Versions of Hallelujah--are all approved by LC?

[tomsakic]

Yeah, we're speaking about the same woman. Relations - sent to me by one and only Lady Margaret

I love Kathryn Williams's [this way of spelling is for Lizzytysh:-)] way of singing Hallelujah. Actually, the complete album is excellent. I think it's an album of her favourite covers by other songwriters. The included version of Hallelujah was taken live.

I have some problems with getting John Cale's version. He's doing something strange while he's singing, not only here, but on all of his songs.

Maybe I'll still vote for that flamenco cover by Enrico Morente to be the best one. Or at least the most crazy one:-)

[Kevin W.M.LastYearsMan]

Thanks Margaret and Tom for clarifying that for me. I'll have to check out some of her stuff if I can find it. In general, I don't think that I'd like to hear a woman, or pretty much anyone but Leonard sing his songs, but a few people can do him justice. I definitely enjoyed her voice more than enough to check some of her stuff out.

Joe Cocker was a rare singer who could accomplist that. Often he would sing a song of someone else's and he seemed to find something in the song, or give it a weight that the original didn't have...in my opinion, of course.

[/quote]
The thing that you wrote, Tom, about John Cale doing something strange while he's singing on all of his songs cracked me up to no end. I'm a big fan of his though. I don't have as much of his stuff as I will some day.
Kevin

[Tri-me]

This is not about covers I know. A fellow filmaker, well she is professional I am amatuer, used lines from a poem in her movie. She told me that she was shuffled around from Toronto to LA to NYC, different agents. I would assume from this that the artists would have to seek permission, pay a fee. She did not have to pay anything and she recieved permission to use a song and lines from a poem. I know a bit about copyright in a film if I used a painting without the artists permission I could get sued.

[nsps]

Do the published lyrics in Stranger Music use the exact Cale verses, or have the material missing from that version?

Two verses aren't in it. This, from the VP version:

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

And this, which concludes both versions:

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, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Was it Cale's decision to cut the concluding verse with which Leonard saw fit to end both his versions? Especially with the "magic chord" opening, it seems appropriate to end with the "lord of song" reference.

Has anyone sung a version with all the verses? (I don't have Wainwright's, and don't remember from seeing him do it live "I'm Your Man"). I assume these two verses would work at the end of the Cale version.

(Dylan's cover is based on the original VP version, by the way)

I probably like the John Cale version out of the covers that I have heard. I'm not terribly fond of the live version, so I like that one for the other verses.

[Kevin W.M.LastYearsMan]

I agree. Cale's having the other verses is a big part of what I like about it.
Kevin

[jim_ashton]

This is my favourite songs, I don't know what it is about this songs but it really takes me away. I first heard it on the movie Shrek and that's the only place I listen to it right now because I used to have no idea who sang it before.

this is the version I like

Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah Lyrics
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
Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew her
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

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

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah



One thing I absolutely cannot stand is when other people sing it and make it sound like crap because they improvise way too much and.

For example when the other singers are like

Hallelujahahahahahahhhhahh halleleujaaaahahah.... and so on and so forth. It makes me cringe and turn it off. I can't stand it when people ruin an amazing and touching song.


I'm homebound for the week because I had my appendix taken out, and I was wondering if anyone knew of any place on the internet that I could listen to a good proper version of the song.

[margaret]

Jim, are you saying you do not yet have any cd of Leonard Cohen

The song you love is is on his suberb album titled Various Positions which came out in 1985, and a different live version is on Cohen Live from 1993/4. You can buy these easily and quite cheaply now from lots of music stores and on-line shops such as amazon.

[Kevin W.M.LastYearsMan]

Jim,

I've never seen Shrek and from what I understand it's a kids movie, isn't it? I think that's hilarious this it's on there. One of the parts that I loved the cale version for was:

"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?
I remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
and every breath we drew was hallelujah!"

