# ER song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862 "2002-11-01T16:38:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merejane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Merejane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merejane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/1 "2002-11-01T16:38:32Z")
I hope I’m not the only person in the world who doesn’t know the answer to this question, but what was that song that was being sung toward the end of last night’s ER episode, when Elizabeth was on the train going home with her daughter? And who was singing the song? ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/2 "2002-11-01T18:13:45Z")
You’re not the only one. A couple of times I thought it might be Tracy Chapman singing, but I could be way off. I wish TV shows would identify songs and artists in the credits. But then, who can _read_ the closing credits–always squished to the side while the network plugs another show. I can usually find cast lists online, but not song credits. It’s frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/3 "2002-11-01T18:45:03Z")
It _was_ Tracy Chapman, actually. The song is “The Promise” from her 1995 album _New Beginning_. A beautiful song, and a nice moment in last night’s episode. ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/4 "2002-11-01T19:49:24Z")
Thanks, **Avalonian**! I have her first three CDs, but I haven’t listened to her much lately. I might have to get _New Beginning_ and catch up on what I’ve missed. ---
**Author:** ![Merejane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@Merejane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merejane)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/5 "2002-11-01T21:13:56Z")
Thanks from me, too, **Avalonian** – and good call, **Second Guest**! That _is_ a beautiful song. By the way, in trying to find out about that song, I found an ER fan website that lists most of the songs from all the episodes. They are a few weeks behind, so they didn’t have the Tracy Chapman song from last night, but it looks like a good resource. The website is [The Lounge](http://er.neoxer.com/), and the page with the songs is [here](http://www.neoxer.com/song.html). ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/6 "2002-11-01T21:53:50Z")
Thanks, **Merejane**! I’ve just bookmarked it. I wish I’d known about that site a couple of seasons ago when I was trying to find out who sang _Sand and Water_ in the episode of the same name. (Turns out it was the woman who wrote it: Beth Nielsen Chapman. Hmmm. Maybe I’m only drawn to music by women named Chapman. Odd.) ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/7 "2002-11-01T21:58:07Z")
_blush_ You’re welcome, guys. _New Beginning_ is one of Tracy’s best albums, IMHO. Haven’t heard all of her _new_ new CD, though. I think my favorite song in any ER episode was the one they played when Mark Green died. It’s a medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World,” set to acoustic guitar and sung by an African singer with an incredibly smooth voice. It originally (I think) comes from the _Meet Joe Black_ soundtrack (coupled with Thomas Newman’s excellent score), which is where I first heard it, but it was also used on several commercials and such. It was never better used than in that ER episode, though, as a rather touching gesture from Mark’s daughter to him in his final days. It set the perfect tone, and even had meaning in the context of the story. Damn, I’m getting all misty just thinking about it. What’s _with_ me lately? Now I’m going to have to listen to that song again… ---
**Author:** ![Iteki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/eada6e/32.png) [@Iteki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iteki)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/8 "2002-11-02T00:02:02Z")
Ooh, I finally get to nitpick? Can it really be? The artist is Hawaiian. [http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Kamakawiwo'ole,+Israel](http://us.imdb.com/Bio?Kamakawiwo%27ole,+Israel) The track is wonderful, I firmly believe that the only reason they claimed that Mark used to sing it to Rachel was to get a good excuse to play this fantastic track. “Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World” Over The Rainbow written by E.Y. Harburg, Harold Arlen What A Wonderful World written by George David Weiss, Bob Thiele Performed by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole Courtesy of Big Boy Records & The Mountain Apple Company ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/9 "2002-11-02T00:18:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Iteki \* > **Ooh, I finally get to nitpick? Can it really be? > The artist is Hawaiian.** Ooops, my bad. You’re absolutely right. And even _better_ for the episode in question. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/10 "2002-11-02T02:04:12Z")
My 15-yr-old daughter and I watch ER together every Thursday night. Last night, a couple of lines in to the song at the end I said “Oh, listen!It’s Tracy Chapman!” I know they don’t put such things in the credits, but I’d be feeling pretty sheepish right now if you guys had proven me wrong!! With a teenager in the house, I don’t get to be right too often 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2002, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/er-song/134862/11 "2002-11-02T18:44:59Z")
Way to go, **norinew**. That’s quite an accomplishment. (It’s a proven fact that once a child becomes a teenager, his or her parents are immediately rendered incapable of being right about _anything_. Really. Look it up.) 🙂