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Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)

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"Hallelujah"
Artwork for 1984 Dutch single
SinglebyLeonard Cohen
from the albumVarious Positions
ReleasedDecember 1984
RecordedJune 1984[1][2]
GenreFolk rock
Length4:39
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Leonard Cohen
Producer(s)John Lissauer

"Hallelujah"is a song written by Canadian singerLeonard Cohen,originally released on his albumVarious Positions(1984). Achieving little initial success,[1]the song found greater popular acclaim through a new version recorded byJohn Calein 1991. Cale's version inspired a 1994 recording byJeff Buckleythat in 2004 was ranked number 259 onRolling Stone's "the500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

The song achieved widespread popularity after Cale's version of it was featured in the 2001 filmShrek.[3][4]Many other arrangements have been performed in recordings and in concert, with more than 300 versions known as of 2008.[5]The song has been used in film and television soundtracks and televised talent contests. "Hallelujah" experienced renewed interest following Cohen's death in November 2016 and re-appeared on international singles charts, including entering the AmericanBillboardHot 100for the first time.[6]

History[edit]

Leonard Cohen's studio recording
Partial excerpt of first verse and chorus. First included in Cohen's 1984 albumVarious Positions.
Jeff Buckley "Hallelujah" cover excerpt
From the albumGrace,released in 1994. In 2007, Sony BMG rereleased the album (subtitled "The Legacy Edition" ) with a live music video of the song.
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Cohen is reputed to have written around 80[7]to as many as 180[8]draft verses for "Hallelujah" —a number affected by the accounting question that he had many versions of the same line.[9]Cohen is said to have claimed 150 draft verses, a claim substantiated by his notebooks containing manifold revisions and additions, and by contemporary interviews.[10]In a writing session in New York'sRoyalton Hotel,Cohen is famously said to have been reduced to sitting on the floor in his underwear, filling notebooks, banging his head on the floor.[7]Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, creators of the 2022 documentary filmHallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song,said that Cohen took about five years to write the song, and reconfigured it numerous times for performances.[11]

Unlike some other songs that becameanthems,"Hallelujah" initially was on an album that was rejected byColumbia Records,[12]was largely ignored after an independent label released it, was not widely[8]covered until John Cale's 1991 version, and did not reach theBillboardcharts until Cohen's death in 2016.[13]Reflecting on the song's initial rejection, Cohen related that Columbia told him that "we know you are great, but don't know if you are any good".[14]

Following his original 1984 studio-album version, Cohen performed the original song on his world tour in 1985, but live performances during his 1988 and 1993 tours almost invariably contained a quite different set of lyrics. Numerous singers mix lyrics from both versions, and occasionally make direct lyric changes; for example, in place of Cohen's "holy dove", Canadian-American singerRufus Wainwrightsubstituted "holy dark", while Canadian singer-songwriterAllison Crowesang "holy ghost".

Musical composition and lyrical interpretation[edit]

"Hallelujah", in its original version, is in12
8time,which evokes both early rock and roll andgospel music.Written in the key ofC major,thechord progressionof C, F, G, A minor, F matches those referenced in the song's famous first verse.[15][16]

When at age 50 Cohen first recorded the song, he described it as "rather joyous", and said that it came from "a desire to affirm my faith in life, not in some formal religious way, but with enthusiasm, with emotion."[17]He later said "there is a religious hallelujah, but there are many other ones. When one looks at the world, there's only one thing to say, and it's hallelujah".[17]JournalistLarry Sloman,who knew Cohen well and interviewed him often,[8]described the song as one part biblical, one part the woman that Cohen slept with last night,[9]citing an unidentified critic saying that Cohen was most interested in "holiness and horniness".[8]

Meaning of "Hallelujah"

This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that's what I mean by 'Hallelujah.'

