No, I'm not talking about the Messiah - I have Trevor Pinnock's version.
Nor BWV 140 - I have both Gardiner and Gonnerwein (as well as others).
I'm talking about the song whole lyrics follow:
quote:I heard there was a secret chord That David played and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you Well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth The minor fall and the major lift The baffled king composing halleluJah
halleluJah...
Well your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you She tied you to her kitchen chair She broke your throne and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the halleluJah
HalleluJah...
Baby I've been here before I've seen this room and I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you I've seen your flag on the marble arch But love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken halleluJah
HalleluJah...
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
Well, maybe there's a god above But all I've ever learned from love Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you It's not a cry that you hear at night It's not somebody who's seen the light It's a cold and it's a broken halleluJah
HalleluJah...
(Note: Sory for punc, I had to capitalise and correct spelling, no nergy for punc.!)
Anyway, I downloaded it sung by Leonard Cohen (I think! He has the accent of FDR - undefined; not from the British Isles, and apparently not from North America), and the "Soundtrack of Shreck" - unfortunately, I never got to see the first of the 2 films. It is from the first, no?
So, who has it sung best, with a well-played melody, touching ballads, with not too much vibratto, and sung passionately?
JH
P.S. Thanks in advance!
P.P.S. If you're wondering why I capitalised the "J" in halleluJah, it's because people in English write "He", "You", "Me" - capitalised - when the one refered to is god. The "Jah" bit in Hallelu-Jah means "God", ("hallelu" is a command - "Praise!".)
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
As an aside: "Jah" is actually a shortened version of "Jehovah," which is God's name in the Bible.
[ February 22, 2005, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: Ralphie ]
Posted by Vána (Member # 6593) on :
JH, you like Bach? That's wonderful news.
I don't know the song you posted, but the lyrics are interesting.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Perhaps we should set an exhaustive list of versions of this song:
Leonard Cohen wrote it Jeff Buckley did it Rufus Wainwright does the version from Shrek Tori Amos ought to do it
any others?
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
He is the one and only... I like BWVs 1066 to 1069, 140 (movements 1, 4 and 6), the last movement of 147, Goldberg, "Mache Dich" and "O Haupt" from the St Matthew Passion, Brandenburg, "Dona Nobis Pacem" from the Mass in B Minor, BWV 540 [Toccatta, of course], and the Fugue of 565.
These are my highlights.
But that's not the point! I'm going for the Buckly one at this moment. Possibly better ones exist?
JH
P.S. Thanks, again.
Posted by IdemosthenesI (Member # 862) on :
From allmusic.com
All the artists who have covered Cohen's "Hallelujah" (which I spell whithout capitalizing Jah because Cohen didn't capitalize it, and capitalization of a work of art can be overriden by the artist so there ):
Angelou Bono Chris Botti Jeff Buckley (my favorite of the ones I've heard) John Cale Carrie Clark Leonard Cohen (obviously) Allison Crowe Julie Felix k.d. lang (see above note on capitalization) Patricia O'Callaghan Dale Turner 22 Brides Rufus Wainwright (also very good)
and appeared without an artist listed on these albums:
Dead Zone [TV soundtrack] Irish Christmas Rollick Lit Riffs Piano Strings Soundtrack Tribute to Shrek Piano Strings Tribute to "The Passion" (wtf!)
I've only heard the Buckley, Wainwright, and Cohen versions.
[ February 22, 2005, 03:47 PM: Message edited by: IdemosthenesI ]
Posted by Ophelia (Member # 653) on :
Ben has Jeff Buckley's recording (from the album Grace) and Leonard Cohen's (from More Best of Leonard Cohen). Of the two, I prefer Buckley's.
I know that while I like the Rufus Wainwright version, I don't like it as much as I like the Buckley version. But it's been a while since I've heard it, so I don't know whether I prefer it to the Cohen.
Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
Ahhh ... my heart pitter-patters.
You should know that Cohne has written and revised something like 100 verses over the years for this song. The ones listed above do not exhaust those recorded.
Just a happy note. Posted by Ophelia (Member # 653) on :
Yeah, the Cohen version I mentioned (which is the only one I know I've heard) had at least one additional verse.
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
Reminds me of the Bible.
19362136214^84369264234 different versions, and HalleluJ/jah.
Ooooo. Tori Amos totally should do this song I like Jeff Buckley's version of it best, but mainly because I love Jeff Buckley.
Posted by Lucky4 (Member # 1420) on :
*One more vote for the Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright versions*
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
CT, cool linkage!
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Ralphie, it's not simply a shortening; it's a different (but related) Name. (According to Jewish tradition, anyway.)
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
I LURVE Jeff Buckley. *swoon* And I love that song.
