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Discussion and interpretation of Halleluja by Leonard Cohen

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by efusco, Sep 7, 2004.

  1. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    I've recently become infatuated, again, with the song Halleluja and am in search of some authoratative discussion of the history and meaning behind the lyrics.

    I came to know this song, originally, in the movie "Shrek"--Rufus Wainright's version. More recently, while reading Neil Peart's latest book, got turned onto Jeff Buckley's cover of this Leonard Cohen classic.

    Anway, if anyone knows of a good site that discusses this topic I'd appreciate the link. I've spent almost 2 hours of fruitless googling tonight and found only one hack that couldn't see beyond a warped superficial meaning.
     
    #1 efusco, Sep 7, 2004
  2. Marg

    Marg New Member

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    I don't know the definitive site, but here's one that has snippets of interesting quotes from Cohen interviews. http://perso.wanadoo.fr/pilgraeme/hallelujah.htm My favourite bit, from an 1985 interview, is as follows:

    "(Cohen) I intended to say "Hallelujah". There is a religious Hallelujah, but there are many other ones. When one looks at the world and his proper life, there's only one thing to say, it's Hallelujah. That's the way it is....

    (Interviewer) It means "Thank You" ?

    (Cohen) The literal translation is "Pray God". It's not exactly some gratitude but the affirmation there is a will that we can't control. What can we do in front of it ?

    (Interviewer) A good will or a bad one ?

    (Cohen) An impenetrable one."

    Cohen is a Jewish man who grew up in Montreal during a period when Quebec was very Catholic. During the 60s, the province went through a big cultural, political and social change known as "The Quiet Revolution". One feature of this change was that church attendance plummeted and the influence of the church waned. At some point in his life (the 80s, maybe), Cohen became a Zen Buddhist and has been practicing ever since.

    It is really fascinating to see how all these influences have affected some of his songs.
     
    #2 Marg, Sep 8, 2004
  3. Danny

    Danny Admin/Founder
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    #3 Danny, Sep 8, 2004
  4. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    Yea, that was the "hack" I refered to...I thought that was a pretty lame interpretation..extremely superfiscial at best.

    I want someone who can explain the relation ship of the description of David and Bathshera in the same verse as the Sampson and Delilha. Why the use of the word Halleluja when clearly this isn't a prayer to God, and many versions are actually fairly anti-Christian sounding...to my ear.

    I certainly think it's a song about lost love, on a superficial level, but some of the later verses leave me a little confused about what the artist is trying to convey about that lost love.
     
    #4 efusco, Sep 8, 2004
  5. Marg

    Marg New Member

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    Evan, now that you raised this topic, the song is going through my head and it won't stop. Ahhhhh!
     
    #5 Marg, Sep 9, 2004
  6. efusco

    efusco Moderator Emeritus
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    My wife has resorted to begging me to quit singing the "the 4th the 5th the minor fall, the major lift the baffled king composing halleluja" ! :oops:
     
    #6 efusco, Sep 9, 2004
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