Other than Judy Garland's

[Sakrysta]

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole!

Wow, I was fast enough to be first to say that.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole FTW.

Such a beautiful rendition and it's just so hard to not forget your troubles and crack at least a tiny, little smile every time you hear it.

I'd never heard this until it was mentioned here. I find his disregard for the way the lyrics actually go too distracting to enjoy his rendition. I'll admit, the music, his voice, the arrangement/coupling with "What a Wonderful World" are all lovely, but while "butchered" is too strong a word for what happens to the lyrics of both songs, they're perhaps "tangled" too much for me to enjoy it.

 

[shivkala]

It' just a personal choice, but I prefer when an artist puts their own "stamp" on a song they are covering. If it sounds just like the original, what was the point? To me, it's not a disregard for the lyrics, it's taking them and making them fit with his style.

 

[Sakrysta]

I don't mind personalizing a song, doing it in your own style. It's just his personalization doesn't appeal to me. It's like he doesn't know the words very well, and just sings what comes into his head that he does remember. Kind of like how a six-year-old would sing it, repeating the same phrases over and over again because he can't remember the rest of the words.

 

[Smiley]

Martina McBride's version on her Martina CD is one of the best I've heard.

 

[J.T.B.]

Mandy Patinkin did a nice Irish tenor-style version, including the intro, on the old Letterman show.

--Justin

 

[CaptJimboJones]

None, really, I tend to despise the song generally.

I also hate the movie that the song came from, which ruined the story by making Dorothy's visit to Oz "just a dream." In the original series of novels, Oz was a very real place, and the stories were far more interesting than the cloying, sentimental claptrap of the 1939 film.

 

[rac76]

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole!

Wow, I was fast enough to be first to say that.

I agree with this choice. This is a beautiful version of the song. Plus I think of the episode of ER in which it was used with Dr. Greene.

 

[SchwEnt]

Oh for God's sake...
JANE MONHEIT!!!

 

[acappellasaurus]

Jason Mraz