Image Source: Pigeonsandplanes.com
When you’ve got an entire nation at your back, a hit daily comedy show, a pint of your namesake Ben and Jerry’s flavor lying half-eaten in the freezer and the South Carolina primaries looming up in front of you, life can seem a little hectic. But Stephen Colbert has always known how to handle these sorts of things–with style and with a surprisingly well-tuned tenor voice. That’s right, folks, sometimes all you gotta do is sing. Or start a massive online petition. But singing generally makes for better TV.
Here, in no particular order, are some of his most memorable duets:
1. “Carolina in My Mind,” with James Taylor. This is his most recent to date, featuring James Taylor how we’ve always pictured him: smiling gently and fingerpicking in front of a roaring fireplace. Perhaps the thing we didn’t originally count on was having a montage of images of Stephen Colbert and Herman Cain playing over the song.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| James Taylor & Stephen Colbert – “Carolina in My Mind” | ||||
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2. “I Write the Songs,” with Barry Manilow. After Colbert lost an Emmy to Barry Manilow he ignited one of his famous feuds, which was later resolved when Manilow came on the show and signed a biannual custody agreement for the Emmy in question. They then went on to cement the accord (as we all do) by singing, “I Write the Songs.”
3. “Lean on Me,” with Brian Eno and Michael Stipe. Not long ago, our nation mourned the loss of beloved group REM and looked grimly forward to a future in which “Shiny Happy People” nevertheless soldiers on over the passing period intercoms in high schools nationwide. To help cope with the loss felt by us all Colbert (physically) enshrined Michael Stipe on his shelf and proceeded to sing a rather lovely rendition of “Lean on Me.” That Colbert, always a surprise up his sleeve. Though he may not be selling out the Usher Concert Hall anytime soon, my favorite part is how committed Colbert is to whatever song he’s singing; it’s as if for a moment the character drops and the real Colbert shines through.
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Brian Eno, Michael Stipe & Stephen Colbert – “Lean on Me” | ||||
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Also worth mentioning: Colbert’s duet with Tony Bennett, the suburbia-centric version of “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys, his guitar-off with the Decemberists’ guitarist, Chris Funk, and any one of the many duets featured on his Christmas special.
Do you have a favorite Colbert sing-along? Let me know in the comments below!
