3/31/09 Hallelujah

For about 72 hours now, I've had "Hallelujah" stuck in my head. I don't even know all the words, though I've now looked them up to post here. Thanks to TV and movie soundtracks, plus friends' iPods, I've heard different renditions of both Leonard Cohen's and Rufus Wainwright's versions, and am not even sure which in particular was on permanent loop...just that every time I was lost in thought, or drifting off to sleep, or waking up, or even while I was engaged in other tasks, this song poured through my head, over and over and over again.

So I figured I'd share it with y'all. This appears to be the most comprehensive version of Cohen's lyrics, which were somewhat altered by Wainwright when he covered it. I like Cohen's better:

"Hallelujah"

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 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

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
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

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
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

To watch/hear my favorite YouTubed performance, go here. :)