Top Ten ‘Glee’ Performances – Season 2
#8 – ‘Rolling in the Deep’ – Rachel & Jesse
Jonathan Groff’s Jesse St. James played a key role in ‘Glee’s first season, starting a romance with Rachel at the request of her birth mother (his Vocal Adrenaline coach, played by Idina Menzel) before breaking both her heart and an egg on her head.
Groff is best friends with Lea Michele, having starred alongside her in the Broadway production of Spring Awakening, and their chemistry has been apparent in the several duets they’ve performed on ‘Glee.’
That includes Jesse’s return late this season, seen in this clip. Performing Adele’s wonderful ‘Rolling in the Deep,’ Groff and Michele show off their Broadway chops. And I love how the A/V crew contributes backing vocals.
I’ve seen this performance ripped on various websites, by people who are apparently both big Adele fans and big ‘Glee’ haters. I’m a fan of both, and while I certainly prefer Adele’s version of this song, I think these two do a fine job with it.
Reaching a fever pitch, it’s bringing me out the dark
Finally I can see you crystal clear
Go ‘head and sell me out and I’ll lay your shit bare
See how I leave with every piece of you
Don’t underestimate the things that I will do
There’s a fire starting in my heart
Reaching a fever pitch
And it’s bring me out the dark
The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can’t help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hands
And you played it
To the beat
Baby I have no story to be told
But I’ve heard one of you
And I’m gonna make your head burn
Think of me in the depths of your despair
Making a home down there
It Reminds you of the home we shared
The scars of your love remind me of us
They keep me thinking that we almost had it all
The scars of your love they leave me breathless
I can’t help feeling
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart inside of your hands
And you played it
To the beat
Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turned my sorrow into treasured gold
You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow
We could have had it all
We could have had it all
It all, it all it all,
We could have had it all
Rolling in the deep
You had my heart and soul
And you played it
To the beat
Meet Me In Montauk 
I thought this was an amazing version, one of several great versions of this song I’ve heard over the past couple of months. Not sure what you could hate about it, but I guess if you’re anti-Glee, just the fact that they covered a song or artist you love is enough to draw vitriol. How silly!
On a completely different note, I also love how so many of these Broadway actors intersect on Glee. I don’t recall Kristen Chenoweth actually getting to be in a scene with Groff, but I love that he was one of the gay actors she was passionately defending in her angry letter to Newsweek last year. I think this clip is another piece of the ample evidence Chenoweth cited to support her claim – Groff’s chemistry with Michele is amazing.
I think Lea and Groff always sound really great together 🙂
I agree, they are great together, singing that is.
I’m surprised Amy didn’t immediately post the American Idol version, which I actually liked better than this one. I’m actually not that crazy about this version. Too gospel.
I agree that there’s nothing to hate about this version of this song. They have great chemistry all the way around and I always enjoy the way Jesse and Rachel communicate with each other through song. It’s where they connect best and this song was no exception.
Excited for tomorrow and song number 7 (my lucky number!). 🙂
http://youtu.be/uuVj846jkd4
Hate to disappoint (though I thought I might have posted this a few weeks ago… ?)
Yes, this version by Haley Reinhart, our American Idol, was amazing, but I still love the Glee version.
Good versions all around, but it’s impressive how completely Adele blows them all out of the water.