Betty Buckley - Meadowlark

[iammadea2]

this woman still has the chops, lets wait to see and hear if these so called singers of now will sound even close to what they sound like now, and that for most part is next to nothing. Betty is what a real singer trully is. True talent can never be faked or distracted from. Don't recal Betty ever needing " stage fillers " i.e like getting half naked, or being vile in some way to detract from the fact that she really was a talentless person.

[ThePhantom135]

It really is incredible to watch a performer having this indescribable joy when they're onstage and sharing it with an audience.

[ivelosthewilltolive]

Wow

[horrorfreek0734]

@gilmancrush I really don't think this version is too fast. It gives the song so much life. Otherwise, it drags on a bit.

[wdavidd1]

I can not stop watching this. Betty's take on the song is so catchy...it stays and stays with me.

[lancetop]

I can't help but remember her as the coach on Carrie, as others have said:) And what I also remember is that as that coach, she delivered two highly memorable FACE SLAPS! First she slaps Carrie in the girl's shower, then she slapped Chris on the playground!

Betty Buckley sure is a great singer too! I wonder if she ever remembers those Carrie face slaps.

[TheJackApple]

She is such a storyteller, amazing quality in her voice

[PeterJRip]

it's Patty's song... she does it ALL better than Betty... just sayin'

[alex4anw]

Great song --and interpretation - 'her voice could match the angels in its glory.'

[Garmct]

No one does this better than she does. Whether it was written for her or not, she owns it now.

[markbob120]

Betty Buckley ia a marvel! She sings with such abandon, such freedom. It is truely a gift unmatched.

[xXstaywithmeXx3]

Her voice is like a good cheese, better with age.

[shelbybird332]

Does anyone have ANY ideas on where to find the sheet music for this? I've been looking EVERYWHERE!

[bwaygirl234]

@shelbybird332 theres a version of it in singer's musical theatre anthology volume 5 (i think) for mezzo-soprano/belters

[tipofmytongue1024]

I was like "Is that Annie Lennox?" haha just kiddin.

[babybearlv]

How could ANYONE not LOVE this song by Betty....fantastic!!! thanks for posting...

[Bufordguy]

This is from her DVD- I highly recommend it.

[broadwayloverny10]

Here is one thing I have noticed about being a fantic of Patti LuPone, get used to her voice and start loving, its hard to listen to this. At certain parts at the end of sentences of this she talks instead of singing it I laughed a lot. She has a very beautiful voice I really do like this version, but somethings I just cant like everything about this because I have gotten so used to Patti voice

[karrezza]

@broadwayloverny10 I understand where you are coming from, but she is a performer, and song interpretation I have seen many revert from near talk to sing, like telling a story... she does this song many different ways... Lupone is just so different I do not compare them, I just appreciate them both for what they are good at that connects with me.

[starlet866]

i love her voice, it's so rich and powerful.

i get that she's embodying the song but not sure that i like the very literal acting out of the lyrics though. it's such a beautiful story anyway, don't think it needs some of the physical actions she adds. looks a bit choreographed. other than that, beautiful!

[karrezza]

@starlet866 In all honesty I think she cannot help act out the song... I dont think she thinks about it! unfortunately I cannot find footage of old concerts, she said it was too expensive to film in Carnegie, imagine same for london concerts and earlier ones when she was not as well known... With being an actress comes acting I guess!

[jotheodorou]

GORGEOUS...there are no words....bravo Betty!!

[jeffreychristIsAlive]

As a lifelong fan(atic) of Buckley's, I much prefer the slower-tempo version from her first CD, the live BETTY BUCKLEY. It was more intimate and she didn't rush the song...and the chorus soared more emotionally.

But still, Buckley is rarely less than astounding.

[wiz337]

Uh. I Love Betty Lynn. I Was In A Daze That Entire Song. #TeamBettyBuckley

[longshotbrtn]

Could 'buzzhead' possibly spit out those words any faster ???

