hallelujah, also spelled alleluia, Hebrew liturgical expression, usually rendered in English as “praise the Lord.” It appears in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) in several psalms, usually at the beginning or end of the psalm or in both places
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How Leonard Cohen Brilliantly Mixed Sex and Religion in Hallelujah lyrics
When Leonard Cohen wrote “Hallelujah,” his career was at a low moment. He had been out of the public eye for a substantial portion of 1984. His 1977 album Death of a Ladies’ Man, which he co-wrote with Phil Spector, failed to meet expectations both commercially and critically, and his follow-up Recent Songs had a similar fate. “Hallelujah,” the first track on Side Two, wasn’t particularly noteworthy to Columbia label executives when Cohen submitted the songs for his future album, Various Positions. Although the album was eventually released in Europe in 1984 and America the following year, they didn’t even want to release it.
Hallelujah Lyrics
[Verse 1]
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 ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing “Hallelujah”
[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
[Verse 2]
Your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in 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
[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
[Verse 3]
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 ya?
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
[Chorus]
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
[Verse 4]
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 ya
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the lord of song
With nothing on my tongue but hallelujah
Baby, I’ve been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
And 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
[Additional Lyrics]
There was a time 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
[Additional Lyrics]
Maybe there’s a God above
But all I’ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
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 Lyrics “Reason Behind the song
“Hallelujah” is a song that has touched many people, but its meaning is not always clear. The ambiguity of the song is part of what makes it so compelling, as it allows listeners to bring their own experiences and emotions to their interpretation of the lyrics.
Some interpretations of the song focus on the complex nature of love and relationships. The opening verse sets the tone for this interpretation, with its vivid imagery of the “secret chord” that David played to please the Lord, and the feeling of being “overwhelmed and smothered” that the narrator experiences in his own romantic relationship. The chorus, with its repeated use of the word “hallelujah,” can be seen as a celebration of the beauty and joy that love can bring, even in the face of its challenges and pain.
Other interpretations of the song center around themes of faith and spirituality. The use of biblical references throughout the song, including the stories of Samson and Delilah and King David, can be seen as pointing to a sense of divine intervention or higher power. The chorus, with its ecstatic expression of praise, can also be read as a moment of transcendence, a release from the struggles and limitations of human experience.
Of course, these are just a few of the possible interpretations of “Hallelujah.” Ultimately, the true meaning of the song is up to each listener to decide. What makes the song so powerful is its ability to evoke a range of emotions and ideas, inviting us to explore our own feelings and beliefs. Regardless of how we understand the lyrics, the song reminds us of the complexity and beauty of human experience.
Hallelujah lyrics origin
hallelujah lyrics With references to Samson and Delilah as well as King David and Bathsheba (“The secret chord that David played”), Hallelujah began its existence with a religious bent, reflecting Cohen’s Jewish roots. Later iterations tended to be more spiritual and occasionally erotic. It is implied that lines like “When David played, his fingers bled” have been dropped.
The time of Cohen’s first meeting with Issermann was noted in his notebooks. Before he began working on it (Hallelujah), we would share a cup of coffee in the morning, she recalled. In front of me, he would play several renditions. But the poetry is such a symbolic mystery. It is mysterious, like a bird circling the room.
