Added: 5 years ago
From: tnurn
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  • What song is this?

  • First time I watched this episode=tears.

  • I write this the day after the state of the union. I wish this president spoke like that.

  • "Where did you write that last part?..."

    "...in the car."

    "...Freak."

    perfect. XD

  • This episode sticks out for many reasons, this speech and that haunting song and its actual origins give me cills. If you don't know the meaning behind the song do a search for it.

  • anyone know who actually wrote this? was it sorkin or another writer?

  • @jairus i know the "streets of heaven" bit is taken from a Tom Hanks acceptance speech for Philadelphia

  • @jairus no way it was anyone but Sorkin. It's his style through and through.

  • I just heard the story of a 13 year-old Australian boy named Jordan Rice who ended up being trapped by a flash flood with his mother and 10 year old brother almost a year ago. He was petrified of water, but when rescuers arrived and reach Jordan first, he insisted they save his brother first. So, they did. But Jordan (along with his mother) was swept away before he could be rescued.  He gave his life so that his little brother could live. "The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels."

  • chills...every time

  • FREAK.

  • "The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels."

    Everybody, please watch Tom Hanks' Oscar acceptance speech!

    Great men speak alike.

  • @justforlescomments yes that was one the best speeches I have ever heard in my life

  • holy SHIT

  • 15 people like Mondays.

  • Goddammit. Why can't televison today give me chills like this stuff does?

  • I love this video and Martin Sheen's delivery of that speech is impeccable, but I have a question - Does anyone know the origin of the line "streets of heaven are too crowed with angels tonight". I first heard it on Tom Hanks Oscar speech and I was wondering if that wonderful line came from the beautiful mind of Tom Hanks himself, because i can't seem to find any other source. Enlighten me please if you know differently!

  • I've lost count of the number of times I've watched this. It's one of the most wonderfully written and delivered speeches I've ever heard and watching it on September 11th is all the more poignant. I strive to use language one tenth as well as this.

  • These words are eerily appropriate for the anniversary of September 11, 2001. Let us not forget those who ran into the fire, into the cockpit, and into a building to save the lives of strangers.

  • This is one of my favorite West Wing moments. Just mindblowingly beautiful, chills every single time & then like every scene in the show perfectly balanced out & rounded off with Bruno's fun comment to Sam. A crescendo in my joint favorite episode. Not that I'm obsessed or anything.

  • if he were to run for president of the US i would vote for him...dam i'm not from the right country but i'll get that citzenship to vote for him! one of the great moments of tv this is...

  • Brings me to tears every goddamn time I hear it. The West Wing is just the best television ever.

  • Sam was a genius. This is probably the best speech Barlet delivered on the show.

  • one of the best moments on TV...

  • I remember watching this live and literally thinking, "why couldn't he be our President?"

  • Sorkin is the best writer in Hollywood PERIOD

  • If this is your umpteenth time watching this like myself, go to sporcle.com and search West Wing Speech to do the quiz on it.

    You have to quote the entire speech and it reveals any/all the words in the dialogue as you type them. Keep an eye out for onlookers though, as some may call you obsessed

  • "Freak"

  • So appropriate tonight. August 6, 2011.

  • The Streets of heaven are crowded with Norweigian Heroes tonight

  • @Martinmh They are filled with Norwegian angels

  • what is the name of the song?

  • @fluffypenguin7 I don't like Mondays

  • @fakta15 thanks!

  • great speech but get rid of the music

  • @starlitejym522 the music is in the episode.... kinda hard to remove it without a reshoot

  • @starlitejym522 It was in the episode.

  • His rhetorical style was stolen from John Kennedy.

  • @PhiloAmericana not stolen based on . you cant steal a personality. the character was based on the composite nature of kennedy, carter and FDR

  • @cyberangelo456 He wasn't based on Carter....Kennedy and FDR....if he was based on Carter, it would of been off the air in no time.

  • @jpizzle1223 he was based on carter's idealisim but he also had kennedys oratorical abilities and FDR's political acumen thats why he was (fictionaly) sucessfull unlike carter he was abile to use his political knowledge to maintain control of the party and using his oratry skills to sway the people to his ideals. just watch the video again and tell me you dont see that at work.

  • Damn he is such a great speaker! Why didn't he run for the real presidency ?

  • fuck thats good television!

  • I watch this clip every time I feel down.

  • Every time we think we've measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless.

    <3 <3 <3 Love. Love. Love this show.

  • 8 people were killed as 4+4 = 8 and Aaron Sorkin is a liberal Democrat. How did President Obama and sadly Secretary Hillary Clinton is no longer a hero or effective in her job. If Secretaries are advertising as Palin was going to be advertising why not appoint Secretary Locke as the next U.S. Secretary of State. It is obvious as Secretary Clinton needs her own Asst. Secretary for Intelligence that she has her own people or Karen Hughes people working "for" her.

  • Goosebumps. Why can't our leaders paint this kind of vision for us?

  • @jackoshadow

    One did...his name was Ronald Reagan.

