leonard cohen
The song is written for Leonard Cohens's 7th studio album "Various Positions", released 1984 in most countries except USA. Ironically, Columbia (Sony) regarded it "commersially not viable" [sic!]. The independent label "Passport" grabbed it instead. But in -90 Columbia included it in a compilation CD-box, and five years later they released a remastered CD.
Cohen struggled with this one, wrote numerous verses and altered them from time to time, stage to stage. These lyrics are exactly from the original recording.
The song is NOT a psalm. You may call it a "secular hymn". In fact, it is metalyrical: it describes how the song itself was written. And «it goes like this : the fourth : the fifth : the minor fall : the major lift» is, in the original C-major key, the exact chord progression for the most brilliant part of the song: C, F, G, A minor, F, G ... and now, Cohen proudly stands before the Lord of Songs, singing Hallelujah!
Helluwa lotta artists have covered this, and failed. The trap is not the difficulty - the song is an acid test for lung capacity and voice range - but putting more effort in performance than content, with exaggeration as the result. Some have taken it from 6/8 to 4/4 to ease it, and yup, it works. However and whoever, where even Cohen himself only got "some"; k.d.lang has got it ALL. And here we talk about more than 300 registered covers.
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 • Hallelujah • Hallelujah • Hallelu-u-jah
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 • Hallelujah • Hallelujah • Hallelu-u-jah
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
Hallelujah • Hallelujah • Hallelujah • Hallelu-u-jah
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
Hallelujah • Hallelujah • Hallelujah • Hallelu-u-jah
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
E C#m now I've heard there was a secret chord E C#m that David played and it pleased the Lord A B7 E ...B7 but you don't really care for music do you? E A B it goes like this the fourth the fifth C#m A B the minor fall the major lift B7 G# C#m ...B7sus4 the baffled king composing Hallelujah A C#m A F#m E B7 E Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelu-u-jah
