Added: 5 years ago
From: valentinalover
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  • Great song, especially  in the movie "Trade"

  • it's pronounced ag-nuss day-ee, DUH..

  • So the 'gn' is as in 'magnanimous'? I heard it as 'n(i)...'; that would be n-tilde, though, right? For some reason, I thought it was pronounced as something else...

  • I wish Jeff Buckley recorded this...

    I would have loved to hear his voice grace this tribute to the Lamb of God.

    :)

  • Fabulous!

  • Is that latin ? LOL Pathetic.

  • I love him! Beautiful song! :)

  • I think his rendition is absoloutely irreverent.

  • LOUCO!

  • @jillianclz in LATIN gn is pronounced ny its simple latin 101.. Thank you.

  • @WestSideBigDeal

    in Latin - as well as in Italian - "gn" is almost always pronounced... a way that non-Italians cannot pronounce. Mr Wainwright is not Italian (not to say Latin, lol), and this comes out pretty clearly from his pronunciation of "agnus".

    Nonetheless, his interpretation is superb, imho.

  • @WestSideBigDeal GN NEVER is pronounced like "ny" in Latin. That's in Italian and Italian and Latin are NOT the same. I'm Spanish and I know Latin quite well (more than 101) and Agnus Dei is not pronounced like "Anyus dei". Agnus-Agni (which means "lamb") is simply pronounced as you read it: A-G-N-U-S D-E-I

    Magna Roma, for example, is not "Manya Roma". That's absurd. It's MAGNA.

  • @QQBB22 Depends on what type of Latin is being spoken. I'm thinking this song uses Ecclesiastical Latin as apposed to Classical Latin. Ecclesiastical Latin refers to the pronunciation and usages of Latin by the Catholic Church. And "Lamb of God" seems like it fits this mold. If this is true, and the song uses Ecclesiastical Latin, then the "gn" would be pronounced like "ny" - just like they do in Italian. I could be wrong though, as I am neither religious, nor do I know much about Latin.

  • I want to see Rufus at Central Park. ):

  • @Kagomehigarashi123 again - get over yourself. no one really cares how it is pronounced. people only care about how they feel when they hear it.. tell your parents who wasted their money on your rediculous education that they should have spent it on some weed so you you could actually FEEL something.

  • @Kagomehigarashi123 again - get over yourself

  • He pronouced agnus wrong.. you dont say the g... sorry im a vocal major and that is one thing they pound in our heads.. it sounds great.. but the diction was off.

  • @WestSideBigDeal seriously? cant you just accept the basic aspict of it vocal major? relax - you are NOT that important.

  • @WestSideBigDeal honey you need to relax and accept some things as they are. you will be a far happier person. you might be a vocal major, but you are not so important that you cant accept some happiness in your life. when you have sold out as many concerts as he has, or struck even one nerve as he has " vocal major" (the sound of it is just rediculous) then you can critique his performance. unitl then i suggest you shut your " vocal major hole" and learn to listen and learn.

  • @WestSideBigDeal ...agnus dei is latin...so of course you say it with 'g' ... you don't say anus dei or? XD

  • @WestSideBigDeal

    YOU don't say the g, becuase your teacher did not teach u. change teacher.

  • anybody know the chords to this?

  • American history = american mass. Comic.

  • Awesome singing! @oohyllab you can find a lot of singing styles/music compositions like this or even complex, in Indian classical music.

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  • soberbo...

  • Why are people even bringing up his sexual preference? I don't care if he's gay, a hobbit, a goblin or a unicorn, I like his voice and this song is just unbelievably amazing. Truly a great artist.

  • SIMPLY AMAAAZZZING! WHAT MORE CAN BE SAID?.......... WE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE RUFUS WAINWRIGHT! HE IS JUST A WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING. ;)

  • I love the song, don't get me wrong, but I'd love to hear it from a classicaly trained voice. Watching and hearing him sing is almost painful.

  • @Gandaleon i believe that is the point.

  • Don't know why but this does somthing 4 me. Strange, I like it..! It does sound like a man crying out 2 his GOD. Love it. I'm glad I ran into it. Any 1 have history on this guy? PAX MrMichael 446

  • I like Wainwright . . . but his voice really doesn't suit this song!

  • Amazing brilliance. Brilliant writing. Amazing performance.

  • Funny, I'm straight & have taken some time trying to come to terms with my various reactions to &feelings about gayness, in the interest of fairness & general benevolence (who wants to be a bigot? But it's off-putting to see your own sex as potential love/sex objects instead of fraternal companions) - still, RW elicits in me a feeling of big-brotherhood, as if he were a kid brother who's a real mama's boy, but sweet & vulnerable & adorable & talented - I'm proud of him, protective even - ha!

