The End of the Rainbow
The End of the Rainbow by Richard & Linda Thompson is 70 BPM — Adagio (slow).
Half-time 35 BPM · Double-time 140 BPM · released 1974
Song DNA
Misophonia Triggers
A melancholic lullaby addressed to a newborn, warning of life's harsh realities and shattered dreams in a minor-chord folk style.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: introspective, melancholy, reflective
Traditions: british folk rock
"The End of the Rainbow" sits at 70 BPM. Built for stillness.
This is well below typical speech rhythm. The body reads slow tempo as permission to rest. Smooth texture and soft vocals keep the foreground spare. Good candidates for use: falling asleep, processing a hard day, slow mornings, study sessions where the music must not pull at you. Avoid for any task that needs alertness — the piece works against it.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 3/10 places this song in the "steady volume" band. Loudness stays within a narrow window from start to finish — you won't be ambushed by a louder section if you set the volume at the opening.
Sudden changes: none. Transitions are musically signaled — nothing will surprise you if you're only half-listening.
Texture: smooth.
Predictability is high — the song telegraphs what it will do next. A sensory-sensitive listener can usually guess where it's going without close attention.
Vocal style: soft vocals.
Where this sits in Richard & Linda Thompson's catalog
We have 3 songs from Richard & Linda Thompson in the library. Of those, 1 are rated Safe, 2 Moderate, and 0 Intense. This song's dynamic range of 3/10 sits below the artist average of 4.7, making it the #3 most dynamic track of theirs in our library.
Other tracks from I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight
We have 2 songs from this album. Overall, the album leans moderate in sensory profile.
- I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight — moderate DR 6
1974 context
Released in 1974. We have 176 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.4/10. This track is quieter / less dynamic than the year average. Explore more from the 1970s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "The End of the Rainbow"?
70 BPM — Slow (downtempo / ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Sleep, meditation, reading, focus work.
Browse more songs at 70 BPM.
When "The End of the Rainbow" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
Yes — low-variance volume, no surprises, steady tempo. The ideal study-music profile.
No — 70 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
Yes — low intensity, no surprises, slow tempo. Use as a sleep-playlist anchor.
Yes — predictable enough for safe driving attention, interesting enough to stay engaged.
Yes — sits in the background without demanding attention.
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
Music for Meltdown Recovery: What to Play When the World Is Too Much
Music for Meltdown Recovery: What to Play When the World Is Too Much — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
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Why this rating
We rate this song Safe because its dynamic range stays within our low-variance band, there are no unsignaled changes, and the texture and vocal style are both in the low-fatigue range. Our methodology uses an AND rule for Safe — a song has to clear every dimension to earn the rating.
See how “The End of the Rainbow” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
Listen on
Spotify and YouTube links go direct to the track when we have the ID; otherwise they search for it. Embed this sensory profile on your site →
Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-14. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This sits near the calm end of everything we've measured — gentler than 99% of the 19,209 songs in the library. Its intensity reading of 11/100 comes from a dynamic range of 3/10, smooth texture, no sudden shifts, and soft vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is an unusually steady, even volume: more extreme on that axis than 100% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on full chaos — sudden changes, huge quiet-to-loud swings, and relentless energy — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1974 in context
The 176 songs we’ve measured from 1974 average a dynamic range of 6.4/10. At 3/10, this track is gentler and steadier than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "The End of the Rainbow"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "The End of the Rainbow" by Richard & Linda Thompson?
"The End of the Rainbow" by Richard & Linda Thompson has a tempo of 70 BPM (Adagio (slow)). At half-time that is 35 BPM, and at double-time 140 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "The End of the Rainbow" by Richard & Linda Thompson?
"The End of the Rainbow" by Richard & Linda Thompson rates as Low-Intensity. Dynamic range 3/10, no sudden changes, smooth texture. Our Low-Intensity rating means no single dimension triggers the higher-intensity thresholds.
How loud is "The End of the Rainbow" — what is its dynamic range?
"The End of the Rainbow" has a dynamic range of 3/10. This places it in the steady-volume band — loudness stays within a narrow window start to finish.
Does "The End of the Rainbow" have sudden or surprising changes?
No. "The End of the Rainbow" has no sudden unsignaled changes. Every transition is musically telegraphed.
What is "The End of the Rainbow" best for?
In our library "The End of the Rainbow" is recommended for: deep listening, meltdown recovery, relaxation. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "The End of the Rainbow" released?
"The End of the Rainbow" is from 1974, on the album "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight". It appears in our 1970s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "The End of the Rainbow"?
We tag "The End of the Rainbow" as introspective, melancholy, reflective. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "The End of the Rainbow"?
The vocal style is soft vocals.
Is "The End of the Rainbow" good for running?
Not really — at 70 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "The End of the Rainbow" good for studying?
Yes — low dynamic range (3/10) and no sudden changes means the song stays in the background without pulling focus.
Can I use "The End of the Rainbow" for sleep?
Yes — it clears every sleep-music criterion: low intensity, minimal dynamic range, no surprises. Use as a wind-down or sleep-playlist anchor.
Should I listen to "The End of the Rainbow"?
If you want gentle, low-arousal music, "The End of the Rainbow" is a solid pick — Low-Intensity across every sensory dimension.
Songs with the same DNA
smooth texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
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