fromdreamtodream (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

it simply drives me out of breath... like all the anguish in my life piles up and I'm finally able to cry it out and move on

slivererific (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

this isnt the one for grace

rockinrollqueen224 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

im gonna start crying is so pretty jk

gyggedy (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

this can be actually my favourite song, and it's obviously dedicated to my little baby i was just about losing her forever this damn year

imshadowynne (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

If this is what he recorded for Grace, he actually recorded it over 20 times, and then the sound editor took 3 and put them together to make the one. There are live versions where he does do it all in one take, and they're breathtaking too!

imshadowynne (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

That is just not true rachelo93! Although it uses biblical references, it is not meant as a song of faith.

imshadowynne (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

You have it partially right mculver7, except that it was actually John Cale who saw him perform and asked for the lyrics. Cohen faxed him all 15 verses! It was about 10 years later that Rufus recorded it for the soundtrack for Shrek, although the John Cale version is in the movie.

WINDYwow (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Yea, me too

mculver7 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

Also, in the Bible Hallelujah is a sort of spiritual cry of either great happiness, praise, sadness, agony, and even defeat. So, Cohen probably incorporated all of these things in the different versions of his song. The brokeness of "Hallelujah" in this song may have been what they felt would resonate most with the listener.

mculver7 (December 31, 1969 at 6:59 pm)

I also read that cohen wrote like 45 pages of lyrics to the song... The story goes that Leonard Cohen performed it at an open mic night and Rufus Wainwright saw him play it. He was so moved by the greatness of the song that he asked Cohen if he could cover it and Cohen said he was send him the lyrics. Well, Leonard faxed him like 45 pages of different lyrics to the song... This version of the song is, from what I understand, sort of the version that Rufus put together from all the diff. lyrics..