—Leonard Cohen[18]

His original version, recorded on his 1984 albumVarious Positions,contains allusions to several biblical verses, including the stories ofSamsonandDelilahfrom theBook of Judges( "she cut your hair" ) as well asKing DavidandBathsheba( "you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you" ).[19][15][20]

Cohen's lyrical poetry and his view that "many differenthallelujahsexist "is reflected in wide-ranging covers with very different intents or tones, allowing the song to be" melancholic, fragile, uplifting [or] joyous "depending on the performer:[15]The Welsh singer-songwriterJohn Cale,the first person to record a cover version of the song (in 1991), promoted a message of "soberness and sincerity" in contrast to Cohen's dispassionate tone;[15]the cover byJeff Buckley,an American singer-songwriter, is more sorrowful and was described by Buckley as "a hallelujah to the orgasm";[15][21]Crowe interpreted the song as a "very sexual" composition that discussed relationships;[15]Wainwright offered a "purifying and almost liturgical" interpretation;[15]andGuy Garveyof the British bandElbowmade the hallelujah a "stately creature" and incorporated his religious interpretation of the song into his band's recordings.[15]Noting its inclusion in the 2001 animated movieShrekand performance in numerous singing competition reality shows,New York Timesmovie reviewer A. O. Scott wrote that "Hallelujah is one of those rare songs that survives its banalization with at least some of its sublimity intact".[8]

Canadian singerk.d. langsaid in an interview shortly after Cohen's death that she considered the song to be about "the struggle between having human desire and searching for spiritual wisdom. It's being caught between those two places."[22]FormerBarenaked LadiesfrontmanSteven Page,who sang the song at Canadian politicianJack Layton's funeral,described the song as being "about disappointing [other] people".[23]

Where songs come from

Even Cohen, like the king in the song, was baffled by Hallelujah. He didn't want to explain it and decided he probably couldn't if he tried. He said: "If I knew where songs came from, I would go there more often."

Xan Brooks,The Guardian[24]

The song was the subject of a 2012 book,The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of 'Hallelujah';author Alan Light said that Cohen's "approach to language and craft feel unlike the work of anybody else. They sound rooted in poetry and literature because he studied as a poet and a novelist first."[13]The book served as the basis for the 2022 documentary filmHallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song;the film's co-creator said that Cohen "addressed the deepest of our human concerns about longing for connection and longing for some sort of hope, transcendence and acknowledgment of the difficulties of life."[13]

Financial Timesarts and culture columnist Enuma Okoro wrote that "the lyrics and the tone of the song seem to sway betweenhymnanddirge,two musical forms that could serve as responses to almost everything that happens in our lives: songs that celebrate and acknowledge the blessings and provisions of our lives, and songs that bemoan our losses, our heartbreaks, and our deaths ".[25]Okoro noted that the wordhallelujahis composed of twoHebrewwords that mean "praise God", adding that Cohen said people have been "singing it for thousands of years to affirm our little journey".[25]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1985–2016) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[26] 59
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[27] 13
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[28] 17
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[29] 65
Finland Download (Latauslista)[30] 4
France (SNEP)[31] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[32] 27
Ireland (IRMA)[33] 55
Italy (FIMI)[34] 66
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[35] 27
New Zealand Heatseekers (RMNZ)[36] 1
Portugal (AFP)[37] 69
Scotland(OCC)[38] 30
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[39] 58
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[40] 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[41] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] 2
UK Singles(OCC)[43] 36
USBillboardHot 100[6] 59
USHot Rock & Alternative Songs(Billboard)[44] 20

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[26] Gold 35,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[45] Gold 45,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[46] Silver 200,000‡

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Cover versions[edit]

Since 1991, "Hallelujah" has been performed by more than 300 singers in many languages.[5]Statistics from theRecording Industry Association of America(RIAA), theCanadian Recording Industry Association,theAustralian Recording Industry Association,and theInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry,show that, by late 2008, more than five million copies of the song sold inCDformat.[citation needed]It has been the subject of aBBC Radiodocumentary,a book,[3]and been in thesoundtracksof numerous films and television programs.[47]Different interpretations of the song may include different verses, out of the more than 80 verses Cohen originally wrote.[48]

