Hallelujah (song)

"Hallelujah" is a song written and recorded by Leonard Cohen in 1984. It was included on his album Various Positions, and eventually reached the public later in 1985.

Related Topics:
Leonard Cohen - Various Positions

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Regarded by many as one of the most beautiful popular musical pieces ever written, the song deals with ambiguous topics and there is much debate over Cohen's intentions or messages. Religious themes and sexual lyrics imply that the track deals with the dynamic of a relationship by using a spiritual metaphor, and the tone is often described as depressive or sorrowful.

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In later years, the inspirational song was to be performed, or covered by, esteemed artists such as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Bono from U2. It also helped launch the career of American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley, whom many consider to have recorded the most striking version of "Hallelujah". Most recently, Rufus Wainwright covered the track, using a similar style to Buckley, though his version is more piano-driven. The popularity of Wainwright's recording was reflected in its inclusion on the Shrek movie soundtrack in 2001, although it was John Cale's version that was used in the film itself. Allison Crowe, India Arie, Gavin DeGraw, k.d. lang and Clare Bowditch have also covered the song.

Related Topics:
Bob Dylan - Johnny Cash - Bono - U2 - Jeff Buckley - Rufus Wainwright - Shrek - John Cale - Allison Crowe - India Arie - Gavin DeGraw - K.d. lang

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