Leonard Cohen, the poet, singer and songwriter whose work inspired generations, has died, according to an announcement on his Facebook page. Over a musical career spanning 50 years, Cohen wrote several seminal songs, such as Suzanne and Dance Me to the End of Love, but the one that perhaps endured the most was his meditative ballad Hallelujah.
According to Rolling Stone, Cohen wrote Hallelujah at a low point in his career, releasing it on his album Various Positions in 1984. Peppered with Biblical references, the number has a spiritual quality, though it is also discussed for its sexual themes.
Cohen, however, said the final version was secular. “It had references to the Bible in it, although these references became more and more remote as the song went from the beginning to the end,” the Canadian singer-songwriter said. “Finally I understood that it was not necessary to refer to the Bible anymore. And I rewrote this song; this is the ‘secular’ ‘Hallelujah’.”
It took the song a few years to gain “classic” status. Bob Dylan, noting its depth and genius, performed it at some of his concerts. Popular acceptance came through a recording by John Cale, which inspired a haunting cover by Jeff Buckley.
Jeff Buckley
Since then, numerous artists – both professional and amateurs – have recorded the song, trying to somehow capture its raw emotions.
Rufus Wainwright
A nervous girl auditioning on the reality show The X Factor stole hearts with her rendition of the ballad. A version of it sung by a choir of 1,500 singers at the Luminato festival of art and creativity in Toronto, led by singer Rufus Wainwright, resonated with energy and melody.
Arooj Aftab
It is not just the West for whom the song has long held fascination. The Pakistani guitarist and singer Arooj Aftab known for her “neo-sufiana” style of singing uploaded a video of her take on Hallelujah on her YouTube channel.
Karsh Kale and Shilpa Rao
On Coke Studio India, a TV show featuring live studio-recorded music performances, electronic fusion pioneer Karsh Kale and Hindustani classical singer Shilpa Rao collaborated to create a version in which Rao sings a song from her childhood, Jhoola, to match Karsh Kale’s adaptation of Cohen’s classic.
MK Balaji
Singer MK Balaji is another Indian artist who joined millions of YouTubers, with his cover of Hallelujah.