In an April 2009CBC Radiointerview, Cohen said he found the number of covers of his song "ironic and amusing", given that his record label refused to release it when he first wrote it; however, he then claimed the song could benefit from a break in exposure:

I was just reading a review of a movie calledWatchmenthat uses it and the reviewer said – "Can we please have a moratorium on 'Hallelujah' in movies and television shows?" And I kind of feel the same way... I think it's a good song, but I think too many people sing it.[49][50]

Conversely, in early 2012, while promoting his then-current album,Old Ideas,Cohen stated he was not tired of the song being covered:

There's been a couple of times when other people have said can we have a moratorium please on "Hallelujah"? Must we have it at the end of every single drama and every singleIdol?And once or twice I've felt maybe I should lend my voice to silencing it but on second thought no, I'm very happy that it's being sung.[51]

John Cale[edit]

John Cale'scover first appeared onI'm Your Fan(1991), a Leonard Cohentribute album,and later on hislive albumFragments of a Rainy Season(1992). Cale's version has vocals,piano,and different lyrics that Cohen had only performed live such as "I used to live alone before I knew ya" and "All I ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew ya". Cale had watched Cohen perform the song and asked Cohen to send him the lyrics.[3]Cohen then faxed Cale 15 pages of lyrics. Cale claims that he "went through and just picked out the cheeky verses."[48]

Cale's version forms the basis of most subsequent performances, including Cohen's performances during his 2008–09 world tour. Cale's version is used in the filmShrek(2001), butRufus Wainwright's version appears onthe soundtrack album.[15][3]Cale's also appears on thefirst soundtrack albumfor the TV seriesScrubs[52][53]and as the ending song of theCold Caseepisode "Death Penalty, Final Appeal".

Jeff Buckley[edit]

"Hallelujah"
SinglebyJeff Buckley
from the albumGrace
Released22 May 2007[54]
RecordedLate 1993–94, atBearsville Studios,Bearsville, New York
Genre
Length6:53
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Leonard Cohen
Producer(s)Andy Wallace
Jeff Buckleysingles chronology
"Forget Her"
(2004) 		"Hallelujah"
(2007)

Jeff Buckley,inspired by Cale's earlier cover, recorded one of the most acclaimed versions of "Hallelujah" for his only complete album,Grace,in 1994. It was released as a single in 2007, ten years after Buckley's death.

Critical reception[edit]

In 2004, Buckley's version was ranked number 259 onRolling Stone's "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[21]The same yearTimecalled Buckley's version "exquisitely sung," observing "Cohen murmured the original like a dirge, but... Buckley treated the... song like a tiny capsule of humanity, using his voice to careen between glory and sadness, beauty and pain... It's one of the great songs."[55]

In September 2007, a poll of fifty songwriters conducted by the magazineQlisted "Hallelujah" among the all-time "Top 10 Greatest Tracks" withJohn Legendcalling Buckley's version "as near perfect as you can get. The lyrics to 'Hallelujah' are just incredible and the melody's gorgeous and then there's Jeff's interpretation of it. It's one of the most beautiful pieces of recorded music I've ever heard."[56]In July 2009, the Buckley track was ranked number three on the2009 Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time,a listener poll held every decade by the Australian radio stationTriple J.[57]In 2017, The International Observer named Buckley's version of "Hallelujah" the greatest song of all time.[58]

On 2 April 2013, it was announced that Buckley's version of the song will be inducted into theLibrary of Congress's National Recording Registry.[59]

Commercial performance[edit]

Buckley's version was not an instant hit, nor did Buckley live to see the full measure of the reception his recording would ultimately have; he died in 1997. The album on which it appeared did not gogoldin the US until 2002, nine years after its release. In fact, like Cohen's original, the Buckley version was not released as a single until much later, and it did not chart until 2006, posthumously for Buckley. In March of that year, Buckley had his first national top 10 best-seller when "Hallelujah" was at number seven in Norway. In 2007, it made the top 3 on the Swedish charts. In March 2008, it toppedBillboard'sHot Digital Songsin the US after a performance of the song byJason Castroin theseventh seasonofAmerican Idol.[60][61][62]The sudden resurgence of interest providedboth Gold and Platinum status,the RIAA certifying the digital track on 22 April 2008.[63]It has sold 1,144,000 digital copies in the US as of May 2010.[64]It also hit number one in France in March 2008.