Shame he died... Posted by Synesthesia (Member # 4774) on :
And so young too. You should hear his dad. Sadly he met a simular end, but because of drugs, but DANG could that man sing. Of course they tried to overproduce him like they did Nick Drake, but what a voice. You should get Song of the Siren by Tim Buckley.
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I aquired the Wainwright version somehow and I like it, but I've never heard any of the others.
Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :
Bono's version is actually quite good. I like Cohen's best, though, mainly because if ever a song was matched to the voice of the original author, it's this one.
Amos did a version of "Famous Blue Raincoat," and everyon who wants her to do this one is right. It would be amazing.
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
quote: Ralphie, it's not simply a shortening; it's a different (but related) Name. (According to Jewish tradition, anyway.)
Really? I didn't realize that our understanding differed. I'd be really interested to hear what the relationship is according to Jewish tradition.
edit: Unless you're referring to 'jah' being used as part of other Hebrew names, such as Elijah, Abijah, etc... in which case the names would have meanings referring to God. Such as "Elijah" = my god is Jehovah, "Abijah" = my father is Jehovah, etc...
In the context of the transliterated hallelujah, (the Hebrew expression ha·lelu-Yah'), I would think considering that it's inviting worship the invitation would be to worship Jehovah, and that "Jah" would be a sort of single syllable, poetic license.
[ February 22, 2005, 09:47 PM: Message edited by: Ralphie ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
The Tetragrammaton is indicative of God's complete nature -- absolute unity; past, present, and future, all together.
The two-letter name commonly used as a suffix (I would say "Kah" unless praying) name is single-tense. It also has less sanctity -- hence its use in names and words like hallelukah. And I wouldn't say it is "inviting worship." Rather, I would say it is a declaration of praise.
Posted by Ralphie (Member # 1565) on :
Interesting. Thanks for clarifying that tradition for me, rivka. Posted by JaneX (Member # 2026) on :
I have the Rufus Wainwright version and I quite like it, but I haven't heard any of the others.
~Jane~
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
quote: I would say "Kah" unless praying.
Yeah, well, I do not publicly scream the Tetragrammaton in school [despite my virtual-knowing of the Nikkud/voweling (my theory is the combination of the three from "was" "is" and "will be", whereas a friend of mine proposes that it's using the fourth time-tense's structure - "Yaf'el"), which is something I'd never discuss with my teachers] - but using "Kah" instead of "Jah" and "Kel" insteal of "El" (more so "Adoshem Tzevakkot") - seems a bit overdone to me.
Again, I'm not saying that you should change your current use, rivka, and I'm not coming to contradict it or arise controversy; just stating that in my opinion enough is to sensor Ji-ha-vve with Adonai. (HalleluKah, I'd say, is overdone, just like G-d, since His or Her name is not even in English.)
All a matter of opinion, and I stated mine. No hard feelings?
JH
[ February 23, 2005, 09:44 AM: Message edited by: Jonathan Howard ]
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
I don't believe anyone currently living knows the correct nikkud for the Four-Letter Name, Jon. (But I like the concept of a fourth tense, although I have trouble enough with the three usual ones. )
As to whether you consider His Names to have sufficient sanctity to only use them unchanged when praying . . . well, that's between you and Hashem, and no concern of mine. Posted by lifeonabicyclem4 (Member # 8209) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jim-Me: Perhaps we should set an exhaustive list of versions of this song:
Leonard Cohen wrote it Jeff Buckley did it Rufus Wainwright does the version from Shrek Tori Amos ought to do it
any others?
Sowwie for digging up this old thread, but as a Rufus fantatic, I thought I should say that Rufus only does the song on the soundrack, but another artist entirely performs the song in the actual movie.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Rivka just linked to this on GC, so I had to comment - I absolutely adore the k.d. lang version. Something soulful about her voice makes it way better than Buckley or Wainright.
Posted by Jeni (Member # 1454) on :
My favorite is definitely the Jeff Buckley version, though being a West Wing fan may have made me a little biased.
Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
Well, Leonard Cohen is a genius songwriter and poet, and this is one of his best songs. I concur with everyone else who likes the Jeff Buckley version best. Buckley sounds so awesome.
Leonard Cohen is Canadian.
Tori Amos does perform a cover of one of his songs (but not this one) on a LC tribute album called 'Tower Of Song'; the song is called
Famous Blue Raincoat
Posted by solo (Member # 3148) on :
The Tea Party have also performed this song. They played it during their song "Save Me" at their Tea & Symphony concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Posted by Haloed Silhouette (Member # 8062) on :
Wow - it's great knowing that people resurrect my thread months later.
Well, thanks, I guess. Especially lifeonabicyclem4 and Annie!
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Oh, no problem. Beating dead horses is a speciality of mine. Posted by Haloed Silhouette (Member # 8062) on :
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