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, now 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 you
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
Now maybe, maybe there's a God above
As for me all I ever learned from love
Is how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
But it's not a cry that you hear tonight
No, it's not some pilgrim who claims to have seen the light
It's a cold and it's a very broken hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Baby, I've been here before
I know this room, and I've walked this floor
You see, I used to live alone before I knew you
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But listen love, love is not some kind of victory march
No, it's a cold and it's a very lonely hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
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?
I remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove, she was moving too
Yes, and every single breath that we drew was hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch
I've told the truth, I did not come all the way to Glastonbury to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand right here before the Lord of song
With nothing, nothing on my tongue but hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Thanks very much, friends
About This Song
"Hallelujah" is a profound meditation on the intersection of sacred and profane love, weaving together biblical imagery with deeply personal experiences of desire, loss, and spiritual questioning. Cohen masterfully blurs the lines between religious devotion and romantic obsession, using the story of King David's fall from grace through his affair with Bathsheba as a metaphor for the complex relationship between human passion and divine connection. The song explores how love-both earthly and spiritual-can simultaneously elevate and destroy, with the repeated "Hallelujah" serving as both a cry of ecstasy and a lament of resignation. Musically, the track features a deceptively simple folk arrangement built around Cohen's signature baritone and sparse instrumentation, creating an intimate, almost confessional atmosphere that draws listeners into its emotional complexity. The genius lies in Cohen's ability to make the sacred feel human and the human feel sacred, suggesting that our deepest moments of vulnerability and desire are themselves forms of prayer. The song's enduring power stems from its unflinching examination of how we seek transcendence through connection with others, even when that search leads to heartbreak and disillusionment. Its countless covers by artists across genres speak to its universal themes of longing, faith, and the bittersweet nature of human experience.
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