[pluper222]

@longshotbrtn Simply MAJESTIC Old buzzhead could probably sing you into the ground!

[franzstary]

it is true coming from her. and older woman bring seduced by the charms of a young man. she is torn between going and staying. I love her interpretation of this aria. she gives it world music flavour. she adds a little shaken voodoo. the musical sexual side of love makes her fly away.

[srvvlly10s]

Impeccable phrasing and brilliant interpretation of this song.

[TCavanaugh]

Brilliant. Spectacular. Gorgeous. This song was written for her, literally...and no one sings it better. Wow.

[TCavanaugh]

Brilliant. Spectacular. Gorgeous. This song was written for her, literally...and no one sings it better. Wow.

[BroadwayFanatic2008]

Beautiful voice and all, but why does she change the melody?

[mmdillons]

Betty knows I love & appreciate her super talents, but this number, not so much. It's as though she were doing an exercise to reveal the nastiest aspects of her instrument. The sentiment is a beaut, but the performance is an assault. Of note: Diphthongs must be open to SOAR (esp. on a word like "fly"): killed @3:41 (FL-IYYYYYYYYYY); 3:45-3:51 & 3:54-3:58 = wicked FLAT. I dig the vocal/physical transform into Chloris Leachman at the end, but the final note is one of the ugliest sounds available.

[weatherstaff]

Where and when was this performance? I saw her perform it once on the Bravo network once (it was a filmed rehearsal for something), aired in NY in the US, and have been looking for it ever since. Thank you! She is truly the voice of Broadway. None like her.

[timboytx]

If any singer can become one with the song, it's Betty. She completely loses herself in it, to divine perfection.

[Museleaders]

she is just to amazing

[larrykazal]

Just tried to publish a comment above—disappeared—in short, Diva, sowhat, forgive her, great, a treasure, agree totally with JoelBWeisberg. Disagree on Liz Calloway's version (who she anyway), totally BLAH, whitebread.Give me Betty's gutsy gusto anytime. Love that she has to hold the mike away from her mouth as she sings so forthrightly (Janis Joplin is another Texan that had this "problem", they just put her in another room). PS. does anyone have videos from BB's Carnegie Hall concert?

[larrykazal]

Unfortunately I have never had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Buckley on stage — she is hypnotic, upliftingit's somewhat disappointing to hear that she might be difficult, but I suppose perfection sometimes demands "perfection". In any event, that is part of being a Diva. Her singing makes me cry, with sadness, with joy. PS does anyone have videos of her Carnegie Hall performance that was made into a CD recording? With the most wondrful orchestral arrangements of her best songs

[vinceinelkins]

ohh children, this is a true storyteller. the cheek bones, the voice, the emotion, this is perfection. it translates beyond show song to life..thank you Ms. Buckley

[fiyeroberlin]

So amazingly original she is!

Had the priviledge to see her in London in Sunset! ...............

[aavauxhall]

You were lucky, most of the time she was sulking or fighting with the company and not showing up.....

[tytyty858]

@aavauxhall

truly a gifted perfotrmer...i saw her in NYC in Sunset Blvd with the splendid John Barrowman.IA true professional She IS!

[karrezza]

Really? You were there? And saw it first hand? Wow... you been in a Broadway production then? ANd know exactly what it entails? Gee you should be a professional.

[YourFaceFacely]

love that this song is supposed to be filled with. Clearly she's an incredible performer - we all know that. I think her lyrical interpretation with her and gestures in the beginning, particularly with the section about sight and all that, is pretty interesting. I just feel that she went a little too far trying to reinterpret the song. You don't need to completely revamp a piece, ignoring the actual meaning and feeling behind it, in order to vitalize it and make it a cathartic performance.