  • Too bad obama is not Jed Bartlet...

  • @suenos82....no kidding. At this point I'd even take him being Matt Santos...

  • @suenos82 None of the recent US presidents are like Jed and that is a pity

  • someone needs to step up and become bartlet

  • And to think Bush the Lesser's response to 9/11 was "Go shopping."

    This is what an American presidency SHOULD be like.

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  • how did this video get 14 dislikes, it the single greatest televison clip

  • this is clearly the west wing's response to 9/11 (slightly delayed, though it was, and understandably so)

  • @SatyaVenugopal...no, The West Wing's response to Sept. 11 was a one-off episode entitled "Isaac and Ishmael"...it's really good, actually.

  • This episode would be one hell of a lot better response than Isaac and Ishmael..Isaac and Ishmael was a little lame.

  • @CubsinNY...yeah I wasn't much on it either...although I did like the analogy Josh made to the Middle Eastern terrorists and the KKK. *That* was spot on.

  • @CubsinNY Isaac and Ishmael was more designed to be a sort of pause to consider. It would have been easy to write an episode like this that was very emotive and you can tell the 9/11 influence in it, but Isaac and Ishmael was there to explain who exactly these terrorists were and how not all of the middle east is out to get the west like how it seemed to be spun at the time.

  • Bartlet for America.

  • Had Kennedy lived in a different time and had a full life, this, I think would have been what his presidency would have been like. I think thats why I liked this show so much.

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  • came to this clip because of japan

  • Of course, original credit must be given to Tom Hanks in his Oscar speech for "Philadelphia", saying... "the streets of heaven are too crowded with angels...", referring to AIDS victims.

  • The events in Japan today made me think of this clip

  • 0:49 "Ran INTO the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight." my favorite moment of The West Wing. <3

  • @CommentorX...just because someone doesn't believe in god doesn't make him annoying rather the intolerance always projected by so-called religious people is most annoying!!! If there is a god, I hope he slaps you up side the head with a bible...

  • lol "where did u write that last part?

    -in the car

    - Freak"

  • The President really should employ Aaron Sorkin in real life. He wrote better speeches for Jed Bartlet than any real life political leader has ever given. Never ceases to amaze me that a fictional show does a better job than the real White House speech-writing staff.

  • @lanebarnaby

    No. What they need to do is brainwash Martin Sheen to think he is Jed Bartlett, then make him run for President.

  • @lanebarnaby The circumstances under which they write are not comparable. Real presidents have to give much longer speeches. Real presidents don't get dramatic background music, lighting, and camera angles. Real presidents aren't Martin Sheen.

  • 14 dislikes? What is wrong with those people?

  • @MarcAmAlb

    they don't like the cover of the song

  • The best scene on TV.

  • Doesnt get much better than this huh folks.

  • Stop praying to a magic wizard in the sky and grow up.

    This will solve more problems we can imagine.

  • @walkingindec45 Grow up and open your mind to the possibility of something greater.

    It may not solve any problems, but it will make you a less annoying person.

  • the song is a cover of "I Don't Like Mondays" sung by Tori Amos.

  • @turtlewings its a tori amos cover for a boomtown rats song

  • this is a time for american heroes and we reach for the stars......wow

  • Aaron Sorkin was writing about 9/11.

    Great writing, great actor, great tv series.

  • "... we will do what is hard."

    Channeling JFK in his voice at that moment.

  • This has to be my favourite speech from The West Wing and there are a few good ones to choose from. 'I don't like Mondays' playing underneath is just genius as well- it adds that extra emotional layer. The best TV show ever made. FACT.

  • Freak !

  • Through eight years of HELL, Josiah Bartlet was my president, and moments like this are why.

  • @Karthos1000 Happy to be your 100th thumbs up :)

  • I don't like mondays....

    (originally by THE BOOMTOWN RATS)

  • chills EVERY time I watch this.

  • My arms are covered in goosebumps right now. This show was simply put, perfect.

  • Just brilliant...

  • Amazing show, amazing episode, amazing moment, amazing speech, amazing song. Is there anything about the West Wing that is not so amazing it transcends the expected boundaries of greatness?

    I want Bartlet to be my president. This show is what catapulted me from loving politics to actively wanting to find a man or woman like Jed Bartlet and put him or her in power, where they can change things and lead people.

  • what song is this????

  • @mkpacini i dont like mondays - Tori Amos

  • Perfect clip for Sept 11. Best tv drama ever.

  • "They ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran IN to the fire." I am always reminded of this scene on Sept. 11...

  • "They ran into the fire." 

  • God dammit, why did this show have to end?!?

  • @agentdarkboote because sorkin left and the writing went down hill. its hard to compete w/ sorkin

  • 13 people need to explain themselves...

  • Truly one of the greatest television shows of all time

  • Bruno was a genius and thats possibly the most heart warming speech ive ever heard

  • This is why a love this show. No other shows have this character or the feeling that is felt here. Martin Sheen portrays a president like no other. "This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars". A line I will remember forever.

