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I love Buckley's version and yes, it was my first. It's beautiful and it tears me up inside.

 

I think Jason Castro did not do as well as the judges thought. The song was what they really "loved". How many times have you heard Randy Jackson say "Dawg, that's one of my favorite songs of all-time!!!"...puh-leeze

 

And I do NOT want to hear it everywhere I go.

 

And, yes, I suppose it's good that another generation can now appreciate it, but I don't think it's for the same reasons :hmm

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Guest Jules
I think Jason Castro did not do as well as the judges thought. The song was what they really "loved". How many times have you heard Randy Jackson say "Dawg, that's one of my favorite songs of all-time!!!"...puh-leeze

They also said it was mostly the song that they liked.

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They also said it was mostly the song that they liked.

 

Yet, they all gave him kudos like he was soooooooooo great and he wasn't, not imo anyway, it was just that...the song.

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Congratulations, pal. Me? I couldn't give a solitary fuck about "The Smithereens," whoever they are, and I consider Leonard Cohen to be one of the ten best songwriters who has ever lived. My point is that your dislike for this song is perfectly legitimate, but your vendetta against it is totally ridiculous, bordering on laughable. Enjoy that yellow cereal!

 

lol

 

not sure what you mean by a vendetta, bro ... i just don't buy into the genius of this song. way too dramatic to make any sort of true emotional impact

 

it's like being emotionally moved by a soap opera

 

when you're being slammed over the head that something is emotional, it generally doesn't have any emotional resilience for me

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I really love Wainwright's version, but then again I love most everything he does. I saw him and his sister Lucy do this at the 9:30 Club a few months back and it was gorgeous.

 

As for AI, if anyone was going to do that song on the show, I'm glad it was Jason Castro. I think with any of the others it would have come off as disingenuous. Still, it's hard to hear that song and not compare it to all the beautiful versions that have gone before it.

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note to american idol: stay the fuck away from leonard cohen.

 

C'mon, now. Lenny is having some hard times, financially.

 

Cohen is, in my opinion, the greatest lyricist ever. My favorite version of the song was done by my ex-girlfriend, who has one of the greatest voices I have ever heard. Think Aretha meets a female Elvis. She also did a great version of "Chelsea Hotel #2". Willie Nelson also did a version on his album SONGBIRD a year or two back, but the album is pretty horrific due to some misguided production.

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And, yes, I suppose it's good that another generation can now appreciate it, but I don't think it's for the same reasons :hmm
I disagree with that sentiment.

 

And frankly, does American Idol really represent any generation?? I haven't looked into it, but most of the people I know who watch it are mom and dad couch-potatoes (not that I don't resemble that demo myself).

 

I think kids these days have taste in music that is A-OK, by and large. I don't think the previous musical generation -- the one that sponsored Hair Bands or going further back, 70s Lovin' Spoonful bullshit -- has any room to talk.

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I disagree with that sentiment.

 

I think kids these days have taste in music that is A-OK, by and large.

 

I have girls that are pre-teen and it's (AI) all the rage in school.

 

Also, a majority of my friends are half my age and SOME of the music they listen to is just plain awful. I'm not saying I still don't like my hair bands and such, but there's music that makes you move and music that moves you. There is a difference. One particular young friend of mine used to have me read the lyrics and go "Ellen, don't you see it?!? Don't you get it?!?". It might be fine as a poem, but when the guy is standing their screaming his head off and wearing a mask that quite resembles Sir Anthony Hopkins in 'Silence of the Lambs' not only do I not get it, I can't understand a DAMN word.

 

Everyone's entitled to like what they like. I just think if 'Hallelujah' really got dl'd that much after Jason sang it. Most people dl'd it because of JASON not necessarily due to the fact that the lyrics moved them, which honestly, is a shame.

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anybody hear imogen heap's version? i like just about everything she puts out, but i couldn't stand that cover for some reason.
Can you send me this? I just would like to hear a not so great version, just for the hell of it. I think it is a pretty hard song to make sound lousy.

 

LouieB

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Hallelujah 

Standard Tuning, Capo 5


E -------0-0--0-------------0-0---0-0---0----------------------
B ---0-3--------3--0-0--0-3-----------------3---------0---0----
G -------3-3----------------3-3---3-3--------------0--0---0----
D -----------------2-2----------2-----2---2------2------2------
A -------------------------------------------------------------
E ---------------------------------------------0---------------

E -------------------------------------------------------------
B -------------------------------------------------------------
G -----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-----0-------------------
D ---2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----2-----0---------------
A -1-----1-----1-----1-----2-----2-----2-----2-----------------
E -------------------------------------------------------------

E -------------------------------------------------------------
B ----------------------0-0------------------------------------
G ----3-3---3-3---3-3---3-3----0-0---0-0----0-0----0-0---------
D ----2-2---2-2---2-2---2-2----1-1---1-1----1-1----1-1---------
A --1-----1-----1-----1------2-----2-3-2--0------0-------------
E -------------------------------------------------------------

