Is there a prettier song?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I just love k.d. lang’s rendition of ‘Hallelujah’. If there’s a prettier song out there, I haven’t heard it. I get goosebumps when I hear it. What songs do you feel this way about? </p>

<p>I think I remember reading that it is now okay to link YouTube videos here. Have a listen …
[KD</a> Lang sings “Hallelujah” LIVE at the Winter Olympics 2010 - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bj4TccyKk]KD”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-bj4TccyKk)</p>

2

<p>Isn’t k.d. amazing? She now tours with the Sis Boom Band, who supports her with their fabulous musicianship. Together they’re moving onto new heights. “Hallelujah” (by Leonard Cohen) was her finale at University of Buffalo last week. I heard it was astonishing.</p>

3

<p>Yes, what an amazing song, sung beautifully by k.d. Powerful lyrics, too:</p>

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<p>The best songs are the ones that lift you up and break your heart at the same time.</p>

4

<p>I couldn’t agree more. I discovered her version of Hallelujah a few months ago, and I’ve never heard anything more hauntingly beautiful. It amazes me that (presumably) she has basically the same anatomy as I do, yet those amazing sounds emanate from her, while what comes out of me can only be described as croaking.</p>

5

<p>Listen to Jo Stafford sing “Shenandoah”.</p>

6

<p>I have always loved the way Louis Armstrong sang “It’s a Wonderful World”.</p>

7

<p>Because I come from a military family, I always cry at this song “I’m Already There” by Lonestar. I think it’s so poignant.</p>

<p>[Lonestar</a> - I’m Already There (Message From Home) - YouTube](<a href=“Lonestar - I'm Already There (Message From Home) - YouTube”>Lonestar - I'm Already There (Message From Home) - YouTube)</p>

8

<p>I have all the versions of Hallelujah that I could find. I love it.</p>

9

<p>I like it, but I still like hearing Leonard himself do it. It’s less sentimental, more ironic in his version. [Leonard</a> Cohen - Hallelujah - YouTube](<a href=“Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah - YouTube”>Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah - YouTube)</p>

<p>Speaking of it doesn’t get more beautiful than this, this is my vote: [Enya</a> - How Can I Keep From Singing? (video) - YouTube](<a href=“Enya - How Can I Keep From Singing? (video) - YouTube”>Enya - How Can I Keep From Singing? (video) - YouTube)</p>

<p>This is my favorite Shenedoah, but I’m a sucker for deep voices. <a href=“Paul Robeson - Shenandoah - YouTube”>Paul Robeson - Shenandoah - YouTube;

10

<p>Big fan of this rendition of Bob Dylan standard by Adele. [Adele</a> - Make You Feel My Love (Live on Letterman) - YouTube](<a href=“Adele - Make You Feel My Love (Live on Letterman) - YouTube”>Adele - Make You Feel My Love (Live on Letterman) - YouTube)</p>

11

<p>One that always gives me goosebumps is Amy Grant, “Angels We Have Heard On High” from her Christmas album. I also love Ray Charles, “What a Wonderful World”.</p>

12

<p>I like the Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris version of Hallelujah - they sang it at the Hope for Haiti concert last year.</p>

<p>I love this Somewhere Over the Rainbow too - [OFFICIAL</a> Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwo?ole - YouTube](<a href=“OFFICIAL Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole - YouTube”>OFFICIAL Somewhere over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole - YouTube)</p>

13

<p>For me, it’s Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel.</p>

14

<p>Josh Groban singing “O Holy Night”.</p>

15

<p>I was going to post Hawaii '78 by Iz, psychmomma</p>

<p>I like Eddie Vedder singing Arc.
[Eddie</a> Vedder ARC](<a href=“http://www.eddievedderarc.com/]Eddie”>http://www.eddievedderarc.com/)
I saw him perform Arc live twice on his last solo tour. It was amazing, particularly in Benaroya Hall.</p>

16

<p>I don’t know if it’s the “prettiest” but the song that makes me most emotional when listening to it is “God Bless the USA” by Lee Greenwood.</p>

<p>Although “It’s a Wonderful Worls” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” are also wonderful.</p>

17

<p>Prettiest instrumental: <a href=“YouTube”>YouTube;

<p>Makes my heart cry or sing, depending on my mood. Haunting even before Ken Burns used it in his Civil War TV series.</p>

18

<p>I find Jeff Buckley’s version of Halleluia to be the sexiest song I’ve ever hears. </p>

<p>My son plays Bridge Over Troubled Water on his clarinet as a special gift for me.</p>

19

<p>Zooser, my D played Bridge on the piano as a gift to me, and also “Oh, Holy Night”, my favorite carol ever and already nominated above…and despite the fact that we are a pretty non-observant family.</p>

20

<p>k.d. lang’s performance of ‘Hallelujah’ is beautiful and moving. I also like [this</a> version](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube), with Kurt Nilsen, Espen Lind, Askil Holm, and Alejandro Fuentes. (My favorite of the four is Kurt Nilsen.)</p>

<p>Some other songs that I think are beautiful:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>[Any</a> Other World](<a href=“Mika Any other World - YouTube”>Mika Any other World - YouTube), Mica (This song came up today on my iPod, and I remembered how much I liked it; [this</a> version](<a href=“any other world-Mika (Live) +lyrics - YouTube”>any other world-Mika (Live) +lyrics - YouTube) of Mica in concert is also great.)</p></li>
<li><p>[Closer</a> and Closer Apart](<a href=“MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER Closer and closer apart - YouTube”>MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER Closer and closer apart - YouTube), Mary Chapin Carpenter (I recall a CC thread calling for songs to play in the car ride home after dropping a child at college, and this one came to my mind.)</p></li>
<li><p>[May</a> It Be](<a href=“Enya - May It Be [With Lyrics] - YouTube”>Enya - May It Be [With Lyrics] - YouTube), Enya (Remember this from the movie of The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring?)</p></li>
<li><p>[Nightswimming[/url</a>], R.E.M. (I just love this song; it is so poignant and I think so full of the wisdom that I hope my children will learn as they grow older.)</p></li>
<li><p>[url=&lt;a href=“TRACY CHAPMAN: THE PROMISE - YouTube”&gt;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crTc1V34m8g&list=FLVJuMZFP--hnJHRVDDmbQzw&index=21]The</a> Promise](<a href=“R.E.M. - Nightswimming - YouTube”>R.E.M. - Nightswimming - YouTube), Tracy Chapman (I first heard this years ago in [this</a> scene](<a href=“ER Season 9 - Hopeless Wound - YouTube”>ER Season 9 - Hopeless Wound - YouTube) from ER, and have loved it ever since.)</p></li>
<li><p>[You</a> Take My Breath Away](<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube), Tuck & Patti (Okay, this song takes my breath away.)</p></li>
</ul>