# What is the most beautiful song you have ever heard? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 25, 2008, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369 "2008-11-25T02:30:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![jtsPimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@jtsPimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtsPimp)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369/141 "2008-11-29T15:25:47Z")
jeff buckley’s cover of [hallelujah](http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AratTMGrHaQ) ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369/142 "2008-11-29T18:14:30Z")
I love lots of Gershwin. But if I had to pick one, it might be the part of the ‘symphonic picture’ arranged by Robert Russell Bennett where it segues into ‘Summertime’, with the melody played on the strings, and then the oboe in the second verse. That arrangement is magnificent, but the music holds up pretty much anyway it’s played. The great singer Todd Duncan, who played Porgy in the original version on stage, described the first time he heard it (Gershwin played it for him on the piano). Duncan said the first part of ‘Porgy’ sounded disjointed, but then, as ‘Summertime’ began, that he “thought (he) was in heaven”. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369/143 "2008-11-29T18:18:14Z")
> [@Stauderhorse](#): > > Sarah McLachlan - [In The Arms Of An Angel](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVbkz_3lO3c) (video) > > It’s so soft and beautiful, almost like a caress from someone who cares about you when you need it most. Always has the ability to take me away. I’ll second that one, since I can’t think of a better one right now! She’s far and away my favorite female singer…well, her and Bjork. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369/144 "2008-11-29T22:32:53Z")
[O mio babbino caro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRuYQ9KRJms&feature=related) from the opera Gianni Schicchi, by Puccini. especially as sung in that link by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369/145 "2008-11-30T03:47:53Z")
“Love is Stronger Than Death” by The The [Matt Johnson], as backed by Johnny Marr, James Eller, D.C. Collard, and Dave Palmer, all crack musicians. It probably helps that I’m a total sucker for Hammond organ and harmonica parts. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369/146 "2008-12-01T16:58:11Z")
In going through with the hiphop links, I figured this would be a better place for this one… K-OS “[Hallelujah]([www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae--CkoohMA&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae--CkoohMA&feature=related) -)” Note: It is NOT the same ‘Hallelujah’ as the Cohen/Buckley song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-beautiful-song-you-have-ever-heard/474369.md?page=7)