H is for Hallelujah

Hallelujah is a song written by Canadian recording artist Leonard Cohen.  It was originally released in 1984 and received very little initial success.  It's been said that Cohen spent years working on Hallelujah and at one point and may have had 80 verses before finally trimming the song to its current length.

Well 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?

Well it goes like this:

The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Well 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 her kitchen chair

And she broke your throne and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

But baby I've been here before

I've seen this room and I've walked this floor

You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya

And 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

Hallelujah

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 ya

But remember when I moved in you

And 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 somebody who outdrew ya

And 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

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah has over 300 cover versions and has been sung in numerous languages.  Some of the more notable versions include: Jeff Buckley's 1994 version;

k.d lang's version from her 2004 album Hymns of the 49th Parallel, which she performed during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada;

and probably the most famous of all versions by Rufus Wainwright, which was featured in the animated movie, Shrek.

My personal favorite, however, is Bon Jovi's cover.  To my knowledge, the band has never recorded it, but they have performed it live in concert and during televised performances.

Do you have a favorite Hallelujah version?  What is it?  Feel free to share.  As always, thanks for stopping by!

This is the eighth of twenty-six alphabetized blog entries that I am publishing this month as a part of the 2016 Blogging A to Z Challenge.  Many bloggers who participate in this challenge, select a theme.  My theme is - "Whatever I Think Of."  

For more information on the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge, click here.