Usage in media[edit]

The Buckley version has been widely used in film and television dramas, including the movieLord of War,[65]the seriesThe West Wing,[55]Crossing Jordan,[55]Without a Trace,[55]The O.C.,[55][66]Third Watch,[55]LAX,[55]andJustiça.[67]"Hallelujah can be joyous or bittersweet, depending on what part of it you use",Timequoted Buckley's publisher as saying. The magazine opined that its liberal use in some cases was "a tacit admission that neither the writers nor the actors could convey their characters' emotions as well as Buckley."[55]

On 20 April 2013, Buckley's version of the song was played atFenway Parkduring a tribute honoring the victims of theBoston Marathon bombingbefore theRed Soxplayed their first home game following the tragedy.[68]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[86] 2× Platinum 140,000^
Belgium (BEA)[87] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[88] 2× Platinum 160,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[89] Platinum 90,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[90] Gold 150,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[91] Platinum 50,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[92] Gold 5,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[93] Gold 30,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[94] Gold 10,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[95] Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[96] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

*Sales figures based on certification alone.
^Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Rufus Wainwright[edit]

Rufus Wainwright by Oliver Mark, Berlin 2010
Wainwright in 2010

Canadian-American musician and singerRufus Wainwrighthad briefly met Jeff Buckley and recorded a tribute song to him after his 1997 death. That song, "Memphis Skyline", referenced Buckley's version of "Hallelujah", which Wainwright would later record, though usingpianoand a similar arrangement to Cale's. Wainwright's version is included on the albumShrek: Music from the Original Motion Picture,although it was Cale's version that was used in the film itself.[97]TheShreksoundtrack, containing Wainwright's cover, was certified2× Platinumin the United States in 2003 as selling more than two million copies.

Wainwright, his sisterMartha Wainwright,andJoan Wasserperformed the song in the 2005 filmLeonard Cohen: I'm Your Man.

In 2016, Wainwright recorded a version of the song with a chorus of 1,500 singers at a disused power station in Toronto.[98]

Charts[edit]

Chart (2007–2010) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[99] 97
USHot Rock and Alternative Songs(Billboard)[100] 16
USRock Digital Songs(Billboard)[101] 11

k.d. lang[edit]

In 2004,k.d. langrecorded a version of "Hallelujah" on her albumHymns of the 49th Parallel.She has since sung it at several major events, such as at the CanadianJuno Awards of 2005,[102]where it "brought the audience to its feet for a two-minute ovation."[103]Lang also sang it at the 2006Canadian Songwriters Hall of Famewhen Cohen was inducted into the Hall of Fame.[104]Cohen's partner, singerAnjani Thomas,said: "After hearing k.d. lang perform that song at the Canadian Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2006 we looked at each other and said, 'well, I think we can lay that song to rest now! It's really been done to its ultimate blissful state of perfection'."[105]Lang sang it at the opening ceremony of the2010 Winter Olympic Gamesin Vancouver, before a claimed TV audience of three billion.[106]Lang's rendition of the song has been used several times infigure skating,notably by American skaterMariah Belland Brazilian skaterIsadora Williams.[107][108]

Lang again performed the song at the 2017Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohenconcert.[109]

Alexandra Burke[edit]

"Hallelujah"
SinglebyAlexandra Burke
from the albumOvercome
B-side
Released17 December 2008
Recorded2008
GenreR&B,pop
Length3:39
LabelSyco
Songwriter(s)Leonard Cohen
Producer(s)Quiz & Larossi
Alexandra Burkesingles chronology
"Hero"
(2008) 		"Hallelujah"
(2008) 		"Bad Boys"
(2009)
Music video
"Hallelujah"onYouTube

