Annette introduced Jamie and Tanner to a song named "I Can Sing a Rainbow." This was a song from her childhood. I had not heard it until she introduced it to our kids.
While the song is not scientifically correct (i.e., some colors in the song are not in a rainbow), the lyrics of this song are useful to help little kids learn the colors.
Red and yellow and pink and green
Purple and orange and blue
I can sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow too.
Listen with your eyes,
Listen with your ears,
and sing everything you see,
I can sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow,
sing along with me.
Red and yellow and pink and green,
Purple and orange and blue,
I can sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow,
sing a rainbow too!
Lyrics Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, last visited November 7, 2021.
Over the years, we sang this song as part of the bedtime routine for each of our kids.
When Tanner was about 3, sometimes when I tucked him in at night, I would intentionally change the words of a song that I sang to him before I left the room to see if he would notice. Of course, he always noticed.
One night, I changed the words of the entire rainbow song to the following.
Purple and Black and Blue I am
cause I got hit by a truck.
Life can be so painful,
be so painful,
be so painful, too.
Listen with your ears,
listen with you ears,
sing everything you feel
You can be so painful,
be so painful,
Sing along with me.
Tanner immediately recognized the song and that I changed the lyrics. However, he also really liked the song. So, the alternate version became a family tradition, especially among the boys. They would frequently ask for the "hit by a truck" song.
A couple of weeks ago, Tanner and Emily visited our house with their boys (Gavin and Bryce). While they were here, I volunteered to tuck Bryce down for an afternoon nap. After he got settled in bed with his drink, Rex (stuffed dinosaur), and a friend (Lightning McQueen car), I asked him what song I should sing. He requested "hit by a truck!" It was fun for me to see that Tanner had passed the tradition down to his children.
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