Did any of you see kd lang's outstanding performance at the opening game ceremonies?

Is it customary to sing a religious song at the opening ceremonies? Just wondering if you know. I can’t open the video you link without having to download something into my computer.

Actually, it is not a religious song. It is based on a Leonard Cohen poem:

“Hallelujah”

“Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What’s really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don’t even know the name
But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah”

@Simone_De_Beauvoir It isn’t a religious song. Leonard Cohen is the poet laureate of Canada.

And yes, I did see it. She was amazing (though she looked terrible). I rarely like people’s renditions of that song, besides Jeff Buckley’s who in my opinion set the bar for the performance of that song.

@marinelife oh! very cool…I’ll go youtube it, thanks

I heard it. I will acutally see it now.

I never reckoned Hallelujah to be nothing more than a great poet’s sexual come-on to someone.

No, but I just downloaded the song to my IPOD. Very moving song.

Here is the Jeff Buckley version in case you can view this one.

Jeff Buckley covered this song.
I think it’s the best version of it out there.
He’s also my favorite musician, so I might be biased.
Check out his other stuff too. [:

Edit: Oh.. you just beat me to it.

Sure did. It was phenomenal.

it’s a great song and I don’t know, she doesn’t look bad, to me

I always thought they did a religious song at the beginning. I have never rated Kd Lang but that is a good song and I am sure she sang that very well, she does know how to put emotion into her music.

KD was looking a little worse for wear at the opening ceremonies, but, as always, she sounded great. I got to see her in Detroit 10 years ago, and her pipes blew me away.

@marinelife you should check out Hymns of the 49th Parallel (amazon allows you to get a little taste—you can hear a little bit of each song)..

@jmah I made a somewhat tasteless joke about it. I told my wife she was starting to look like an old man. Hee.

@tinyfaery she is. <grins>

It was amazing. I had been getting bored with the ceremony and wandered into the kitchen, and had to come back after hearing that start.

I love her version of The Valley (a Jane Siberry song—Canadian gal).

That’s live, folks. No Brittany Spears lip-syncing bullshit.

Jeff Buckley is easier to look at. K.D. is starting to look like Wayne Newton.

@jmah Great song, thanks!

Another Canadian Siren – Sarah McLachlan. From her first album. Ben’s Song. I’m pretty sure that most of you have heard of her. This is my favorite of hers, though

I dig her pipes, as well.

A pretty good crop of talent over here, your neighbors to the North.

@jmah She was really good too. Even Nelly Furtado sounded decent, and I think she usually sounds like a cat in heat live.

@jmah can you take back avril lavigne?

@jmah I agree, you guys have great talent up there.

One of my favorite songs of all time. Though I like the Jeff Buckley version being the best, I thought she did a great job. Still gave me chills. You might enjoy the Indigo Girls. Give Closer to Fine a listen.

@Likeradar I know what you mean by Nelly, LOL! She’s at her best, though, when she sings Portuguese love songs (seriously). She’s pretty to look at.

I missed most of the Opening Ceremonies and had no idea kd lang sang that song as part of the show. I have loved for years, and she did an excellent rendition of it. I’m glad I’m not the only one to think she looks like an old man.

I don’t have song suggestions but want to thank @marinelife for posting the link!

@marinelife I’m sure that you’ve heard this song before. =).

@Simone_De_Beauvoir Lovely. What’s really weird is that I actually googled that song about ten days ago and have been singing it ever since. Coincidence? I had thought that Mark Knopfler from Dire Straits was the artist singing it in the movie Shrek.
She does look like she might be sick. I thought of kidneys when I looked at her.

@tragiclikebowie we don’t want her. :)

@Trillian The one in Shrek was by a dude named John Cale who was a member of The Velvet Underground.

@jmah Her version of Crying is soooo goooodd.

Canadian Gals (worth mentioning)

Joni Mitchell
Sarah McLauchlan
Diana Krall
kd lang
Jann Arden
Chantal Kreviazuk
For the eponymoushipster because I know that he’s a fan: Anne Murray ;-)

@jmah Don’t forget Alanis Morisette, Celine Dion and Shania Twain! :P

@tragiclikebowie make it stop! ;-)

Don’t want ‘em.

Jann Arden Hanging by a Thread

Video is sad, though..

Well! She was very good. I still like Jeff’s version better, but KD did a very good job, indeed.

I liked that tap-dancing guy best of all, though!

Brandi Carlile, The Story.

Nikki and I saw her in Detroit a month ago. She’s a lesbian artist. What a voice. Let me tell you, there were wolf sweaters and mullets abound at that theatre.

@jmah I LOVE BRANDI CARLILE. That album is beautiful.

@augustlan That was a great song.

@Simone_De_Beauvoir That was one of those weird life coincidences, huh?

@jmah I had never heard kd lang sing Crying. I have trouble not hearing Roy Orbison singing along with her.

@All She looked much better when she appeared on the Today show this morning.

@tragiclikebowie she was SO good. We got to meet her after the show. She was very cool. Dark brown eyes, raspy voice and tight fittin’ jeans. – Hola!! :)

@marinelife when I get home, I’ll have more time and I’ll email you a few more suggestions.

I agree, though, her singing with Roy…wonderful.

@jmah haha, awesome. I saw Ani DiFranco during the summer which was pretty neat, I’d never seen her live before.

Another you might enjoy, is Martha Wainwright (along with her brother Rufus). I’ve also heard some beautiful harmonies with their mom, (the late Kate McGarrigle). I’ll send you some of their music along.

@tragiclikebowie I’m not a big fan of Ani. My girlfriend is, though and got to see her a few times. Another one that blew me away, as well (live performance), was Tori Amos. That woman really (really) gets into her performance..

