What is the most beautiful song ever?

i second Gilberto/Getz

The first song to come into my head when I saw the question was "Cupid de Locke." Turns out I already stated this answer upthread, so I guess my opinion hasn't changed much.

Love Reign O'er Me by The Who
Many have tried to sing this but none come close to Roger.
Here's the lyrics.
------------------------
Only love
Can make it rain
The way the beach is kissed by the sea
Only love
Can make it rain
Like the sweat of lovers
Laying in the fields.

Love, Reign o'er me
Love, Reign o'er me, rain on me

Only love
Can bring the rain
That makes you yearn to the sky
Only love
Can bring the rain
That falls like tears from on high

Love Reign O'er me

On the dry and dusty road
The nights we spend apart alone
I need to get back home to cool cool rain
I can't sleep and I lay and I think
The night is hot and black as ink
Oh God, I need a drink of cool cool rain

My completely arbitrary of the top of my head submissions:

Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus: Fleurette Africaine
Yo La Tengo: Ballad of the Red Buckets
Ashra: Sunrain
Leonard Cohen: Suzanne
Sade: Love is stronger than pride
something by Stars of the Lid

Rhythm & Sound - Smile

All of Talk Talk's later stuff is deserving, but "Inheritance" particularly stands out.

stardust performed by nat king cole, or lakmé performed by just about anyone

and yea 'suzanne' up there too.

possible spin off thread: most beautifully sung song title

stardust, then

Rasputin

The Lilys - "Eskimo"

that eyvind kang song is amazing. I vote also for "Do You Realize???", Flaming Lips, and "That's the Way", Led Zeppelin

and of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5H7MvT1HVU

Beach Boys- In the Back of My Mind

For a new nomination from a reoccuring band.

― Cunga (Cunga), Saturday, February 26, 2005 5:45 AM (5 years ago)

Wow, five years ago to the day...

and it's a nice song but way off, brah.

Ok. What is the most beautiful ALBUM ever? Of course, we probably all define this differently but hey whatever man...I'm just drinking a little wine and watching the rain.

don't mean to snub you, but i spent all day listening to the ethel waters and ella fitzgerald versions of "miss otis regrets" and that is absolutely without a doubt the most beautiful song ever.

Nah it's cool, I mean yeah...first and foremost this thread is for individual tunes. Just curious, what's theeee most beautiful record as a whole?

Dark globe-Syd barrett

beauty=truth

the waters of march

midnight train to georgia and rainy dayz are also pretty nice

lately I'm digging on this song
(not the most beautiful song ever but this thread has gotten to the point where we post the most beautiful songs of the moment)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMVlggVeGuk

this one gives me chills every time, I've actually had to shut it off mid-song...his music is usually pretty but this is just eerie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rk7c3Dz-u4

spider & i -- eno

when my friends wrote this we called it "the money song' because it was so pretty. it did not result it any money, itself. but it is still pretty. I gave it the final name.

charles atlas: antiphon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Wi4rfHwog&feature=related

Most beautiful song of all time:

Claude Debussy - Clair de Lune

Current favorite:

Ben Watt - Some Things Don't Matter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwpiFg8Oc6o

http://youtube/crkXA_aZvdk

Mark Hollis - The Colour of Spring

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crkXA_aZvdk

Mark Hollis - The Colour of Spring

Actually forget about Ben Watt. This is my current favorite: Wulu Bunun & David Darling - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lAI5QFXEFM

The Moon's a Harsh Mistress - Jimmy Webb

Scott Walker - Montague Terrace (in blue)

Wulu Bunun & David Darling - Lugu Lugu Kan-Ibi

love that record. i don't think it'd be my #1, but one of the song of the -- pieces on there (lots of Ms in the title, blanking on the name) is mindblowing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIPfKi6IHTQ

honestly think it's this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDR4-VJxMx4

Ben Watt - Some Things Don't Matter

I'll see that and raise you

Everything but the Girl - The Night I Heard Caruso Sing

Big Star, "Blue Moon."

Probably "I Only Have Eyes For You" for me as well, but a bunch of other good ones here not mentioned (for those making mixes etc.):

Kraftwerk "Tanzmusik"—All-time favorite Kraftwerk song, could listen to it forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5M5sV-IWQlE

Grateful Dead "Stella Blue"—Big reason you should not hate Jerry Garcia, or the Dead
Low/Springheel Jack "Bombscare"
Sea and Cake "Parasol"
Lambchop "The Book I Haven't Read"—Maybe sentimental favorite
Mayo Thompson "Dear Betty Baby"
Robert Wyatt "Just As You Are"
Led Zeppelin "Ten Years Gone"—In remembrance of my sappy 13-year-old self

Til Tuesday - "Coming Up Close"

"Ten Years Gone" is totally justifiable, grandavis! Most of my candidates have been covered somewhere on-thread, but my for-serious choice hasn't: Mahalia Jackson and Duke Ellington, "Come Sunday" from Black, Brown, and Beige. The wordless part at the end...oh, man.

Probably "I Only Have Eyes For You" for me as well, but a bunch of other good ones here not mentioned (for those making mixes etc.):

Ugh...that one gives me the creeps every time I hear it. No idea why but it has such a surreal atmosphere to it. I find it hard to listen to because it's so emotionally powerful.

It is creepy, as well as almost so clinically pretty that it is overwhelming. I eat it up though, just so good.

Well, not most beautiful ever, but on that "clinically pretty and creepy" angle, I always think of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNgo-ppXZt0&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mecNrIaWOA

Oh, and a bunch of Innocence Mission songs make it to misty-eyes-from-beauty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr25sF18DZY

I was looking for the original, but this cover is not bad at all!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXxlQ1rPu8U&playnext=1&list=PLA7E5C0549FD17B49

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYDrkG2EGwg

Hello [on a cellphone], greetings, it's me, an outlaw,
I ask you, my love, to accept happiness.
Hello, hello, it's me, Picasso,
I sent you a beep [cellphone signal], and I'm brave [or strong],
But you should know that I'm not asking for anything from you.

You want to leave but you don't want don't want to take me, don't want don't want to take me, don't want don't want don't want to take me.
Your face and the love from the linden trees,
And I remember your eyes.

I call you [over the phone], to tell you what I feel right now,
Hello, my love, it's me, your happiness.
Hello, hello, it's me again, Picasso,
I sent you a beep [cellphone signal] and I'm brave [or strong],
But you should know that I'm not asking for anything from you.

― Steve Shasta, Friday, July 20, 2007 12:26 PM (3 years ago)

Pretty Things - "Parachute"

June Tabor - And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Arvo Part - Spiegel Im Spiegel
Morita Doji - Our Failure
Singers & Players - Moses
Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21: II Andante
Leonard Cohen - The Partisan
Massive Attack - Black Milk
Kelan Phil Cohran and Legacy - White Nile (obscure, but jawdroppingly beautiful)
Michel Moulinie - Lente Course
Sarah Gorby - Moyde Ani
Ewan MacColl - Sweet Thames Flow Softly (an idiosyncratic choice perhaps)

Arvo Part - Spiegel Im Spiegel

Great choice. Would add Brian Eno's "An Ascent" too.