Near the end of the episode in which C.J.'s Special Agent Donovan is killed, a song is sung beneath the action. It seems to have the refrain “Hallelulia.” I thought I heard part of a lyric referring to David spying on Bathsheba in her bath. Does anyone know singer and song?
Seamus
The song is originally by Leonard Cohen; as you surmised, its title is Hallelujah. The version in the West Wing was done by Jeff Buckley, and can be found on his self-titled album.
Lyrics can be found here.
My big question about the West Wing… when is Season 2 coming out on DVD?
While we’re on the topic, what was the point of the Rena character in the episode where the government was shut down… other than being a possible reference to Monica Lewinsky? She didn’t show up again in the subsequent episode.
Not to nitpick, but Hallelujah is on Grace, Jeff Buckley’s first album.
Thank you MrVisible and bibliophile. Dopers are the best.
What Lewinsky reference?
I don’t know if that plotline has been dropped, but some speculation was that she was some sort of Federal prisoner (her agency was not shut down, remember, and prisons certainly weren’t). That may be the basis of some future scandal.
Incidentally, the same song is used in Shrek. I rented the movie about a week before I saw that episode of TWW- imagine my surprise over hearing it twice in a week!
Great song, tho.
The version on Shrek is by Rufus Wainwright and is a damn fine song.
Great song, but the subject of some confusion. Leonard Cohen wrote about three different sets of lyrics, and it’s been covered by several different singers. My favorite version remains Cohen’s 800,000-cigarette voice on the album “Cohen Live”.
This Rena character was a nobody who was suddenly elevated to working with the White House’s inner circle… similar to how a previously unknown and unpaid intern came to know a certain President during the 1995 shutdown of the US federal government.
Actually - in the Shrek film, the Buckley version is used, but on Shrek’s soundtrack - it’s the Wainwright one.
Wierd. And annoying. I prefer Wainwrights, but most versions of this song are nice.
This reminds me - can anyone tell me which was the WW episode where they played “Brothers in Arms”?
Sparrow it was The Two Cathedrals
No kidding? I wondered why they sounded different… I also prefer Wainwright’s version.
That’s the one with Mrs. Landingham’s funeral where at the end he announces he’ll run for a second term (or maybe it’s just implied), right? Great episode.
Does anyone know who sang or what CD its on: the version of the Schubert Ave Maria that Josh plays in one episode? I’ve DL’d a couple of different ones, which are beautiful, but that singer just seems to really hit the nail on the head
Thanks