro-women’s rights and civil-rights themes that were way ahead of their time) and Finian’s Rainbow (1947, anti-racist and critical of capitalism).” For speaking out about social justice, this amazing talented man was blacklisted in the 1950’s.
Related articles
- Peace Song of the Day 9/15/2011: One Man’s Hands (peacecouple.com)
- Ah Poor Bird: Peace Song of the Day for 9/9/2011 (peacecouple.com)
- Peace Song of the Day for 9-11 (peacecouple.com)
- Changing the Ch’i: Royal Peace Song of the Day for 9/14/2011 (peacecouple.com)
- Masters of War: Peace Song of the Day 9/10/11 (peacecouple.com)
- Moms and kids: Royal Song of the Day 9/6/2011 (peacecouple.com)
- The Power and the Glory of America: Royal Song of the Day 9/8/2011 (peacecouple.com)
- For 9-12-2011: A post 9-11 song… (peacecouple.com)
- Goodnight Irene: Royal Song of the Day 08/28/2011 (peacecouple.com)