  • @SupernalOne what in gods name does his sexuality have to do with it?

    if you liked it - fine. if you didnt - fine

  • @bbear39

    What'd I say? - oh, well, I dunno, people's gender and sexuality often inflects their choice of material, songwriting, interpretation, delivery - like hetero men don't like Jane Austen as much as hetero women - sometimes it's predictable or noticeable - not to judge at all, vivre la difference, all the way around -

  • Lareeseknife = moron.

  • @TheLoneTourist don't worry, people that takes time to say something stupid 'bout a great artist, is because he has a definitely boring life and nothing better to do, doesn't take too many brains to get to that conclusion.

    Rufus is AN artist in the whole sense of the word, so let just pretend there doesn't exist people that stupid

  • @lareeseknife Maybe it's because he's gay and hot and fabulous! Are we a bit jealous? Not being recognized for our genius??

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  • omg flawless

  • Perfection at it's finest!

  • @vjnweb

    AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH­AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa­aa wait were you serious? AHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHHAHAHAHHHAHAHA­AHAHHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

    You fools, put so much weight on hate...the same weight rests on love or none at all.

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  • if Muse covers this song it would just be orgasmic!!!!

  • @darkelputo no way! Don't get me wrong, I like Muse (before The Resistance, that is), but there's no way Matt's voice could ever match Rufus's.

  • we sang this at choir festival and we won it was a great songg

  • I love this man....omg stellar...

  • REACT

    Pen is position opinion (RANK)

  • Cant describe how I feel...

    He is unbelievable...

  • Wow. Simply superb. This is one of my favorite Rufus songs. So powerful, so emotional. He's like a dying man crying out to his God. Rufus is simply amazing.

  • Sexy AND talented... how rare to find in a man....

  • AND gay ... :p

  • ce ou materii on  alle an the pom ou de saim neag!

  • Ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation is much more beautiful.

  • The pronunciation of would depend on which you want to use. Agnus Dei is a church (ecclesiastical) Latin phrase. Therefore the correct ecclesiastical Latin pronunciation would be On-yous dayee. If you were to pronounce it using classical Latin pronunciation (think Cicero, etc.) then it would be Og-noose Deh' ee.

  • Curse my grandmother for beating very correct and proper Latin into my head - I thought AGH-noos was the accurate pronouncation. Then again, I'm not listening for exact anything other than what I like.

  • You can't count this because there aren't any pulse. It called rubato.

  • It's not rubato. It's just irregular time. Rubato is stretching the tempo - he isn't doing that. Listen to the piano.

  • I'm a dancer and I have a heard time counting this and I was wondering if anyone can help me out. I love the album version of this song and I am thinking of using it for a piece... and i agree this isn't the best from Rufus

  • Listen to the soundtrack version from Traffic

  • Did you mean Trade? I just saw that this week and that's how I happened to be looking for this song.

  • This is his best song.

  • How so?

  • holy shit, rufus is blessed

  • The quibbling over his pronunciation is not without merit (it should be, more or less, "AH-nyoo(s)" -- but anyone who's listening to this for a Latin lesson is missing the point anyway. I prefer to dwell on the sublime composition: the key change is one of my favorite moments in all of Wainwright!!

  • The thing is... AH-nyoos is the Italian way to pronounce Latin, which lends itself more beautifully and musically (it's softer) to singing, but AGH-noos is actually CORRECT from the historic point of view.

  • There is no way to know how the Romans spoke Latin. In Catholic school we pronouned "V" as "V" - in Public School they pronouced "V" as "W". Our Veni, Vidi, Vici was their Weni, Wedi, Wici. Who can say for sure. I pronouce Agnus as "On youz."

  • @NancySansone Oh, is that so? I've been studying latin a year or so ago, and the only thing, which was different - the pronunciation of consonant "c" - in classic version it was pronounced as [k] and in vulgar - [ch]. We've been taught to reed at first "vulgarly" and then "classically"... And we've been reading V as [V] without and doubts=)

  • Couldn't agree more. You can feel the entire piece building towards something, and when the pay-off hits, it is awesome.

  • Lamb Of God

    Lamb of God

    You who take away the sins of the world

    Lamb of God

    You who take away the sins of the world

    Give Us Peace

    Give Us Peace

    Peace

    Give Us Peace.

  • Don't ya think they TALK to experts before they sing/write/say something?

    Just asking.

  • Cordeiro de Deus que tirai os pecados do mundo tende piedade de nós

  • who cares if he doesn't pronounce it perfectly? its art. he's expressing himself and i think he's doing an incredible job.

  • Every celebrate!!! It's ANUS DAY!!!! :D

  • since i always get bothered (rightly imho) that i need a perfect english pron. when i sing in english, i would have loved this guy to have a perfect latin pron. even if latin has some sounds that english doesnt have. Agnus is not pron. like that. the "gn" is more like the phonetic in "siGN" that in "preGNant"

  • so youre saying its pronounced "anus dei??"

