Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah (don't panic!)

It's beautiful isn't it? It's all about the simplicity for me. Which is why that over-produced tat Simon Cowell has just produced makes my ears bleed.

I also mourned for music when Ronan Keating murdered The Goo Goo Dolls, 'Iris'. I still seethe over that now.

Here's the original if anyone cares to join me in some seething;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsK90GWBVLY&gl=GB

I've only ever heard the Leonard Cohen version, and didn't even know there were any others until all this X Factor stuff came out.

Thats whats always got me about this version. Its the intimacy of it. The fact you hear him sigh at the start, just his voice and the guitar, that breathtaking hold of the 'hallelujah' at he end....its beautiful. I know Leonard Cohen wrote this song but to me Jeff's singing of it tells the story so well its not hard to believe that he didn't write it. To me it obviously meant something so much more to him than a successful record.

I swear as well this version 'saved' me once [drama queen icon inserted here] I was having a really rough time, feeling so incredibly low, I was tying myself in knots and just didn't know where to turn. I was running on the Chase and listening to my Ipod and this came on.......I was reduced to floods of tears but I felt so much better for it. I guess thats the power of music for you ?

Anyway the midweek charts now have it at number 3 and only 10,000 copies behind Leona Lewis at number 2.

Jeff Buckley's version give me the chills. I love it, especially when he holds that note for ageeeeeeeeeeeeeees at the end of the song.

I didn't realise it was a cover [shame icon] until X Factor final. Haven't heard the winners song but no doubt it will be total pish.

I love Jeff Buckleys version. The song is amazing, I must admit i don't like Cohens version - but the lyrics he worte are brilliant and have caused much debate over the years as to what its all about. I don't think Alexandra understands the song, theres no real emotion in it to go along with the lyrics and I can pick a few faults (im sure she pretended to shoot a gun at the line "But all I've ever learned from love
was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you")

Theres so many lyrics in it that I love, but I especially love this section:

"Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
But remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah"

Yes, it sounds very erotic but, at the same time its speaks to me of a man missing his love. A love that has now broken down "But now you never show that to me, do you?" ? Gets me every time.

I could rabbit on all day about the song, but need to dash to my sons xmas party at nursery so i can see him meeting santa.

Nik x

It is lovely and it made me buy his album, which was dreadful. I felt betrayed.

Also agree about the Ronan Keating's Iris, right up there with All Saints Under The Bridge.

Buckley did state that he considered "The Hallelujah" to be a metaphor for orgasm, so I suppose it is

Yeah, I knew about people considering the Hallelujah to be a metaphor for orgasm, theres many erotic lines in the song. Quite saucy really! ?

Do you mean Grace? I love that album, it's fabulous.

Ditto! How can you find it dreadful? ? You may need to play it a few times but seriously, give it a try!

Yeah Just didnt like it. Just listening to Edith Bowman doing Buck Factor or whatever she is calling it and Hallelujah is just fabulous.

To be fair, Hallelujah is extremely 'out of step' with the rest of Grace.