RabbitRancher: Lyrics to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

I have loved the music, tapping my feet and humming the melody, and then somebody told me I should read the lyrics. Wow! What a revelation. What I thought was an upbeat, inspiring song turns out to be a despairing ode to love gone wrong. Since it is used in religious contexts, it shares certain characteristics with the biblical "Song of Solomon." It has been covered by many artists, many using different verses. One source said he wrote 80 verses, but only recorded four. Here are the ones I could find.

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

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

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya

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

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

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 ya.

I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch

And 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

Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above

All I’ve ever learned from love

Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.

It’s not a cry that you hear at night

It’s not somebody seen the light

It’s a cold and it’s a broken 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

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Leonard Cohen

Three verses from Jeff Buckley’s recording.

RabbitRancher

Thursday, July 30, 2020

Lyrics to Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."

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