🎵 About Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen released Hallelujah in 1984 on his album Various Positions. At the time, the song didn’t gain much commercial success, but over the years it became one of the most performed and covered songs worldwide. The track mixes biblical references (King David, Samson, Bathsheba) with themes of love, loss, longing, and spirituality.
🎶 Meaning of the Song
The word Hallelujah means “praise the Lord,” but Cohen uses it in many shades—sacred, romantic, broken, and redemptive. The song reflects on the tension between the spiritual and the human, exploring how love can be both divine and painful.
Key themes include:
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Faith and doubt – questioning God, yet still praising.
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Love and heartbreak – the sacred intertwined with the broken.
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Redemption – finding beauty in imperfection.
🌍 Cultural Impact
Though originally underappreciated, the song gained massive recognition in the 1990s after Jeff Buckley’s haunting version and later through Rufus Wainwright’s cover (featured in Shrek). Today, Hallelujah is performed at concerts, memorials, weddings, and talent shows across the world.
Notable artists who’ve covered it:
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Jeff Buckley
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John Cale
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Rufus Wainwright
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k.d. lang
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Pentatonix
📌 Quick Facts
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Released: 1984 (Various Positions)
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Writer: Leonard Cohen
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Genre: Folk rock / Ballad
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Legacy: Considered one of the greatest songs of all time.
English Lyrics Of Hallelujah Song
Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah (1984)
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?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
Well she tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room, and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Our love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
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?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Maybe there�s a God above
But all I�ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you
It�s not a cry that you can hear at night
It�s not someone who has seen the light
It�s a cold and 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
Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah (1984)
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?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you
Well she tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Baby I've been here before
I've seen this room, and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Our love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
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?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Maybe there�s a God above
But all I�ve ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you
It�s not a cry that you can hear at night
It�s not someone who has seen the light
It�s a cold and 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
Hallelujah Song Line By Line Meaning
Verse 1
"I've heard there was a secret chord / That David played, and it pleased the Lord"
→ Refers to King David from the Bible, who was both a warrior and a musician. Cohen is saying music can hold divine mystery and beauty.
"But you don't really care for music, do you?"
→ Addressing someone who is indifferent to deeper meaning or art, maybe a lover or even humanity in general.
"Well it goes like this / The fourth, the fifth / The minor fall, the major lift"
→ These are actual chords in music theory. He’s describing the structure of a song while singing it, blending technical and poetic language.
"The baffled king composing Hallelujah"
→ Suggests David (or Cohen himself) creating beauty even while confused or broken.
Chorus
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah"
→ “Praise the Lord.” But Cohen uses it in many contexts: joyful, sad, spiritual, and broken. It’s both worship and lament.
Verse 2
"Well your faith was strong but you needed proof / You saw her bathing on the roof"
→ A story of David and Bathsheba (Old Testament). His faith falters when desire overtakes him.
"Her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you"
→ Desire can overwhelm reason or faith.
"She tied you to a kitchen chair / She broke your throne, and cut your hair"
→ Mixes David’s story with Samson and Delilah. Suggests love and lust can strip away power.
"And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah"
→ Love and passion can lead to both ruin and moments of ecstasy.
Verse 3
"Baby I’ve been here before / I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor"
→ Suggests familiarity with love, heartbreak, and human weakness.
"I used to live alone before I knew you"
→ Reflecting on how love changed him.
"I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch"
→ Could mean pride or conquest. Suggests love can feel like a battle.
"Our love is not a victory march / It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah"
→ Love isn’t always triumphant; sometimes it’s painful and fractured.
Verse 4
"There was a time when you let me know / What’s really going on below"
→ Intimacy once shared, both emotional and physical.
"But now you never show it to me, do you?"
→ That intimacy is gone, replaced by distance.
"And remember when I moved in you / The holy dove was moving too"
→ A blend of physical and spiritual love. Suggests sex can feel sacred.
"And every breath we drew was Hallelujah"
→ At their most intimate, every act felt divine.
Verse 5
"Maybe there’s a God above / But all I’ve ever learned from love / Was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you"
→ Questioning God. Suggests love taught him more about conflict and pain than peace.
"It’s not a cry that you can hear at night / It’s not someone who has seen the light"
→ This Hallelujah isn’t joyful or holy—it’s weary and resigned.
"It’s a cold and broken Hallelujah"
→ The heart still praises, even if it’s through suffering.
Verse 6
"You say I took the name in vain / I don’t even know the name"
→ Wrestling with faith, doubt, and the weight of religion.
"But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?"
→ Rejects judgment from others.
"There’s a blaze of light in every word / It doesn’t matter which you heard / The holy or the broken Hallelujah"
→ Every form of expression, whether joyful or broken, contains truth.
Verse 7
"I did my best, it wasn’t much / I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch"
→ A confession of human weakness and effort, even when faith feels numb.
"I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you"
→ He’s being raw and honest in song.
"And even though it all went wrong / I’ll stand before the Lord of Song / With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah"
→ At the end of it all, whether broken or whole, he will still sing praise.
❓ FAQs about Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen
Q1. What is the meaning of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah?
The song blends biblical stories with themes of love, loss, and spirituality. Cohen shows that Hallelujah can be sung in joy, in sorrow, in faith, and even in brokenness.
Q2. When was Hallelujah released?
Leonard Cohen first released Hallelujah in 1984 on his album Various Positions.
Q3. Why is Hallelujah so popular?
Although the original version didn’t gain much attention, later covers by artists like Jeff Buckley, John Cale, and Rufus Wainwright turned it into a cultural phenomenon. It is now performed at weddings, funerals, films, and concerts worldwide.
Q4. Who wrote and sang the original Hallelujah?
The song was written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen.
Q5. What does “cold and broken Hallelujah” mean?
It represents a form of praise that comes from pain and struggle. Even when life feels fractured, there is still beauty and honesty in expressing “Hallelujah.”
Q6. How many verses does Hallelujah have?
Cohen originally wrote around 80 verses over time. Different artists select different sets of verses to perform, which is why versions often vary.
Q7. Which cover version of Hallelujah is the most famous?
Jeff Buckley’s haunting version from 1994 is often considered the most iconic. Rufus Wainwright’s version also became well-known after being featured in the movie Shrek.
Q8. What genre is Hallelujah?
The song is usually described as a folk-rock ballad, with spiritual and poetic undertones.