On the 13 December 2008 finale, for thefifth seriesof the reality television showThe X Factor,head-to-head finalistsAlexandra Burkeand groupJLSeach performed it as their final song before the winner's vote. Burke was voted the overall winner, and her condensed cover version of the song was immediately recorded and released as a prize for her victory. It reachedChristmas number oneon theUK Singles Charton 21 December 2008.[119]

Burke herself was not initially enamoured with the choice of song, saying "It just didn't do anything for me" and "I could not see a way to put my twist on it." After finding a way to perform it to her liking, however, she later realised "what a smart choice of song Simon Cowell made by picking Hallelujah. He managed to judge the mood and has selected the song of the year. I have grown to love it. Everyone seems to love it.”[120]

Chart battle with other versions[edit]

The release of Burke's cover created interest in the previous versions of the song, including a Buckley fan campaign to take Buckley's cover to the top of the Christmas chart and therefore deny Burke the top spot.[121]The campaign was fuelled by Buckley fans' dislike ofThe X Factor's commercialism and the song's arrangement,[122][123]as well as their desire to introduce younger people to Buckley's version.[124]

Commercial performance[edit]

Burke's version broke a European sales record after selling more than 105,000 digital downloads in just one day, breaking the previous record set byLeona Lewis.[125]The song sold 576,000 copies in its first week, becoming the fastest-selling single released by a woman in the United Kingdom and the 2008 Christmas number one, while Buckley's cover charted at number two and Cohen's original version at number 36 on the same chart.[119]

On 28 December 2008, theUK Singles Chartlisted Burke's version as the biggest-selling single of the year,[125][126]withNMEannouncing sales of more than one million copies since its release.[127]This also made Burke the first ever female British artist to have a million-selling single in the UK.[128]It has sold 1.330 million as of August 2016, making it the biggest-sellingX Factorwinner's single to date.[129]

Charts[edit]

Chart (2008–17) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[130] 53
CanadaAC(Billboard)[131] 15
Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[132] 27
European Hot 100 Singles[133] 6
France (SNEP)[134] 175
Ireland (IRMA)[76] 1
Scotland(OCC)[135] 1
Slovenia (SloTop50)[136] 25
UK Singles(OCC)[137] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2008) Position
Ireland (IRMA)[138] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[139] 1

All-time charts[edit]

Chart Position
Ireland (IRMA)[140] 14

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[141] Gold 150,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[142] 3× Platinum 1,800,000‡

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Pentatonix[edit]

"Hallelujah"
SinglebyPentatonix
from the albumA Pentatonix Christmas
Released21 October 2016
Recorded2016
GenreA cappella
Length4:28
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)Leonard Cohen
Producer(s)Pentatonix, Ben Bram
Pentatonixsingles chronology
"Jolene"
(2016) 		"Hallelujah"
(2016) 		"Dancing On My Own"
(2017)
Music video
"Hallelujah"onYouTube
Pentatonix, 2015

Thea cappellagroupPentatonixcovered the song in the quintet's 2016 album,A Pentatonix Christmas.On 21 October 2016, Pentatonix also released a music video for their cover filmed in the California Mojave Desert.[143][144]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2016–2024) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[145] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50Flanders)[146] 22
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling UnderWallonia)[147] 14
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[148] 16
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[149] 83
France (SNEP)[150] 20
Germany (Official German Charts)[151] 4
Global 200(Billboard)[152] 38
Hungary (Single Top 40)[153] 2
Italy (FIMI)[154] 18
Lithuania (AGATA)[155] 86
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[156] 62
Poland (Polish Streaming Top 100)[157] 76
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[158] 53
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[159] 23
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[160] 40
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[161] 7
USBillboardHot 100[162] 23
USHoliday 100(Billboard)[163] 2
USRolling StoneTop 100[164] 68

