A very sad day today as the world lost one of the most visionary songwriters that has ever lived in the passing of Leonard Cohen.
I was actually shocked I didn't have the chords to this, perhaps his most covered song, on Got A Ukulele. Seemed kind of appropriate to put it up today. And for those that say 'those aren't the words', you are probably thinking of the Jeff Buckley cover which changed them. These are the words the Leonard himself used for the song.
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen - (for educational purposes only - lyrics copyright Leonard Cohen)
Now [C] I've heard there was a [Am]secret chord
That [C] David played, and it [Am]pleased the Lord
But [F] you don't really [G] care for music, [C] do you? [G]
It [C] goes like this, the [F] fourth, the [G]fifth
The [Am]minor fall, the [F] major lift
The [G] baffled king com [Em] posing Halle [Am]lujah
Halle [F] lujah Halle [Am] lujah
Halle[F] lujah Halle[C] lu [G] uu [C] jah [C]
Your [C] faith was strong but you [Am]needed proof
You [C] saw her bathing [Am]on the roof
Her [F] beauty and the [G] moonlight over [C] threw you [G]
She [C] tied you to a [F] kitchen [G] chair
She [Am] broke your throne, and she [F] cut your hair
And [G] from your lips she [Em] drew the Halle [Am] lujah
Halle [F] lujah Halle [Am] lujah
Halle[F] lujah Halle[C] lu [G] uu [C] jah [C]
You [C] say I took the [Am]name in vain
I [C] don't even [Am] know the name
But [F] if I did, well [G] really, what's it [C] to you?[G]
There's a [C] blaze of light in [F] every [G] word
It [Am] doesn't matter [F] which you heard
The [G] holy or the [Em] broken Halle [Am] lujah
Halle [F] lujah Halle [Am] lujah
Halle[F] lujah Halle[C] lu [G] uu [C] jah [C]
I [C] did my best, it [Am] wasn't much
I [C] couldn't feel, so I [Am]tried to touch
I've [F] told the truth, I [G] didn't come to [C] fool you [G]
And [C] even though it [F]all went [G]wrong
I'll [Am] stand before the [F] Lord of Song
With [G] nothing on my [Em] tongue but Halle [Am] lujah
Halle [F] lujah Halle [Am] lujah
Halle[F] lujah Halle[C] lu [G] uu [C] jah [C]
Halle [F] lujah Halle [Am] lujah
Halle[F] lujah Halle[C] lu [G] uu [C] jah [C]
© Barry Maz
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I love these lyrics. Leonard Cohen himself used different lyrics later, too, but the original are by far my favourite. R.I.P. to a true genius.
ReplyDeleteIs a lyricist, I genuinely think Cohen is one of the best the planet has ever produced. A great loss.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely beyond compare in my opinion. When I got married, our first dance was to If It Be Your Will. An unusual choice, which puzzled and amused in equal measure.
ReplyDeleteI love the lyrics to 'The Anthem'
ReplyDeleteFitting just after an election, some might think.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Barry. S'wonderful.
ReplyDeletelove this song
ReplyDelete