  • the GN sound in Italian and Latin is not the GN english ppl use. Have a hear at requiem's Agnus Dei, you will realize. And anyway it's closer to that pronunciation, so don't laugh too much

  • This is a very haunting, deeply spiritual piece of music. Absolutely wonderful

  • i'm very impressed with ur latin skills Valentinalover.

  • wonderful voice and a sad song.god after i saw the movie trade its so sad about people who a sex slaves,its so sad

  • 1 cannot hear it completely well, but it is very good

  • It's harsh, and ugly, and perfect. In my church, we only chant Agnus Dei in Latin during the Easter season; it's a haunting prayer for dark times. I totally understand what he was trying to do with this song, and he did excellently.

  • He is just wonderful, can't to see what he does in the future. A talent that reminds me alot of Freddy Mercury and I hope Rufus's career spans a much longer time than Freddy's did. They would have been wonderful composing together!!! The thought of that to me is Awesome. peace

  • I LOVE this guy!!! ^_^

  • What a stud behind those keys!

  • Awesome voice. Good performance. Not quite as stunning as the album version, but still quite haunting. (:

  • This is a difficult song to do. I don't know if anyone else could pull this off frankly. I love it.

  • dear "ladytron", you know nothing about music

  • Love it, I saw the movie last night and love this song, so if you don´t like it change channel

  • oh what he's triing???

    Singing? Horrible

  • Wow. This is horrible. He looks like a cow giving birth and I can't understand a word he's saying, the accent is horrific. He should try opening his mouth -- you know... sing? This moaning should be reserved for a gravesite.

  • You would only understand it if you knew latin .... the language has been dead for hundreds of years. .. I heard this on a repeat of "Without a Trace' the other night ... and it was used as a kind of lament, it was perfect.

  • I agree...heard the song on the same TV show....It was perfect!

  • Translation:

    Oh lamb of God......Lamb of God..the one who takes upon him self the sin of the world... give us peace..give us peace

  • Bad accent? So maybe he should have been trained by a native speaker?? I agree though, this is not a good performance of what I think is a wonderful song.

  • Good message, lousy pronunciation! Also, his style is terrible. Long on facial expression, but very weak on vocal expression -- essential to a SONG!

    Sorry Rufus. Please learn to pronounce the language before you use it in a public venue.

  • have you ever played in central park? if not then please shut up. needs vocal coaching a nobydy telling a singer how to sing? LOL! incredible..

  • Don't tell me to shut up, you pompus boor! I've been a professional musician longer than you've been alive. I've studied 5 languages other than my native English. That includes classical, scientific, and church Latin. The pronunciation of "Agnus" is never done this way in music. I also play pop and rock, but think his voice is coarse and strained. Just to be fair, I listened to this again, but still feel he should use a more traditional pronounciation of Agnus and a less Dylanesque vocal style.

  • Way to suck your own d1ck

  • Perhaps you are right. I let that guy get to me. It's art and maybe I just need to let things lie they way they are.

    I agree with Vegetth87 about the pronunciation of *Agnus,* however.

  • Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't "classical, scientific and church Latin" VERY similar languages? In which case you really only speak 3 languages. Impressive, but not nearly the same as 5.

    Again, correct me if I'm wrong, but I personally view speaking 3 "different" languages similar to saying that you speak Quebecois as well as Parisien French, and therefore speak 2 different languages.

  • English, Latin, Spanish, Biblical Hebrew, Biblical Greek, Japanese, Tagalog. O, sorry, *SEVEN* languages. (Counting my native English, which I got for free.)

  • and youre calling him pompous!?

    you must be like the cooolest guy ever right?

  • Of course!  I'm a legend in my own mind!

    ~8-p

    =)

  • No, I haven't sung in CP, but I've played there. Also, all over the US, Japan, The Philippines, and Korea. Nobody, indeed! Perhaps YOU should watch your tone around people you don't know!

  • Am I the only one who doesn't think this completely sucks? watch the trailer for TRADE and it will change your mind about this song. I enjoy hearing the bellowing once and awhile I admit this is not the best performance

  • I like it, some people can only see a performance done to their specific liking or else they think it is terrible. I just happen to like rufus's voice

  • same here sister friend

  • What a dull, moaning mess. What is this supposed to be? Yikes. Glad I didn't buy the album. I've heard people moan like this when they get hit by a bus.

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  • That does not sound good. His accent taints the beauty of the song.

  • is this a joke

  • Excuse me I've seem to have forgotten my name or where I am because the part of my mind that holds that information has been officially blown...holy peter, paul and mary that was amazing

  • i watch this with my mouth open and wonder how a person can be so talented. love this genius.

