Hallelujah Lyrics – Rufus Wainwright

• Genre: Folk Rock
• Lyricist: Leonard Cohen
• Composer: Leonard Cohen
• Arranged by: Rufus Wainwright
• Soundtrack: Shrek

About

Rufus Wainwright is a famous singer and songwriter. Born in New York but raised in Montreal, Wainwright grew up in a musical family where both his parents were famous folk singers. In 1998, he made his first album " Rufus Wainwright". Now, artist is among the most famous people in respect to his theatrical and operatic style, which incorporated both styles with pop and classical in one single style of music. He has a lot of albums and has been nominated for a number of music awards (GLAAD Media Awards, Juno, Dora Mavor Moore etc). He has also performed in soundtracks of movies and stage productions. The Shrek soundtrack (with Wainwright's cover) was certified 2X Platinum in 2003 in the US as selling more than two million copies.

Basic Interpretations

It is the story of the Bible fused with personal experience in one song.

• We come across the first verse, in which it talks about a "secret chord" that King David played to please God. It is said that the composition of the music was:

  The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift

  . It is revealing the beauty and complexity of music.
• The second verse tells the story of David and Bathsheba. David saw Bathsheba as she was bathing, upon which he fell completely and totally in love with her beauty:

  Your faith was strong but you needed proof

  . The verse implies that love and desire are so strong that they can do much damage.
• The third verse is reflective about prior liaisons:

  Maybe I've been here before, I know this room, I've walked this floor

  . It speaks of familiarity and lost love. Love is seen as a struggle, not a triumph:

  It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

  .
• The fourth verse expresses the feeling towards intimacy and a connection:

  Remember when I moved in you? The holy dark was moving too

  . This line portrays a very spiritual connection when in love.
• The sense of resignation in the last verse:

  Maybe there's a God above, but all I've ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

  and a leave-suggestion that love is less likely to be painless, but more likely to leave one feeling broken.

Topics

It is a song of love, faith, and loss. The biblical stories borrowed are evident, telling of one person's experience in which love was beautiful and tragically lost. The word "Hallelujah" is repeatedly used in a sometimes sad way, and at other times, it is used joyfully. In general, the song depicts the complexity that defines a human being's feelings and experience. Copyright © 1985 Leonard Cohen and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Canada Company.

John Cale. History of two versions.

We may hear Cale's version of Halleluah in the film Shrek (2001), but Rufus Wainwright's version appears on the soundtrack album CD. Cale's version appeared in the 1996 film Basquiat and was later heard by the musical directors of the 2001 film Shrek, who opted to use it in their picture as well. Rufus Wainwright claimed that his version of "Hallelujah" was not included in the film owing to the "glass ceiling" he was hitting as a result of his sexuality. An alternate theory is that, while the directors want Cale's version for the film, licensing concerns precluded its inclusion on the soundtrack CD because Wainwright was a DreamWorks artist but Cale was not. These lyrics of the song, "Hallelujah," originally penned down by the rock star John Cale and Rufus Wainwright, although, both the versions differ in many of the aspects but are based on Leonard Cohen's original composition. Here is a detailed explanation of the same: Choice of Verses: John Cale: He chose several verses from all of the thousands of verses written by Cohen. For instance, his version contains such verses regarding David and his secret chord, as well as falling from high places. Rufus Wainwright: He, on the other hand, used some different verses and more focused on the situation of the emotional and intimate moment — for example, how the verses he used are about love and personal experience. Interpretation and Delivery: John Cale: The performance is more melancholic and minimalist over the piano and voice. He tries to get across the meaning of the lyrics in a drawn-out, meaningful way. Rufus Wainwright: His rendition is more orchestrated and dramatic, sounding theatrical and expressive. His voice and vocal styling seem to emote something of its drama to the whole. Lyrical Alterations: John Cale: His version contains a few lyrical alterations that give the song a much more individual and modern take. Rufus Wainwright: Softly, the version by Wainwright remains more or less similar to that of Cohen's original version with just a small tweak here and there to assist him in singing and interpreting it in his ways. Atmosphere and Mood: Overall John Cale: His version is very thoughtful, almost brooding feel; hence his version is more intimate. Rufus Wainwright: It's drama and emotion for Wainwright hence this version sounds much more theatrical.