63. Wizard of Iz

63. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole

If there's any song that's been covered more than "What a Wonderful World," it would have to be "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." The song really belongs to Judy Garland. And say what you will about Judy's singing, it just seems to be a perfect fit for this song.



As good as Judy's version is, my favorite recording of this song is by Iz. I heard it the first time on a television commercial by Apple computer that was hawking some whoop-de-doo computery thing-a-ma-jig dreamt up by Steven Wright.

Or was it Steven Jobs? I get the two confused.

Anyway, I like Iz's version best because of its simplicity. It's Iz and a uke. That's all. And I think that if there really is a place somewhere over the rainbow, it's a simple place where people enjoy simple things, like rainbows and bluebirds and lemon drops and chimney tops (but not chimney bottoms). And it probably looks like Hawaii.