--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to…" description: "\"I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain.\" — Joseph McCarthy" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg" --- # I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little… ![“I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain.” quote by Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg) > “I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain.” [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Chasing impossible dreams leads to disappointment; seek realistic hope instead. **In simple terms:** Don’t waste effort on unattainable fantasies. Key Takeaway Aim for achievable goals. Themes dreams realism disappointment Mood hopeful melancholic Type poetic motivational When to use this quote - career aspirations - relationships - creative projects Key Concepts illusion expectation management goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What realistic “bluebird” can you pursue? - How do you balance hope with practicality? A Different Perspective Idealistic pursuits can cause chronic frustration. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bluebird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluebird/) [Bluebird Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluebird-vain-1250461/) [Chasing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing/) [Chasing rainbows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chasing-rainbows/) [Little Bluebird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-bluebird-1250462/) [Littles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/littles/) [Rainbow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rainbow/) [Rainbows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rainbows/) [Rainbows Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rainbows-waiting-1250460/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) [Waiting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/waiting/) ## Related quotes > [“It's time to stop following the yellow brick road, use your God given brain, and quit chasing rainbows, because the truth is life's hard,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-fields/it-s-time-to-stop-following-the-yellow-brick-road-use-your-god-given/) [L.M. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-fields/) > [He felt like a man who, chasing rainbows, has had one of them suddenly turn and bite him in the leg.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-felt-like-a-man-who-chasing-rainbows-has-had-one-of-them-suddenly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wonder why / no one ever told me / that the rainbow / and the treasure / were both within me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-jampolsky/i-wonder-why-no-one-ever-told-me-that-the-rainbow-and-the-treasure/) [Gerald Jampolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-jampolsky/) > [“Chasing rainbows never offered the best results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/chasing-rainbows-never-offered-the-best-results/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yip-harburg/if-happy-little-bluebirds-fly-beyond-the-rainbow-why-oh-why-can-t-i/) [Yip Harburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yip-harburg/) > [Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh, why can't I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-garland/birds-fly-over-the-rainbow-why-then-oh-why-can-t-i/) [Judy Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-garland/) > [You've got to go where the work is. My mom got a job somewhere else so I went and lived with her and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-jean/you-ve-got-to-go-where-the-work-is-my-mom-got-a-job-somewhere-else-so/) [Nikki Jean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-jean/) > [People who postpone happiness are like children who try chasing rainbows in an effort to find the pot of gold at the rainbows end...Your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-keyes-jr/people-who-postpone-happiness-are-like-children-who-try-chasing/) [Ken Keyes Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-keyes-jr/) > [“Just remember that love comes in many forms. Never settle, and know that what one has torn, another can mend. Most of all, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elisa-lorello/just-remember-that-love-comes-in-many-forms-never-settle-and-know/) [Elisa Lorello](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elisa-lorello/) > [The average man is hooked to his fellow men, while the warrior is hooked only to himself. Perhaps you are chasing rainbows. You're after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-castaneda/the-average-man-is-hooked-to-his-fellow-men-while-the-warrior-is-2/) [Carlos Castaneda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-castaneda/) > [“It's important not to waste life chasing after rainbows.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-redhead/it-s-important-not-to-waste-life-chasing-after-rainbows/) [Steven Redhead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-redhead/) > [Now is our time. It's our time to chase rainbows and build castles in the sky. It's our time to create a life that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-anderson/now-is-our-time-it-s-our-time-to-chase-rainbows-and-build-castles-in/) [Shawn Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-anderson/) > [“Crying seems to do you no good You try and live your life counting the seconds and the hours Your mind is weary, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pervez-m-quadir-fog/crying-seems-to-do-you-no-good-you-try-and-live-your-life-counting/) [Pervez M Quadir FOG](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pervez-m-quadir-fog/) > [In all probability the Human Genome Project will, someday, find that I carry some recessive gene for optimism, because despite all my best efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/in-all-probability-the-human-genome-project-will-someday-find-that-i/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“As a child I was told and believed that there was a treasure buried beneath every rainbow. I believed it so much that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-g-jampolsky/as-a-child-i-was-told-and-believed-that-there-was-a-treasure-buried/) [Gerald G. Jampolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-g-jampolsky/) ## More by Joseph McCarthy > [The State Department is infested with communists. I have here in my hand a list of 205—a list of names that were made known…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/the-state-department-is-infested-with-communists-i-have-here-in-my/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity. The modern champions of communism have selected this as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/today-we-are-engaged-in-a-final-all-out-battle-between-communistic/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [Any man who has been given the honor of being promoted to general and who says, "I will protect another general who protects Communists,"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/any-man-who-has-been-given-the-honor-of-being-promoted-to-general-and/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [An interviewer asked me what book I thought best represented the modern American woman. All I could think of to answer was: Madame