The song of the day for Wednesday, June 10, 2026, is “Over the Rainbow.”
About Today
We are remembering the great Judy Garland, who was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, on June 10, 1922.
About This Song
“Over the Rainbow” was written in 1939 by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg. Probably the most widely known of all Arlen’s and Harburg’s songs, “Over The Rainbow” is from the The Wizard Of Oz. Interestingly, the producers wanted to cut the song from the film, as they felt it slowed down the movie. Thankfully, the preview audiences preferred the movie with the song.
“Over The Rainbow” ranked as the #1 song of the 20th century per the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment of the Arts. The song has always been closely associated with Judy Garland. In a letter to Harold Arlen, Judy Garland wrote that “the song has become part of my life. It’s so symbolic of everybody’s dreams and wishes that I’m sure that’s why some people get tears in their eyes when they hear it. I’ve sung it thousands of times and it’s still the song that’s closest to my heart.”
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Over The Rainbow” on August 15, 1960, for Tony Bennett Sings a String of Harold Arlen. Glenn Osser wrote the arrangement and conducted the orchestra.
“Over the Rainbow” as well as Tony Bennett Sigs a String of Harold Arlen, is available on Apple Music.
We have two wonderful videos about today’s song.
You can the full segment of Harburg’s appearance on that program here.
And, to wrap up this look at “Over the Rainbow,” here’s Judy Garland from The Wizard of Oz.
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