![]() Sexual ecstasies-recalled with pain and longing-are compared to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. King David’s lust and bathing-beauty affair are merged with a reference to Delilah’s cutting of Samon’s hair. Those qualities are anchored in the song’s second, fourth, and fifth verses. Leaving aside the fact that the “cold” and “broken hallelujah,” as DeWyze sang it last week, was actually a soaring, full-throated roar, what’s almost entirely lost in American Idol covers of the song are the two qualities Cale and Buckley highlighted: specific biblical imagery and intense sexuality. Those verses contain key lines: “Well 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?” And: “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.” But taken out of context, these lines don’t manage to make any sense. American Idol contestants sing only the first and third verses of Cale’s version-a compression that is necessary for TV time but that is also thematically selective. His track, with its quiet but bold guitar work, is the one most recent renditions reference, including those on American Idol.īut those renditions manage to sing another “Hallelujah” entirely. In 1994, Jeff Buckley released the most fully realized version-more than anyone, Buckley merged the song’s biblical irony with its sensuality. The Velvet Underground’s John Cale revised and reproduced the song in 1991, culling a canonical translation from reams of lyrics sent to him by Cohen, who had at one point written 80 full verses. Cohen recorded the song in 1984, then sang various versions while on tour throughout the 1980s. Like its biblical source material, “Hallelujah” has had many authors and many versions. “Hallelujah” makes ironic use of its title (which means something like “praise Yahweh”) as it converges a remembrance of lost love with two biblical accounts of powerful men, David and Samson, who were chosen by God and felled by sex. But it was not until last week’s much-ballyhooed performance by “American Idol” finalist Lee DeWyze that it became clear just how much the show is managing to corrupt Cohen’s complicated song. Versions of the song have been used in everything from Shrek to episodes of The West Wing and The OC. ![]() In 2008, it was turned into a hit single in the United Kingdom by Alexandra Burke, the winner of The X Factor (another reality show produced by Idol-creator Simon Cowell). “Hallelujah” has been performed on television’s most-watched show four times in the last few seasons, which is but part of the song’s recent surge in popularity. That’s the question put to a brokenhearted lover in the first verse of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” This week, on the occasion of another American Idol season finale, it’s a fitting question for the show itself. Leonard Cohen’s song, baptized by American Idol. And who couldn't love Leonard's wink ?Īlbeit they're very different, I love this video in the same way as I love this Norwegian one, that is also effortless and beautiful: It's so graceful and just keeps calling you back. I just love this, so well done, lovely video, very very much. and the video still with a complex presentation worthy of Leonard. The heartfelt immediacy of this video is compelling. I also love the warmth and flirtation in her eyes and smile. ![]() Courtney's voice and face are very sweet and pure and her voice has that youthful purity and crack in it that is genuine and charming. and the depth of their admiration and gratitude for him. the strip of film and the writing of some integral lyrics from the song across the top ~ and their video making it ever so clear from the beginning, throughout, and to the very end that Leonard is the one who wrote this beautiful song. Perhaps, too, the number of people and approaches involved. And the kindness in the regular-guy man's face and the sincerity in his voice. I love the visuals with the comfortable room in the background the vibrancy of full colour with the guitarist the variations between colour, black&white, sepia, and other nostalgia tones with the room and the singers the cameo presentations and the continual sketching of the wonderful picture of Leonard's face and hat their vocal harmony and the inspiring guitar playing by the unassuming mystery boy in the hoodie. ![]() There's something about it that's very satisfying. twice more in a row I've just watched this video.
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