E ----------------0-0----0-0---0-0----0-0-----2----------------
B ----------1-1---1-1----1-1---1-1----1-1-----3----------------
G ----0-0---0-0---0-0----0-0---0-0----0-0-----2----------------
D ----2-2---2-2---2-2----2-2---2-2----2-2--------0-------------
A -----------------------------------------------0---2---------
E --3-----3-----3------3-----3------3------3---------3---------

E -------------------------------------------------------------
B ----------0---------------0--------------0--------------0----
G ------------0---------------0--------------0--------------0--
D --------0-----0--------2------2-------0------0--------2-----0
A ------2--------------2--------------2---------------2--------
E --2-3------------2-0------------2-3-------------2-0----------



G				  Em 
i heard there was a secret chord 
  G				   Em 
that David played and it pleased the Lord 
 C				D			  G		D
but you don't really care for music do you? 
	 G				  C		  D 
well it goes like this the fourth the fifth 
 Em				 C 
the minor fall and the major lift 
 D			 B7			Em 
the baffled king composing Hallelujah 

Em D  C		 Em		 C		  G  D  G 
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah 

G								 Em
well your faith was strong but you needed proof 
G				  Em
you saw her bathing on the roof 
C			  D			 G		  D
her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you 
G			   C		D
she tied you to her kitchen chair 
Em						C
she broke your throne and she cut your hair 
D				  B7	   Em
and from your lips you drew an Hallelujah 

Em D  C		  Em		 C		  G D G 
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah 

G			 Em 
baby I've been here before 
 G					   Em
i've seen this room and I've walked this floor 
 C			D			 G		   D
i used to live alone before I knew you 
	 G					 C	  D
and I've seen your flag on the marble arch 
Em			C
and love is not a victory march 
   D			   B7		  Em
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah 

  C		 Em		  C		G D/F# G
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah 

G						 Em
there was a time when you let me know 
   G			Em
what's really going on below 
C			 D			   G		  Em
but now you never show that to me do you? 
G			   C		D
but remember when I moved in you 
	Em			C
and the holy dove was moving too 
D			   B			 Em
and every breath we drew was Hallelujah 

 C		  Em		 C		  G D/F# G 
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah 

G			   Em 
maybe there's a God above 
G			  Em
but all I've ever learned from love 
C			   D			   G		  Em
was how to shoot at somebody who outdrew you
G					   C	   D
and it's not a cry that you hear at night 
 Em				 C
it's not somebody who's seen the light 
   D			   B		   Em
it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah 

 C		  Em		 C		 G D/F# G
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Halleluuuu 
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Halleluuuuujah

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Everyone's entitled to like what they like. I just think if 'Hallelujah' really got dl'd that much after Jason sang it. Most people dl'd it because of JASON not necessarily due to the fact that the lyrics moved them, which honestly, is a shame.

So they're listening to a song that you think is a great song, for a reason that you think is not a good enough reason. Isn't the point that they're listening to the song? Maybe they'll learn to appreciate it (in a way that you think is appropriate) after a few listens.

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well it goes like this the fourth the fifth

Em C

the minor fall and the major lift

 

are my favorite lines......with the appropriate chord changes to boot.....

 

Jason can go any time...although a few will exit prior to him. He has a rather limited amount of real talent, but he has the looks.

 

LouieB

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A great song is a great song. And this is a great song.

Nice post, Louie.

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A great song is a great song. And this is a great song.
Several years ago I had arguments with people here that most songs written currently (as in the last 10 years or so) weren't that good, because the craft of songwriting has gone downhill. I still sort of believe that and a song like this one, written by a master songwriter, will stand the test of time. (The two songs I used as examples back in the good old days here were "City of New Orleans" and "Gentle on my Mind", both of which posters here had never heard of...go figure.)

 

This song was never going to be a big hit, since it was written after Cohen's run of outstanding material covered by folk artists during the 60s. It was on an album that was not even put out by Columbia and would never have seen the light of day had John Cale not recognized it for what it was. Lucky for us, he promoted it and then Buckley covered it and the rest is history. (By the way the album it is on is one of the first great tribute albums and worth having anyway.) Most musicians these days figure that they write songs for themselves and that's the way it stays, but a kickass song which has great words and melody (remember that??) is a gift to the ages. This is one of those songs (along with about a dozen others Cohen has written), but few artists today think of their creations as anything other than short term fodder for their next album.

 

LouieB

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but few artists today think of their creations as anything other than short term fodder for their next album.

 

That's probably true. I blame this on the fact that the major players in the record business are no longer willing to give musicians the opportunity to develop their talent/skills/fan base over the course of their first few albums, as used to be the norm/common sense.

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then Buckley covered it and the rest is history. (By the way the album it is on is one of the first great tribute albums and worth having anyway.)

I don't know the tribute album, but it's on Buckley's Grace, which for me is indispensable.

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