somewhere over the rainbow

I think I have come to terms with the fact that for some reason [completely unknown to me] this is one of my favorite songs.
Now, this song has been redone hundreds of times. I do not like all the versions. On the contrary, I only like a few.
The few that are my favorites are as follows:

Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A2Jt4WOxN8
[He was a large Hawaiian man who had the most beautiful voice... In his version he added a few verses, but nonetheless, love the song.]

Jason Castro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYd_doxZIYM
[He is just a white boy with some cool dreads. I think he was on 2008 American Idol. Didn't win, but left me with this wonderful version of the song. It seems to me that he tried to copy Israel's version of the song, yet stuck with the original lyrics.]

Shawn McDonald: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPmMa-NIf4Y
[He is a phenomenal musician all around, at least in my opinion. He too changes the lyrics, but only slightly, to go with his style of music.]

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ymx8bHBigek
[This is one of my favorite versions, hah. I don't know how I originally got it, I've just had it on my computers since I was in middle school. Maybe Heath downloaded it at one point and I got hooked, not sure.]

Judy Garland, on the other hand, is not one of my favorite singers of the song. I can't stand her version... even though it was technically the first, being as the song was originally written for the movie The Wizard of Oz... she just doesn't cut it.


The original lyrics to...
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
...music by Harold Arlen

...lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true

Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops way up above the chimney tops
Thats where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Blue birds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I

If happy little blue birds fly across the rainbow
Why oh why can't I