🌈 About the Song
There are songs that make you smile, and then there are songs that fix your entire day.
Iz’s medley of Somewhere Over the Rainbow and What a Wonderful World might be the most beloved ukulele performance of all time. Recorded in a single take at 3 a.m. in Honolulu, it captures everything that made Israel Kamakawiwoʻole so special — his featherlight touch, his massive heart, and that gentle, almost fragile voice that could still shake mountains.
He took Judy Garland’s wistful dream of escape and Louis Armstrong’s joyful optimism, wrapped them in island air, and gave the world a version so perfect it’s become the version. You’ve heard it in weddings, films (50 First Dates, Meet Joe Black, ER), and about a thousand emotional YouTube montages — and it never, ever gets old.
The genius of Iz’s arrangement is its simplicity. No flash, no ego — just pure warmth and sincerity.
🎸 Ukulele Playing Tips
- Chords:
- Rainbow sections: C – Em – F – C – F – C – G – Am – F – C.
- Wonderful World sections: F – Em – Am – Dm – C – F – G – C.
- Strumming pattern: Island strum — Down–Down-Up–Up–Down-Up, slow and steady (~80 bpm).
- Tone: Strum near the neck for softness — this one’s all about air and heart.
- Dynamics: Start whisper-quiet, let it bloom just a touch through “dreams that you dare to dream,” and fade gently back for “and I think to myself…”
- Optional trick: Use Cmaj7 (0002) and Fmaj7 (2413) in place of plain majors — instant “Iz sparkle.”
- Sing tip: Keep your delivery conversational. Iz never oversang; he floated. Breathe deep and let it feel natural.
- Pro move: Let the final C chord ring into silence — no hard endings here, just calm.
🧠 Trivia You Can Drop Casually
- The version was recorded in one spontaneous take in 1988 at 3 a.m. — the studio engineer literally rolled tape while Iz played and sang live.
- It became a global hit years later after being used in TV shows and movies, helping the Facing Future album sell over 4 million copies.
- Iz, known affectionately as “Bruddah Iz,” was 6’2” and over 700 pounds — yet his voice was as delicate as morning rain.
- Hawaii scattered his ashes in the ocean, accompanied by tens of thousands of mourners. When the rainbow appeared that day, nobody was surprised.
🌈 Final Word
Play Somewhere Over the Rainbow like a lullaby for the whole world.
Keep your strums light, your heart open, and your tempo unhurried.
Every chord should sound like kindness — and if you make someone tear up before the last note fades, you’ve honoured Iz properly.
