In September 2017, Miley Cyrus dropped her highly-anticipated sixth album, Younger Now. The project found the hit singer/songwriter shifting from edgy rock-pop to a more organic, country-centered sound. “Rainbowland,” one of the most buzzed-about tracks from the record, is an enchanting duet with Cyrus’s godmother, Dolly Parton.
The Lyrics
This playful collaboration starts with a recorded message from Parton, voicing her excitement over the project. “Rainbowland” quickly shifts into a sweet and inspirational plea for unity and acceptance.
Videos by American Songwriter
Living in a Rainbowland
Where you and I go hand in hand
Oh, I’d be lying if I said this was fine
All the hurt and the hate going on here
Because of the usage of rainbow imagery throughout, many within the LGBTQ+ community connected with the inclusive lyricism of “Rainbowland.”
We are rainbows, me and you
Every color, every hue
Let’s shine on through
Together, we can start living in a Rainbowland
Although the lyrics are straightforward, the pair’s soaring vocals add plenty of sparkle, transforming it into a captivatingly hopeful anthem. “Rainbowland” wasn’t selected as a single for Younger Now and didn’t appear on radio charts. Still, it is often cited as a favorite by longtime fans of Cyrus.
The Controversy
In March 2023, a Wisconsin elementary school became the subject of national media attention after banning their students from performing “Rainbowland.” According to Entertainment Weekly, the decision to bar children from singing the song at a planned spring concert was because the song’s lyrics “could be deemed controversial.”
Teacher Melissa Tempel spoke out about the decision via social media, which garnered the attention of the Happy Hippie Foundation, Cyrus’s nonprofit organization. They shared a message of support online and committed a donation to Pride and Less Prejudice, which distributes “LGBTQ age-appropriate” books to schools free of charge.
[RELATED: The Hypothetical Miley Cyrus Collaborations We’d Love to Hear]
“To the inspiring first-grade students at Heyer Elementary, keep being YOU,” the foundation stated on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter. “We believe in our Happy Hippie heart that you’ll be the ones to brush the judgment and fear aside and make all of us more understanding and accepting.”
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
More Behind The Song
-
KENT, WA – DECEMBER 06: Country music singer and songwriter Luke Combs performs on stage during The Hometown Holiday show hosted by 100.7 The Wolf at ShoWare Center on December 6, 2018 in Kent, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images) -
Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff performs on stage at Porte de Pantin, in Paris. (Photo by John van Hasselt/Sygma via Getty Images) -
Left to right: Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page, of British heavy rock group Led Zeppelin, performing at Earl's Court, London, May 1975. The band were initially booked to play three nights at the venue, from 23rd to 25th May, but due to public demand, two more concerts were later added, for 17th and 18th May. Total ticket sales were 85,000. (Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images) -
Portrait of country singer Eddie Rabbitt in Memphis, Tennessee, May 31, 1981. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) -
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 22: 31st Annual Grammy Awards. Broadcast February 22, 1989. Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California. Pictured accepting award is Bobby McFerrin. His song "Don't Worry, Be Happy" won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male. Also Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 03: Singers Mike McGuire (L) and Marty Raybon of Shenandoah attend the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rick Diamond/ACM2016/Getty Images for dcp) -
Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images -
The three founding members of Talking Heads on a Manhattan rooftop, US, 1976. (Jerry Harrison would join the group at the beginning of 1977.) (L-R) Bassist Tina Weymouth, singer-guitarist David Byrne and drummer Chris Frantz. (Photo by Linda D. Robbins/Getty Images)