# Song from "West Wing" Finale

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 23, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492 "2002-05-23T15:29:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sdimbert](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sdimbert/32/20204_2.png) [@sdimbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sdimbert)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492/1 "2002-05-23T15:29:20Z")

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What was Mark Harmon’s song from last night’s episode of _The West Wing_? You know, the last one they played. When he… um… [SPOILER REMOVED].

😃

I can’t ge tit out of my head.

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**Author:** ![Atreyu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@Atreyu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atreyu)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492/2 "2002-05-23T15:48:25Z")

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I’ll ignore the joke-worthy typo in the last sentence and try to focus on the question itself.

The song was “Hallelujah”, written by Leonard Cohen. I do not know the actual performer of the song in the episode, but it was _not_ Cohen. I’ve got the original Cohen version of the song on my hard drive as an MP3 file, as well as the version from the “Shrek” soundtrack. I like the version used in “Shrek” better.

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**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492/3 "2002-05-23T16:13:24Z")

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As Atreyu said, the song was Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which many people (myself included) first heard on the “Shrek” sountrack, where it was sung by Rufus Wainwright.

But the version on “West Wing” didn’t sound like Wainwright. Was it Jeff Buckley? I know there have been several versions recorded.

Of the versions I’ve heard, I like Wainwright’s best.

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**Author:** ![Sarcastro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sarcastro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarcastro)\
**Post date:** [May 23, 2002, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492/4 "2002-05-23T20:29:24Z")

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That was Jeff Buckley’s version (from his album _Grace_, I believe).

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**Author:** ![Melon\_Farmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Melon\_Farmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melon_Farmer)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492/5 "2002-05-24T01:26:26Z")

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Sarcastro is right.

> **[AllMusic | Record Reviews, Streaming Songs, Genres & Bands](https://www.allmusic.com/?p=amg&sql=Ahxkxikxjbb29)**
>
> AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own.

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**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\
**Post date:** [May 24, 2002, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-from-west-wing-finale/110492/6 "2002-05-24T12:46:30Z")

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Jeff Buckley - a terrific performer who, alas, drowned in the Mississippi River a few years ago. He had great promise. I don’t think a week has gone in the time that the CD came out that I haven’t listened to at least one song off of Grace.