The Generous

Natalie Merchant - Kind and Generous at TED 2010 (Live)

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• published: 19 Feb 2011
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One of the best performances I've ever seen. She brought lots of emotions with her performance and the way she plays with the audience is perfect. Filmed at February 2010 , TED Natalie Merchant sings from her new album, Leave Your Sleep. Lyrics from near-forgotten 19th-century poetry pair with her unmistakable voice for a performance that brought the TED audience to its feet. (Music) I'd like to thank everybody, all the scientists, the philosophers, the architects, the inventors, the biologists, the botanists, the artists, everyone that blew my mind this week. Thank you. (Applause) ♫ Oh, La li la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la li la la la la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la la la la ♫ ♫ La la la li la la la la la ♫ ♫ You've been so kind and ♫ ♫ generous ♫ ♫ I don't know how you keep on giving ♫ ♫ And for your kindness, ♫ ♫ I'm in debt to you ♫ ♫ And for your selflessness, ♫ ♫ my admiration ♫ ♫ And for everything you've done, ♫ ♫ you know I'm bound ♫ ♫ I'm bound to thank for it ♫ ♫ La li la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la li la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la la ♫ ♫ La li la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la li la li la la ♫ ♫ Thank you ♫ ♫ Now you've been so kind and ♫ Curb the enthusiasm, just a little bit. Just bring it down a little. (Laughter) It's my turn. I still have two minutes. (Laughter) Okay, we're going to start that verse again. ♫ Well, you've been so -- ♫ That's innovative, don't you think? Calming the audience down; I'm supposed to be whipping you into a frenzy. I like that. That's enough. Shhh. ♫ Now, you've been kind and -- ♫ I'm going to sing this to Bill Gates. I have so much admiration for him. ♫ Now, you've been so kind and ♫ ♫ generous ♫ ♫ I don't know how you keep on giving ♫ ♫ And for your kindness ♫ ♫ I'm in debt to you ♫ ♫ And I never could have come ♫ ♫ this far without you ♫ ♫ So for everything you've done, ♫ you know I'm bound ♫ ♫ I'm bound to thank you for it ♫ ♫ La li la la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la li la li la la la ♫ ♫ La li la la la ♫ ♫ I want to thank you for so many gifts ♫ ♫ you gave in love with tenderness ♫ ♫ Thank you ♫ ♫ I want to thank you ♫ ♫ for you generosity ♫ ♫ the love and the honesty that you gave me ♫ ♫ I want to thank you ♫ ♫ show my gratitude, my love ♫ ♫ and my respect for you ♫ ♫ I want to thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ I want to thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ You know what? I'll show you how to clap to this song. ♫ I want to thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ Thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ I want to thank you, thank you ♫ It works better, right? ♫ I want to thank you, thank you ♫ ♫ I want to thank you ♫ ♫ Oohoo ♫ ♫ Oohoo ♫ ♫ Hoohoo ♫ ♫ Woohoo ♫ Let's bring it down. Decrescendo. Gradually, bringing it down, bringing it down. ♫ I want to thank you, thank you ♫ Finger puppet. Ain't no stopping. Thank you so much. (Applause)