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2016) Position
Hungary (Single Top 40)[165] 71

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[166] Platinum 70,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[167] 3× Platinum 240,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[168] Gold 45,000‡
France (SNEP)[169] Gold 100,000‡
Germany (BVMI)[170] 3× Gold 600,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[171] Platinum 50,000‡
Switzerland (IFPISwitzerland)[172] Platinum 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[173] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[174] Gold 500,000‡

‡Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other cover versions[edit]

it's a beautifully constructed melody that steps up, evolves, and slips back, all in quick time. But this song has a connective chorus, which when it comes in has a power all of its own. The 'secret chord' and the point-blank I-know-you-better-than-you-know-yourself aspect of the song has plenty of resonance for me.

–Bob Dylan[175]

Bob Dylanwas among the first to perform Cohen's song in concert with his earliest noted performance being in Montreal on 8 July 1988.[176]Other notable singers who have covered "Hallelujah" includeBrandi Carlile,Regina Spektor,Willie Nelson,Susan Boyle,Tim Minchin,Myles Kennedy,andBono.Bono's version, which is mostly spoken, was included inTower of Song,an all-star tribute to Cohen in 1995.Bon Jovihas covered the song several times in concert, including on their 2008Live at Madison Square GardenDVD.[177]

In 2006, the Norwegian quartet ofEspen Lind,Kurt Nilsen,Alejandro FuentesandAskil Holmreleased a cover of the song. After debuting at number 8 on the NorwegianVG-lista,the single reached number one in January 2007.[178]The song remained listed on the Norwegian top 20 for 37 (non-consecutive) weeks between 2006 and 2007.[179]The song also appears on the 2006 albumHallelujah Live,credited to Lind with Nilsen, Fuentes and Holm, which also reached the top of the Norwegian VG-lista.[180]

International groupIl Divoreleased a Spanish-language adaptation with different lyrics on their albumThe Promise(2008), which topped the charts in the UK. The song was performed by recording artistDamien Riceat the 2008Rock and Roll Hall of Fameinductions when Cohen wasinducted.That same year Welsh mezzo-sopranoKatherine Jenkinsrecorded aclassical-crossoverversion for her albumSacred Arias.[176]Kate Voegeleperformed it in character as Mia Catalano in the US teen dramaOne Tree Hill.Also appearing on an album, her version made the Hot 100Billboardcharts and reached number 53 in the UK shortly after airing of the episode there.[181]Also in 2008, the Welsh bandBrigynreleased a version inWelsh.[182]In 2009 Swedish artistEbba Forsbergreleased a version sung in Swedish.

The song has become a staple of televisiontalent shows.Jason Castro,anAmerican Idolseason 7 contestant, performed a version on 4 March 2008,[183]which propelledJeff Buckley's version of the song to the top of theBillboarddigital songchart.[60][61]His version was included in hisself-titled debut albumand his second studio album,Who I Am.Lisa Hordijk,winner of the 2009 DutchX Factor,released "Hallelujah" as her debut single, which went double platinum and remained at the top of the Dutch charts for ten weeks.[184]

A 2009 hit byOrthodox JewishsingerOhad Moskowitz,"Bo'i Kala",featuring the words of the traditional tune accompanying a Jewish bride to thechuppah,is a musical adaptation of "Hallelujah".[185][186]

On 22 January 2010, American musiciansJustin Timberlake,Matt Morris,andCharlie Sextonperformed a live cover version of "Hallelujah" during theHope for Haiti Nowtelethon in support of those affected by the2010 Haiti earthquake.A recorded version was released the following day on theHope for Haiti Nowsoundtrack albumand reached a peak of number 13 on theBillboardHot 100chart.[187]

On 16 April 2010, theEdmonton Symphony Orchestraand theRichard Eaton Singersconducted byJack Everlypremiered a new arrangement for orchestra and chorus by Claude Lapalme.[188]Also in 2010, theMaccabeatsofYeshiva UniversityreleasedVoices from the Heights,with ana cappellaversion of "Hallelujah" set to the Hebrew words of the Shabbat liturgical poem "Lecha Dodi".[189][190]

