Leonard Cohen/Jeff Buckly/Rufus Wainwright "Hallelujah"

[vi5]

The rare song I can think of where there are multiple versions and not a bad one in the bunch. This song still sends chills down my back every single time I hear it. The Cohen version and the Buckley version and the Wainwright version all have this effect on me.

Cohen's lyrical brilliance still leaves me speechless every time.

[Tinoire]

1. Amen to Cohen!!

He's gotta be my absolute favorite artist.

[vi5]

2. I'm hit or miss on him as an artist.....

I love a ton of his songs, but his delivery is too monotonous to stand out as a singer or even an arranger, even though he' still near the top for me. But his lyrics are incredible.

[blm]

3. Big Cohen fan here, too.

.

[soupkitchen]

4. Very interesting novelist too. Read Beautiful Losers

[qwertyMike]

5. Just downloaded them

and a version by Ryan Adams. (Sue me RIAA)

Adams version I like best. All good bedtime versions.
Cohen's version suicidal as usual.

[Aristus]

6. As a Christian, I think this song is absolutely terrific!

There is an alternate verse that is used in some of the versions. I think the Wainwright version uses it. It goes:

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

For me, it reinforces the neccessity of not cursing God when things go wrong; to always praise him, in good times and in bad. When they played 'Hallelujah' on The West Wing, it broke my heart.

[vi5]

7. What version did they use on West Wing?

EOM

[CBHagman]

8. I understand it was Jeff Buckley's version.

That's what I recall, and that's what I read on the Internet.

[Aristus]

9. It was the Jeff Buckley studio recording.

I got an EP CD with the live version on it. But it wasn't very good. Buckley's voice was shot, and he wrapped up the song with some weird chant that had nothing to do with the lyrics.