  • This 1st song on Want Two is absolutely mesmorizing. Rufus doesn't start singing the benediction for a full one and a half minutes. We are treated to an unbelievably beautiful arrangement. Sheer genius and by the five minute mark it is truly a religious experience. This young man's work keeps this old lady at her computer with her headset on--the only way to really hear his genius. Treat yourself to all of his recordings! This venue is for sampling...

  • its just the way he sings it. listen to it on his cd, just beautiful

  • I like everything but the part where he sounds like he's sneezing. "Ahhhhhh-chew! Aaahhhh-chew!"

    To his credit this is the only one of his tons of performances that I don't like/love.

  • lol

  • Like, honestly, whoever Michael Smith was, he was NOT doing a "version" of Rufus' "Agnus Dei." They are two completely different songs. Smith's version is a corny gospel song.

  • I checked M. Smith, you were very right about his thing being corny...

  • "abysmal"

  • beautiful

  • It's cool to me that he simply did this. Bravo for experimentation.

  • That´s really .... great....!

  • Just remember that first of all this is not meant to be played on piano, but rather by various strings. It is also outdoors, and has no hope of approaching the hauntingly beautiful quality you can get from a studio. Listen to the CD recording before you make a judgement on a truly innovative songwriter.

  • Penetrating, self-congratulatory, nasal tones, as he does.

  • Any artist has the right to cover the work of another artist and put his or her own spin on it, making it "their own." Whether the end is result is a triumph or abomination is completely subjective. And as far as the Christianity aspect of this particular piece goes . . . who gives a fuck. I'd like to see any of you dissenters post your own cover, superior to that of Mr. Wainwright here. Please do.

  • This is so neat. And poop on all of you who don't enjoy it *POOOOP*

  • Don't get me wrong, I like Rufus...but this...this is just too weird. Rufus singing Agnus Dei is like Jimi Hendrix performing nursery rhymes.

  • jesus wep't,,,i think they crucified the wrong guy

  • lmao

  • why are you posting multiple times on a song you don't like? Go listen to AC/DC you idiot and keep your mouth shut when you are listening to music that is way over your head.

  • I don't believe you understand the point of Jesus' death and rising then.

  • Everybody dies.Old stories to.

  • this song is so powerful. his voice is amazing, and his skills with the piano is stunning.

  • Latin:

    Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

    Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

    Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

    Svenska:

    O, Guds Lamm, som borttager världens synder, förbarma Dig över oss.

    O, Guds Lamm, som borttager världens synder, förbarma Dig över oss.

    O, Guds Lamm, som borttager världens synder, giv oss Din frid.

  • I think it was very good. Rufus has a good voice and breaks the mould by singing Agnus Dei, so why shouldn't he sing it? it is his performance, the people want to hear him perform, and that is what he does!

  • the word,,clown, springs to mind....why do popstars think they can sing anything. at least there will never be a worse version i suppose.

  • he isn't a pop star.

    and, he can sing whatever he wants.

  • HORRIBLE!!!

  • I am sure that he is a good singer. But this is not his best choice of song. Listen to Michael W Smith's version. When one attempts to sing a Christian song, it should bring Glory to the most High God. Not just sound good.

  • Look up humanism... You're about 500 years behind the times mate.

  • What in the world are you talking about? Where did I bring up the subject of humanism?

  • you brought it up by assuming "Christian songs" have the sole purpose of bringing Glory to God. Art of any form reflecting on Christianity, its stories and values, has been changed since the Renaissance and the humanist movement. The subject matter hasn't changed, but the personal influence of the individual artist on the art (indicated by artist's beginning to sign their works) has permanently and profoundly affected art. Rufus' "signature" is his flambuoyant brilliance. Get with the times.

  • Sorry, for a second there I thought I was talking to a sane person. My mistake..

  • A very difficult hymn to play before those unfamiliar with Middle Eastern-style hymns sung in Latin -- especially those who are ... um ... unfamiliar with the subject-matter of the hymn. Good job, Rufus!

  • amazing voice

  • Agnus Dei is latin for lamb of God for anyone who is wondering

  • Does someone know who's "agnus dei" is it? thanks

  • Cordero de Dios.

    Lamb Of God

  • When Ive visited India, Ive heard daily Islamic call to prayer...Agnus Dei from one of the Polish Catholic churches was something more than only performance...People left the church really touched without any discussion...For me Rufus's Agnus Dei is weak...

  • i likee this. he is a genious!

  • i love this!

  • Why?

  • did he know that agnus has a silent g?

  • in some countries, like Germany and England, the 'g' is pronoucned, as it was in Classical times. Americans adopted the Italian convention of replacing the [g] with a 'glide' ("ah-nyoos" as opposed to "ahg-noos")

  • AMAZING!. DEAR DICKDONNA, thats not whining ..

    he is using the middle easten style to sing a latin piece. its truely great. nice twist dont ya think?(or dont ya get it?) thumbs up to show these muddy eared people thers more to life than J LO!