Canadian singer Kelley Mooney was asked by herparish priestto perform the song forEastermassbut she discovered the lyrics were inappropriate, so she wrote new lyrics[191]about thecrucifixionandResurrection of Jesus.In 2008, after two years of trying,[192]she received permission from Cohen to perform the song with new lyrics.[193]Her performance in 2010[192]with a children's choir received 1.4 million views onYouTubeand also appeared onGodTube.[193]Mooney released aCDTomorrowin 2011 which included her version ofHallelujah,[192]and her version was number three on theBillboardChristiandigital downloadschart in 2014,[194]the same year the video reached 6.5 million views on GodTube as of Easter.[193]

Steven Pageperformed the song live at thestate funeralof CanadianOpposition LeaderJack Laytonon 27 August 2011.[195]

Raul Esparzaperformed the song live at theKennedy Center's 11 September Memorial Concert on 8 September 2011.[196]

In May 2012, Canada'sRoyal Winnipeg Balletpresented the World Premiere ofThe Doorway – Scenes from Leonard Cohen,created and choreographed by Jorden Morris – with "Hallelujah" performed by Allison Crowe (voice and piano) and ballerinas Sophia Lee and Jo-Ann Gudilin dancing alternate dates.[197]

On the 17 December 2012 episode ofThe Voice,the song was covered in tribute to the victims of theSandy Hook Elementary School shootingby coaches Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Blake Shelton and Cee Lo Green.[198]

American actor, comedian and musicianAdam Sandlerperformed an off-color parody of "Hallelujah" in December 2012 atMadison Square GardeninNew York Cityas part of12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief,withPaul Shafferon piano. Sandler's version contained numerous references toHurricane Sandyand contemporary events in local culture, sports and politics.[199]

SingerTori Kellyrecorded a cover of "Hallelujah" for the animated filmSingand has done two notable live performances of the song: during the "In Memoriam" portion of the68th Primetime Emmy Awards,and alongsideLuis Fonsiduring the 2017Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relieftelethon.[200][201]In August 2020, Cohen fans were incensed when Kelly's recording was played afterDonald Trump's speech at theRepublican National Convention.[202]A legal representative for the Cohen estate said they had "specifically declined the RNC's use request" for "one of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue". She added that the estate might have approved the use of Cohen's "You Want It Darker".[203]

On 12 November 2016, an episode ofSaturday Night Liveopened with cast memberKate McKinnonasHillary Clintonperforming a rendition of the song in tribute to both Cohen and Clinton. The preceding week had seen both Cohen's death and Clinton's loss to Donald Trump in the2016 US presidential election.[204]

Linkin ParkfrontmanChester Benningtonsang "Hallelujah" during his eulogy toChris Cornellat Hollywood Forever Cemetery on 26 May 2017.[205]

The American alt-right conspiracy theorist and comedianOwen Benjaminused the music of "Hallelujah" with new lyrics in his song titled "How They Rule Ya" in support of freeing Britishfar-rightactivistTommy Robinson,who was held at the time forcontempt of courtcharges for violating a press gag order, encouraging vigilante action against and illegally filming some of the defendants[206]in the trial of theHuddersfield grooming gang.Released on 12 June 2018 under the alternative title "Free Tommy Robinson", it charted in the UKiTunesCharts.[207]Robinson as a tribute and gratitude to Owen Benjamin, upon his release led the crowd outside theOld Baileyto a rendition of the song written by Benjamin.[208]

At a national remembrance in January 2021 for those killed by theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States,Yolanda Adamssang a slightly modified two verses of "Hallelujah", changing "Maybe there's no God above" to "I know that there's a God above". A number of American Jews criticized the performance, as they had a usage of the song at the end of the2020 Republican National Convention,for ignoring the song's lyrics about sexuality and questioning one's faith.[209]

