Wednesday, March 01, 2006

The Last Hallelujah

I love this song. No more (h)allelujah's until Easter.

LEONARD COHEN
(LYRICS)

"Hallelujah"

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah




I've got the version Leonard Cohen(the author), Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Rufus Wainwright and K.D. Lang. Really, I like Jeff Buckley's version on Grace the best. He altered the lyrics at the end which I like better:

Jeff Buckley's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah:

i heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don't really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah

hallelujah...

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah

hallelujah...

baby i've been here before
i've seen this room and i've walked this floor
i used to live alone before i knew you
i've seen your flag on the marble arch
but love is not a victory march
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

well there was a time when you let me know
what's really going on below
but now you never show that to me do you
but remember when i moved in you
and the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah

well, maybe there's a god above
but all i've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

hallelujah...

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

That song makes me cry. Every time.

12:22 PM  
Blogger Chris said...

I love this song. And it's fascinating how many versions there are of it. I have versions by Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Arooj & Company, and the Dresden Dolls. All are wonderful.

12:45 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love Leonard Cohen and that is one of my favourite songs (I share a birthday with Mr. Cohen also).

3:57 PM  
Blogger Chris said...

Hmm, I wonder if the live version of Hallelujah I have by LC is different... Anyway, here's the Dresden Dolls cover.

12:43 PM  
Blogger Carrie K said...

That's cool, Corrie! Are you back from vacation? Are you ever going to update your blog? Just checking, lol.

I went to a site (I might have included it in the modified post) where there are hundreds of artists covering his songs! I'd like to hear Bono's version and....well, everyone.

It makes me cry too, Imbrium.

Thanks for the link, Chris! Should I know who the Dresden Dolls are?

1:32 PM  
Blogger Jenni said...

I've always like that song too.

4:49 PM  

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