Island Remixes

It is a great pleasure of mine to stumble across island tunes that are remixes of classics.
Therefore, I am creating a section dedicated to all of these great remixes.  I cannot think of a better way to kick this off than to start off with a tune that remixes two timeless classics.

The first tune was written by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss.  It was written in 1967, the time of racial segregation. The song tells a story of optimism for future generations.
Below is Louis Armstrong performing the timeless classic, "What a Wonderful World".

Nope, we are not in Kansas anymore... the second timeless classic is "Over the Rainbow" which was written in 1939 for The Wizard of Oz. It was sung by Judy Garland in her role as Dorothy in the film. 

Which brings me to the punchline.... The island remix that combines both of these into one, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole in 1993.  

It has been featured in several films including 50 first dates.

Below is Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's classic interpretation on two classics...

LYRICS

Somewhere over the rainbow

Way up high

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Once in a lullaby ii ii iii

Somewhere over the rainbow

Blue birds fly

And the dreams that you dreamed of

Dreams really do come true ooh ooooh

Someday I'll wish upon a star

Wake up where the clouds are far behind me ee ee eeh

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?

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

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

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

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?