I'm betting Shrek didn't have those lyrics in it. It's usually a great song no matter who does it or which version they perform.

Check out some of Leonard's music, Jim. There's a lot more brilliance than just Hallelujah!

Best Wishes, and welcome to the forum.
Kevin©

[tomsakic]

I presume that's everyone's favourite verse from Hallelujah, Kevin. It surely is mine. I like it how Leonard performs it, it's the highest peak of the song. During his live acts, he throws ah, oh and yeahs all around that verse. The official version from 1994's Cohen Live goes:

There was a time you let me know
what’s really going on below
ah but now you never show it to me, do you?
Yeah but I remember, yeah, when I moved in you,
And the holy dove, she was moving too,
Yes, every single breath that we drew was Hallelujah! ...

[tomsakic]

By the way, after multiple watching of k.d. lang's version at Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame Gala Night, I am very much sure her cover is the most powerful after Leonard's live version. So far... The story continues

[tomsakic]

Here's an idea: to type all versions of Hallelujah here, in one special thread. I do have around 10-15 versions. Thus we will be able to see the variations of Leonard's original two versions. - After posting the 1984 and 1988 version (Various Positions, Cohen Live), every next entry should be verified by listening to the cover, not only by copying the lyrics from artist's site / CD booklet. So, took the both Leonard's versions, signed line by line what's included in the particular cover, and then paste the final lyrics version here. And thus until we don not list (and listen to) all the versions!

[dperrings]

How do i find a copy of Kathryn Williams version of the song. And yes KD Lang's recording is wonderful.

David Perrings

[tvrec]

I saw the Canadian film Saint Ralph a few weeks back, and it had a version by Gord Dowdie (or Downie? The guy from the Tragically Hip) that I thought was quite good and integrated movingly into the film. No soundtrack exists however and I have not seen any copies of it available in other formats. Too bad.

[jim_ashton]

I saw the Canadian film Saint Ralph a few weeks back, and it had a version by Gord Dowdie (or Downie? The guy from the Tragically Hip) that I thought was quite good and integrated movingly into the film. No soundtrack exists however and I have not seen any copies of it available in other formats. Too bad.

Downie did a version of Hallelujah? Wow, I'm a huge fan of The Tragically Hip I'm going to have to watch that film now just because he's in it



And about Shrek, yes it is a kids movie.... but that's why I like it because it's hilarious, I love kids movies these days.


The reason I like this version by John Cale is that it is very soothing and overdone with the...

"Hallelujah, hallelujah" part, alot of the different version I've heard have been crap because they drag out the Hallelujahs too much and overdo them and it ends up sounding like this.....


"Halleluuuuouuujahhh, hallelujahhhhahahaah"

If I was Leonard I would be embarrassed listen to these version I'm talking about.


the version in Shrek it really suits the mood of the film because it's a part that's supposed to be happy but is really sad because Fiona(the princess) is getting what she wanted by marrying a prince and having the curse ended of turning into an ogre when the sun goes down, by kissing Lord Farquad and breaking the curse.
But at the same time she doesn't want to marry him because she had grown attached to Shrek but he misheard some things and didn't want to listen to reason so they went seperate ways. But it shows how deep down even though Shrek got what he wanted(the fairy tale creatures out of his swamp) he's really missing Fiona even though he heard what he heard.


Those that have seen it know what I'm talking about, those that haven't seen it I suggest you do it's a pretty funny film.

[Davido]

I agree. Shrek is a great film for adults as well as kids.There are lots of references that kids probably wouldn't pick up on.
BTW 'Hallelujah' version on Shrek soundtrack is by Rufus Wainwright.
Also, I was fortunate enough to see Kathryn Williams live, and she sang 'Hallelujah'. She referred to the comment she made on 'What Leonard Cohen Did For Me' about wanting to 'shag' him, but his heart probably wouldn't take it! (see Tom's earlier post above). She regretted saying this and stated that in reality HER heart wouldn't take it.