  • I heard this was inspired by Tom Hanks' speech when he won an oscar.

  • This is a great speech its almost JFK ish.

  • "when did you write that last part?"

    "in the car."

    "freak."

    :D

  • I've never gone from getting choked up to bursting out in laughter so quickly. "Freak." XD

  • This speech actually made me cry. So good that you can cry and laugh in a space on about 30 seconds in this programme. Love Bruno's comment at the end!

  • Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant. This clip renews my faith in human nature.

    Well done to the West Wing team from an Aussie!!!

  • "Ran into the fire".... enuf said!!!!

  • @Tequliawo "enuf" ( sic ) ....ugh!

  • "when after having heard the explosion from their practice facility they ran into the fire to help get people out... ran into the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless."

  • "Freak".

    Love it.

  • One of the things I realize watching this is that Barlet hooked his earlier speech in Indiana to the farmers ("reaching for the stars") into this one. You don't hear the entire speech at this dinner best I recall.

  • does anyoen have the text for the speech?

  • Fine speech

  • You all do know that Josiah Bartlett really was the New Hampsire delegate and really did sign the Declaration of Independence, right??

  • "Into the fire" always gives me goosebummps as well. Theres always that one moment in every episode that just gives you chills

  • There are only 4 words that are important to this clip. "Ran into the fire." Gets me every time.

  • "When did you right that last part?"

    "In the car."

    "Freak."

    one of the best lines of the entire series

  • Agreed. Though it sounds like:

    "When did he write that last part?" Meaning the president added the last bit not Sam.

  • YES! it is!

  • Simly the best programme ever to hit our television screens.

  • BRB, shaking and crying...

  • I have watched this series so many times, and this clip countless more times and i still get choked up. Just amazing. !

  • Freak! Love it!

  • "A hero would die for his country, but he'd much rather live for it"

    -another great quote from Bartlet in West Wing series

  • Damn, I'm not even American, in fact, I dislike (not hate, since I'm not actively out to destroy it) the old US of A...

    Yet this speech makes me want to go skipping across the great big pond. Damn it, why can't we get any proud rhetoric like this from Sweden?

    ...

    Oh yeah, our national pride was crippled after playing footsies with the Nazis during WWII. Yet another thing those bastards have to account for.

  • By far my favorite scene from West Wing....

  • I was in this episode. It was awesome to be a part of it.

  • what a speech..one of my favorite west wing scenes.

  • hey who knows the song to this?

  • It's a version of "I don't like mondays"

  • performed by Tori Amos

  • i don't like mondays

  • "We did not seek, nor did we provoke, a confrontation with evil."

    God, I wish I could write like that. This is one of the best endings to an episode ever on tv!

  • I get chills and choke up everytime I hear this ! I love this speech so much !. I love this show !

  • That's what great writing and great acting is suppose to do :)

  • This is one of the most fundamental and heartfelt speeches I have ever had the honour to hear, it always brings tears to my eyes. It is just my sincere hope, that one day a world leader will emerge, with the same compassion, intellect and panache that Martin Sheens character shows, be they, American, British or whomever. My heartfelt congratulations, on a marvellous show, that was the West Wing, may it continue to live on, as an example for generations to come! AJB

  • @08EA009 I was looking for the longer clip of that speech. Incredible writing and incredible delivery by an incredible actor.

  • @faceprecious this is the whole clip of the speech from the show. definitely an amazing one!

  • @08EA009

    Ditto, I miss this show.

  • That was for winkyMcGee....in case there's any confusion. :-)

  • Now that was a speech. We haven't had a President who could give a great speech since JFK.

  • Really? The current one can't give a good speech?

  • Maybe that's all he can give......? But hey, not my place to comment....even tho i just did. oops

  • This is actually only part of maybe the most amazing last five minutes of any episode of the show, except maybe "Shibboleth." The subsequent scene where Mallory comes to Sam's office, looking amazing - his speech in that scene might be the best thing Rob Lowe's ever done as an actor. And yes, I miss Ron Silver, too.

  • Ron Silver's character Bruno whatever was good when he led the re-election campaign for the president, but when he led Vinick's campaign, he became the biggest back-stabber on record.

  • Perfection.....I've watched this dozens of times, and don't get tired of it.

  • This is from the episode 20 Hours in America Part II. It was the premiere of Season 4 of The West Wing. The end of the 4th Season is Zoey's kidnapping. Also, there were only 7 seasons of The West Wing.

  • Wasn''t this the third season. I saw where someone said the fourth. But with Bruno and and all and running for reelection. I thought it was the third season as 4th - 8th dealt with the seond term. Isn't the end of the third season Zoey's kidnapping, which was after the reelection. From the speech and all I think it is the third shortly after 9/11.

  • Nope, fourth season. 2nd episode of a two parter. 20 hours in America.

  • sorry, 1st episode of the two parter

  • I love Bruno and Sam at the end.

    And this segment never fails to bring a tear to my eye.