She’s a beautiful songwriter.

just bought the iPod Shuffle so I can finally get all the stuff I like together

@jmah I like a lot of Ani’s older stuff and I used to be into Tori, never saw her live though. But speaking of women with great voices and such, Eva Cassidy, Alison Krauss. Susan Tedeschi

Gah, Alison Krauss. =) She’s one of my favorites. I haven’t heard of the other two, but, will check them out.

I’m all over the board when it comes to music and, I dig me some bluegrass. This Alison Krauss/Union Station song is awesome.

It was freaking amazing. I love her voice. She is so talented.

That woman could sing Ring around the Rosy and make it sound soulful.
No one occupies a voice like she does hers. It’s more than harmony. It’s a perfect expression of her soul.

If I’d known she was singing, I would have watched more of the opening ceremony! Her Hallelujah has always been my favourite rendition of the song.

@marinelife and all responders with the marvelous links I’ve just begun to open….Thank you for making my evening! I had not watched a single bit of the Olympics or caught any highlights on the news or elsewhere….not because I’m boycotting them, but because, what with the vast amount of incredible music available, I just don’t watch television anymore and very rarely have done so for the last several years (well, Sherry and I occasionally play a three letter DVD through the tube, but that renders it a mere monitor, tho usually with fun results).
Several times here on fluther I have mentioned my love of the late Jeff Buckley’s all too brief work, as well as that by his dad, Tim, who also left us with a catalogue long on quality but short in quantity, both victims of troubled lives and tragic deaths at young ages. I’ve also mentioned being a fan of Leonard Cohen who has graced us (no pun intended with reference to to the title of Jeff’s only studio album) with some truly incredible work.
I’ve also been a fan of k d lang’s for many years. She has an incredibly beautiful voice with a ton and a half of “character” and has provided us with wonderful music, most notably her collaborations with several “greats”, including that late great Traveling Wilbury, Roy Orbison (“Crying”) and the legend Anne Murray (“A Love Song”) to mention just a couple. And she provided one of my all-time favorite songs, “Constant Craving.” I guess you could say I have some familiarity with all these folks.
Others have sung Cohen’s “Hallelujah” over the years, some quite beautifully. But Buckley absolutely fucking nailed that song for all eternity. I can not listen to that man’s angelic voice without consistently being brought to tears. I guess I’ve become an emotional old man. Other songs by other folks also have that affect on me but no other song or singer does it as consistently as Buckley does. And I always know when I put “Grace” on exactly where I’m headed and still forge ahead enthusiastically, albeit with tissue close at hand. I’ve now watched the clip of k d lang three times (twice alone and once with Sherry) and guess what ? Yup, tears were abundant each time. The atmosphere during the song was awesome and k d fucking nailed the song live, in front of thousands at the stadium and millions via the tube. It is a remarkable performance by a remarkable performer. And yes, she has aged, but she was beautiful, as she has always been to me. With a voice like that, how can she be anything less than beautiful?
I played Buckley’s rendition a couple of times after watching k d’s performance and altho the latter was an incredible treat and overall delight that I plan on enjoying many, many more times throughout my life, it is Jeff Buckley’s beautiful voice that seduces and tears at my soul and will carry that tune, for me, for all eternity. There is no equal.
Thanks again @marinelife and fellow jellies. I still have many links to open and enjoy, but don’t worry, I have a fresh box of tissues, here, in my playroom.
See ya….Gary/wtf

@whatthefluther Buckley died too soon. He was brilliant.

@marinelife here you go.

@whatthefluther my favorite kd lang song. Haunting.

@jamah Yes, I found that one last night, and it was just exactly as I heard it in my mind.

@jmah haunting, indeed.

k.d.lang has always been one of my favorite singers. Leonard Cohen has always been one of my favorite poet/lyricists. Put them together and Shaya—Zaam!

So In Love is where she shines if you ask my opinion. Not overly dramatic just pure talent. And check out the duet with Tony Bennet. Truly amazing.

Crap. @marinelife this is my favorite kd lang song. It’s been awhile since I’ve listened and I forgot about this one…

Again, this is live, folks.

I could never sit through an entire concert of her though. I might enjoy her tremendously in a dinner club though. At the same time I could never sit through an entire Metallica concert either.
A concert needs to be an event like Pink Floyd or Fleetwood Mac.

@SeventhSense I didn’t think that I’d be able to either, but, man she put on a good show. We ach bought a few glasses of wine at the auditorium and got to hear the “croonful soul” whilst sipping our vino. Heavenly.

I like Nick Drake, as well. Great chill music.

@jmah
He reminds me of Donovan

@jmah I was obsessed with Nick Drake when I was in high school.

@tragiclikebowie you’re my kinda girl. :)

@jmah <3

@jmah….Don’t even start me on Nick Drake or I will have to unleash Elliot Smith (not to mention that pretty fair film that featured the songs). So there you have it, my favorites: Smith, Buckley and Drake. Incidentally, my fourth favorite thankfully did not die tragically at a young age and is still with us, here (OK, I picked a cover song, but I’d like to point out that Noel Gallagher saw Adams perform the song live and commented that Ryan’s version much better captured the emotion he was trying to convey when he wrote the song {I am not a big Oasis fan, but this song is Gallagher’s finest}).
See ya…Gary/wtf
PS: Here is fun little clip to lighten all this talk of dead singer/songwriters.

@whatthefluther
No comparison to the original. Liam owns this song.
And if you want the easy listening with some serious depth.
What compares to Champagne Supernova
Those boys are brilliant. Pathological but brilliant.

@SeventhSense…..Respectfully, I beg to differ, but to each his own. One thing about music…...everyone is passionate about it, and that is a good thing. See ya….Gary/wtf