Bovary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/an-interviewer-asked-me-what-book-i-thought-best-represented-the/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [Our job as Americans and as Republicans is to dislodge the traitors from every place where they've been sent to do their traitorous work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/our-job-as-americans-and-as-republicans-is-to-dislodge-the-traitors/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [American life, in large cities, is a perpetual assault on the senses and the nerves; it is out of asceticism, out of unworldliness, precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/american-life-in-large-cities-is-a-perpetual-assault-on-the-senses/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [The reason why we find ourselves in a position of impotency is not because the enemy has sent men to invade our shores, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/the-reason-why-we-find-ourselves-in-a-position-of-impotency-is-not/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/today-we-are-engaged-in-a-final-all-out-battle-between-communistic-2/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) > [While I cannot take the time to name all the men in the State Department who have been named as members of the Communist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/while-i-cannot-take-the-time-to-name-all-the-men-in-the-state/) [Joseph McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) [Explore all 10 Joseph McCarthy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/) ## More Bluebird quotes > [In the tradition of the classic songwriter rooms like The Bluebird in Nashville, Strange Brew is a gift to the music community in Austin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-cross/in-the-tradition-of-the-classic-songwriter-rooms-like-the-bluebird-in/) [Christopher Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-cross/) > [Be like the bluebird who never is blue, For he knows from his upbringing what singing can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/be-like-the-bluebird-who-never-is-blue-for-he-knows-from-his/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“There have been extensive human rights violations by American psychiatrists over the last 70 years. These doctors were pad by the American taxpayer through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-a-ross/there-have-been-extensive-human-rights-violations-by-american/) [Colin A. Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-a-ross/) > [If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why oh why can't I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yip-harburg/if-happy-little-bluebirds-fly-beyond-the-rainbow-why-oh-why-can-t-i/) [Yip Harburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yip-harburg/) > [Whither away, Bluebird, Whither away? The blast is chill, yet in the upper sky Thou still canst find the color of thy wing, The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-clarence-stedman/whither-away-bluebird-whither-away-the-blast-is-chill-yet-in-the/) [Edmund Clarence Stedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-clarence-stedman/) > [Early in life, I was visited by the bluebird of anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/early-in-life-i-was-visited-by-the-bluebird-of-anxiety/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [A man who never sees a bluebird only half lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-way-teale/a-man-who-never-sees-a-bluebird-only-half-lives/) [Edwin Way Teale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-way-teale/) > [The birds can fly, an' why can't I? Must we give in, says he with a grin, That the bluebird an' phoebe are smarter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-townsend-trowbridge/the-birds-can-fly-an-why-can-t-i-must-we-give-in-says-he-with-a-grin/) [John Townsend Trowbridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-townsend-trowbridge/) > [The love-making of the bluebird is as beautiful as the bird itself, and normally as gentle, unless interrupted by some jealous rival who would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-cleveland-bent/the-love-making-of-the-bluebird-is-as-beautiful-as-the-bird-itself/) [Arthur Cleveland Bent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-cleveland-bent/) > [An optimist is someone who figures that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's the bluebird of happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/an-optimist-is-someone-who-figures-that-if-it-walks-like-a-duck-and/) [Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/) > [Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then, oh, why can't I?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-garland/birds-fly-over-the-rainbow-why-then-oh-why-can-t-i/) [Judy Garland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-garland/) > [Faith is a bluebird you see from afar, it's for real and as sure as the first evening star. You can't touch it or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rufus-wainwright/faith-is-a-bluebird-you-see-from-afar-it-s-for-real-and-as-sure-as/) [Rufus Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rufus-wainwright/) > [I have had more than half a century of such happiness. A great deal of worry and sorrow, too, but never a worry or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-mcleod-bethune/i-have-had-more-than-half-a-century-of-such-happiness-a-great-deal-of/) [Mary McLeod Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-mcleod-bethune/) > [“The major goal of the Cold War mind control programs was to create dissociative symptoms and disorders, including full multiple personality disorder. The Manchurian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-a-ross/the-major-goal-of-the-cold-war-mind-control-programs-was-to-create/) [Colin A. Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-a-ross/) > [Well, you could almost say, I suppose, that the scientist seeks what is similar between any two days, or bluebirds, or glaciers. And the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/well-you-could-almost-say-i-suppose-that-the-scientist-seeks-what-is/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) [Browse all 69 Bluebird quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bluebird/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joseph McCarthy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-find-a-little-bluebird-in-vain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bluebird" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-find-a-little-bluebird-in-vain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4cd/joseph-mccarthy-41422_bluebird_i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-f_1711385.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to find a little bluebird in vain.” — Joseph McCarthy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joseph McCarthy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-mccarthy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm always chasing rainbows, Waiting to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-find-a-little-bluebird-in-vain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-mccarthy/i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-waiting-to-find-a-little-bluebird-in-vain/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```