Inclusions in film, television and events[edit]

Accolades and achievements[edit]

  • TheBBCcommemorated the 25th anniversary of the first recording of "Hallelujah" with an hour-long radio documentary,The Fourth, The Fifth, The Minor Fall,broadcast on 1 November 2008, in which the song's history and numerous cover versions were presented and discussed.[15]
  • The song was named one of the top ten greatest tracks of all time in a poll of songwriters conducted by the British music magazineQ.[217]
  • Rolling Stonemagazine listed the song as one of the500 greatest songs.[21]
  • In the February 2009 issue ofBlender,"Hallelujah" was named that month's "Greatest Song Ever" (a monthly feature).[218]
  • In 2005, "Hallelujah" was named the tenth-greatest Canadian song of all time inChartmagazine'sannual readers' poll.
  • On 21 December 2008, "Hallelujah" became the first song in 51 years[119]to hold the top two positions on theUK Singles Chart;The X FactorwinnerAlexandra Burke's and American singerJeff Buckley's covers were the two highest-selling songs in the week beginning 15 December 2008. Leonard Cohen's version was number 36 in the same chart.[219]
  • In 2014, "Hallelujah" was ranked number 1 inRolling Stone's"Best Leonard Cohen Songs" readers' poll.[220]
  • Far OutandAmerican Songwriterranked the song number three and number one, respectively, on their lists of the 10 greatest Leonard Cohen songs.[221][222]
  • Cohen's original version was ranked number 74 on the 2021 edition of "Top 500 Songs of All Time" byRolling Stonemagazine.[223]

Other charted versions[edit]

Covering Artist(s) Year Peak chart positions Certifications
AUS
[224] 		AUT
[225] 		BEL
(FL)
[226] 		BEL
(WA)
[227] 		CAN
[228] 		DEN
[229] 		EU
[230] 		FRA
[231] 		NL
[232] 		NZ
[233] 		SWE
[234] 		SWI
[235] 		UK
[236] 		US
[237]
Bon Jovi 2008 — 29 — — — — — — — — — — 177 —
Kate Voegele — — — — — — — — — — — — 53 68
Lisa Lois 2009 — — — — — — 99 — 1 — — — — —
Justin TimberlakeandMatt MorrisfeaturingCharlie Sexton 2010 — 22 25 31 5 37 — — — 8 10 — 91 13
NataliaandGabriel Ríos — — 1 6 — — 81 — — — — — — —
Karise Eden 2012 2 — — — — — — — — 35 — — — —
Bastian Baker — — — —[A] — — — 18 — — — 24 — —
Matthew Schuler 2013 — — — — — — — — — — — — — 40
Xavier Naidoo 2014 — 20 — — — — — — — — — 36 — —

Notes

  • A^Bastian Baker's version of "Hallelujah" did not enter theUltratop 50,but peaked at number 5 on the WalloniaUltratipchart.[240]

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  224. ^Peak positions on theAustralian ARIA Singleschart:
  225. ^Peak positions on theÖ3 Austria Top 40chart:
  226. ^Peak positions on the BelgianUltratop 50Flanders chart:
  227. ^Peak positions on the BelgianUltratop 50Wallonia chart:
  228. ^Peak chart positions on theBillboardCanadian Hot 100:
  229. ^Peak positions on the DanishTracklisten:
  230. ^Peak positions on theEuropean Hot 100 Singleschart:
  231. ^Peak positions on theFrench Singles Chart:
  232. ^Peak chart positions on the DutchSingle Top 100:
  233. ^Peak chart positions on theNew Zealand Singles Chart:
  234. ^Peak chart positions on theSwedish Singles Chart:
  235. ^Peak positions on theSwiss Singles Chart:
  236. ^Peak chart positions on theUK Singles Chart:
  237. ^Peak chart positions on the USBillboardHot 100:
  238. ^"Les Disques d'Or / de Platine – 2010"(in French).Ultratop.Hung Medien.Retrieved21 September2012.
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Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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