Hallelujah Christmas Version by Cloverton

[LiberalArkie]

[Ink Man]

1. Thank You!

A great way to start my day.

[0nirevets]

2. Beautiful Rendition That Misses The Point

Nothing against the artist here, except for rewording Cohen's existential masterpiece to make it pretty for Christmas. It's a bit like airbrushing Mona Lisa to soften the bags under her eyes for an upcoming magazine cover. Christians often do this (Greensleeves, originally lamenting a promiscuous young woman). Jeff Buckley's solo cover is probably the best for this song, which doesn't have anything to do with Jesus unless you want to reflect on his struggle with being human and having a carnal nature. However, plumbing the depths (so to speak) of human sexuality is a big negative hot button with Christians, so we can't have that.

[loudsue]

3. Good post. Also....good rendition.

It's all good.

[tomm2thumbs]

4. lyrics

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 in 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

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who has seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken 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


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Figured putting the real lyrics here would be worth a quick post

[0nirevets]

6. Thank you

I read somewhere that Cohen struggled with the lyrics, as artists will do. There is I believe powerful irony for a man/woman who does not believe in god in the usual sense crying Hallelujah to Love, though love was short lived. Love is desperate, not a "victory march". Such a beautiful song.

[tomm2thumbs]

5. my fave performance

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