Hallelujah

In the past several months, I’ve been inspired, perplexed and quite infatuated with the song “Hallelujah”– Rufus Wainwright cover- original by Leonard Cohen. While many, many artists have performed the song with their own interpretations, it is originally said to be:

“…[in its original version], a song in “12/8 feel”, which evokes the styles of both waltz and gospel music. Written in the key of C major, the chord progression follows the lyric “it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, and the major lift“: C, F, G, A minor, F.

Cohen’s original version [written in 1984, with little initial success] contains several biblical references, most notably evoking the stories of Samson and traitorous Delilah from the Book of Judges as well as the adulterous King David and Bathsheba: “she cut your hair” and “you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty in the moonlight overthrew you…”

My interpretation… which is what matters right? Is more than something biblical. While we should all have faith in something- I don’t think this song needs to be directly associated with God (who/whatever that is to you) and the direct meaning of “Hallelujah”: ‘God be praised’.

The song has helped me find a new meaning in “hallelujah” more by the definition of exclamation(!), a breathe of fresh air, “from your lips she drew the hallelujah”- a sigh of relief from pain, sadness (“cold and broken”), happiness, accomplishment, “an expression of relief or similar emotion,” anything really:

“Cohen’s lyrical poetry and his view that “many different hallelujahs exist” is reflected in wide-ranging covers with very different intents or tones of speech, allowing the song to be “melancholic, fragile, uplifting [or] joyous” depending on the performer…”

Long story short, I saw Ashley Tisdale’s naked truth for Allure’s bare-all issue– and kind of fell in love with the font and positioning of her tat, “believe”- think I want hallelujah in the same place… what do you think? Oh, and kudos of course to Ms. Tisdale, WOMAN you are dear….woman you are.