This song was written by Randy Newman.
I just verified this, because for the longest time I was absolutely certain it was a Nina Simone song...it just fits her style, and I heard hers first.
It was first released as recorded by Julius LaRosa, August 1966. Then it was done by Judy Collins in November of 1966, followed by Bobby Darin (May 1967),
The Ian Campbell Group (1968), Randy Newman himself in 1968, Dusty Springfield (November 1968), Claudine Longet (December 1968), Nina Simone (1969!), Jack Jones (1969),
Rick Nelson (February 2, 1969), Helen Reddy (1970), Neil Diamond (November 1971), Cass Elliot (1972), Françoise Hardy (1972), Houston Person 1972, Melanie 1974,
Joe Cocker (August 1975), Cleo Laine 1976, UB40 (September 6, 1980), Tony Rice 1984, Barbara Dickson 1987, Bette Midler (November 22, 1988), Carol Kidd 1990,
Norbert Detaeye 2001, Jools Holland & David Gray 2003, Katie Melua (November 3, 2003), Curtis Stigers (April 19, 2005), Norah Jones (November 22, 2005),
David Gray (August 2007), Jack L (October 2008), Peter Gabriel (February 12, 2010), Hanne Boel featuring Carsten Dahl (March 2010), and latest but not least,
Paul Carrack with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra October 2010.
...I'm no expert, but my guess is that not a lot of songs have this many artists wanting to voice their take on it...and this was all before the first "Toy Story", people.
All Hail Randy Newman. That is all.