[YourFaceFacely]

Oh Betty. She is a diva. The thing about this, for me, is that, with the almost African-sounding percussion and the new piano arrangement and the way she's dressed, and her very confident reading, the first half feels more like a story-telling kind of song. Like she's a wise woman imparting an annecdote. Subsequently, the second half about the young man who has awoken her emotions and sexuality sort comes out of nowhere and makes no sense. She's missing the fear and excitement of new, unexpected

[gazzinnotts]

there is no doubt she is a goos singer but for me personally thistotally ruins the song the way its delivered

[LaerdBryn]

Wouldn't have understood most of this due to the speed of delivery. Luckily she slowed it a bit. That rapid fire delivery is fine as a technique and works as a curiousity feature. Like Buckley a lot, thought.

[DecadentBoy90]

She's so epic!

[roccoh21]

Ms. Buckley has had a very distinguished career and it's daunting to read the posts of young people who don't do their homework before commenting on such a great icon. And this is not her best work. Liz Callaway's version...perfection. Buckley is great but she's sometimes prone to excess, like this clip.

[jophelps]

definitely can learn a lot from the passion she puts into her work!

i find myself HAVING to watch this video at least once a week for the past 5 months. im not even kidding.

i LOVE it!

way to go betty! you still got it!

[lancetop]

She was in the film Carrie! She had three excellent face slap scenes. But in the end, Carrie killed her.

[DecadentBoy90]

I love her, but what is she on? I want some of that.

[midgetashley]

i met herrrr.

[kaisolo]

my, i've haven't heard someone tell that story before. she really really told the stroy, you could almost see the characters. she's someone preformers should watch and learn from for the stage. i know i will be ^_^

[adknorth]

This is the reason Ms. B is the stand alone Broadway star of this generation. Her storytelling abilities and song interpretations are just astounding. Even at low res on YouTube, she draws you in immediately.

[childrenschorus12]

I have to agree with your love of Ms. B, but I wouldn't say she is the stand alone broadway star of this generation. Bernadette? Patti?

[interrupted11]

betty is such a breath of fresh air with this song. normally i feel as if i'm screamed at instead of being told a story. as much as i love a power belt (mostly because i'm not so hot in that category) - it's so nice to be sung to.

[StarryNight713]

For the woman who is known for her belted high 'e' in 'Drood,' I'm sad that its conspicuously missing in this song. I'm assuming she can't do it anymore...sad...it's kinda half the reason I love this song, which I know is pretty sad, but sill, gotta love a good belted high 'e.'

[bbell73]

I'm with you 100%. In this arrangement she chooses not to sing so many of the notes that give this song its soaring quality. I like Betty, but this song is better left to other singers with better arrangements.

[yackbag]

We all age, Honey!!!! She is still a phenomenal singer and actress. It is not sad that she can't sing as high anymore, because she can now sing deeper into the meaning of the song. GET REAL!!!

[JoelBWeisberg]

Well said yackbag. Betty can sing real estate listings and make me cry. A real treasure she is.

[mzmiller52]

i like her recording of this better than this video, but

patti lupone's is the original, when her voice was young

and not so expected. but betty buckley kills me with

children will listen and come on, come on. what an incredible

arranger she has found to showcase her enormous talent. wish midler, streisand and lupone had as good arrangers

as werner. they started off with great arrangers and musical

directors, but lost their vision after their legendary beginnings.

[ILiveForLaguna]

Um... I dunno. I am obcessed with this song and the story, but I just can't get into Betty. Love her otherwise... But I just can't get into this version.

[teachertom40]

I had a recording of her singing this about 20 years ago. It was amazing then and she has only grown since. Her interpretation remains flawless!

[encorebc]

Usually when I hear Meadowlark...a good one...my heart breaks, this time it broke, I think, five times.

What a beautiful song interpreter.

[thedragonmaster1]

@encorebc Check out the one on my page. It's a really great version.

[ers586]

wow.

[Javaisreve]

I would have loved to have heard her sing this when her voice was more youthful, but she is still a master storyteller.

[bettybern]

what a beautiful story song -- noone does it better!!!!