The Rainbow Connection is a 1979 song from The Muppet Movie, written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and sung by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog. It appears on The Muppet Movie: Original Soundtrack Recording, with a release in June 1979 and a recording from 1978 at A&M Studios in Hollywood. The tune blends chamber pop, bluegrass, and folk, and runs about 3 minutes and 15 seconds.
In the film, Kermit sits alone on a swamp log and plays a banjo, revealing his dream of making millions of people happy and setting his journey to Hollywood in motion. The song became an American charting hit, reaching No 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1979 and staying in the Top 40 for seven weeks. It earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song at the 52nd Oscars.
In 2020 The Rainbow Connection was added to the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural significance. The song is often described as the film’s I Want song and has been covered by many artists, including the Carpenters in 1981 (released in 2001 on As Time Goes By) and Willie Nelson in his 2001 Rainbow Connection album. The American Film Institute lists it as the 74th greatest movie song of all time. The music and lyrics drew some inspiration from When You Wish Upon a Star.
