What started as a simple expression of pure joy and beauty has evolved into an Internet phenomenon and a lucrative novelty song. The effervescent, almost absurd "Double Rainbow" video — which has racked up over five million views on YouTube — began spreading around this series of tubes after late night host Jimmy Kimmel tweeted about it a few weeks back. Shortly thereafter, the Gregory Brothers (who have also worked on "Auto-Tune the News," another Web favorite) threw some of their favorite vocal correction technology on it and looped the original narration to create "The Double Rainbow Song." And even though the tune has been available for free, it still managed to storm the iTunes singles chart late last week (it got as high as 74 on the chart, rubbing up next to perennial favorites like Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" and Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance").
The track turns Yosemite Bear's original statements of amazement (like "Wow, look at that rainbow!") and turns them into a punchy, trippy dance track. There's no real chorus, but it does have traffic in the sort of free-form R&B that R. Kelly has perfected (and proves that Auto-Tune is alive and well, as Yosemite Bear sounds sort of convincing as a singer with a little technology underneath).
The song has fallen off the iTunes chart at the moment, but there is still a big push to get the sales figures moving. And Yosemite Bear hasn't missed the opportunity for expansion either, as his official Web site throws people to a number of different T-shirt designs based on the video. That original double rainbow truly is miraculous, as it has brought joy (and cash) to so many different people.
What do you think of "The Double Rainbow Song"? Let us know in the comments!