The Captain and Tennille version includes the following lyrics:
Once I thought
I could paint a rainbow
With every color I could find
But now I've learned that a rainbow
Is made of love and peace of mind
Chorus:
There's colors like the morning dew
And reds and yellows from a rose red rose
And blues from a summer day
And purples from a sunset close
Once I said I could sail a sailboat
Across the ocean all alone
But now I know that I'll get nowhere
Until I learn to sail to home
Once I thought I could reach for the stars
And touch the face of God himself
But now I'm coming down to Earth
And I'll just be glad to know myself
(Chorus)
And green like a forest, all covered in clover
And white from a winter snow
A rainbow is a promise
Of what we all can be
And as long as there is sunshine
There'll always be a chance for me
(Chorus)