Hallelujah what do the lyrics mean

He did not write the masterpiece though DocDavidson on August 10, Song Meaning verse 1 first three lines I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you. Love is not a victory march" - love is destroying him because he can't move on having known what she was like - continued : "It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah" - various hallelujahs: a pleading for her return, a remembrance and appreciation for the past verse 4 missing on this page : "There was a time you let me know But now you never show it to me, do you?

The holy dove was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah" - their physical and relational oneness reflected one another, it was spiritual and beautiful - continued : "Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah" - various hallelujahs: reflecting on how it was and reminding her of how great it was, etc.

He's not even a good man? IhaveQuestions on September 12, There are no good men of God only a good God of men Nokke on October 18, Great explanation. Also, the story that I remember from childhood was that Samson first told Delilah that he would loose his strength if he was tied with new ropes. She tied him up and called the Philistines in but Samson still had his strength.

She pouted that he didn't love her enough to confide in her and he told her the truth Axetrotsky on January 13, General Comment there was a time when you let me know what's really going on bellow the surface, bellow your pose, you act, bellow your belt, bellow your cloths, bellow your everyday thoughts, bellow what you are willing to show to everybody else, but now you never show that to me, your eyes are sealed to me, i can't see your insides anymore, you are locked, do you?

The verse you are referencing is in the Jeff Buckley version, not in the original Leonard Cohen version. JackOrwell on December 23, Actually, you are not wrong. There were many verses Cohen wrote - some he used at different times, some not at all. But when the song was originally recorded by him in , this verse was present. And it is sad - I can't listen without crying - takes me back to early days with my now ex husband.

I think your interpretation of that verse is right on the money - it certainly echoes mine. General Comment This song is a combined biblical reference and commentary about a relationship. Jeff Buckeley explicated this aspect of the song in his additional verses, but its clearly in the original.

Brilliant song No Replies Log in to reply. Song Meaning Forget all the over interpretation, all the breaking down of the song into little pieces, all this discussion of King David and Bathsheba, masterbation???

The point is all these lines, all these references, ARE the tools to the meaning, not the meaning. What is the meaning? That inspite of all our mistakes, misunderstandings, inperfections and pain in love, life and our understanding of God we should — we must — still cry out thank-you, thank God, knowing it will never be perfect. This is clear to me. That is a very good reply. The lyrics are very hard to interpret. They leave a lot of room to think about and for everyone to find his own truth.

I mean, there's so much to think about "3 wise men" James Blunt , so what can one say about this piece of art? The general tone is dark, that's clear. Lot's of problems, lot's of guilt. I don't know know that much about Leonard Cohen RIP but I see him as as a man who sees life as an ever ongoing struggle to find out what's right and what's wrong.

With no clear answers, lots of decisions, which both are right and wrong at the same time. And it's only YOU who'll have to make a decision and live with it. Love and sex are if given freedom of choice and leaving war and starvation outside the major decisions we'll make in our live. So I think Leonard is talking about these things a lot and that you'll find yourself inescapably guilty if you'll given in to your lust. And also if you don't. It's about making decision and live with them.

Svenner80 on January 02, Jesus, Svenner80 Why did you bury Leonard? I didn't hear about his passing Vinkovcanka on March 21, General Comment The short interpretation is that Leonard Cohen wrote this song to describe my first marriage Yet, the sex was so good in the beginning, it was in itself a type of love, a type of hallelujah, and so it still feels bittersweet when you think back and reflect upon it, because as flawed humans we always imagine we can have it all, even perfect love, which does not exist.

Jdziu on May 20, Link. Jdziu this is the absolutely perfect interpretation of how I hear the lyrics as well. Well done juicerino on March 20, Artists - L. The Welsh singer and songwriter John Cale followed a different combination of verses altogether and this stuck on.

This is yet again a take on the five-verse anthem inspired by John Cale. His version included a piano which added to the sorrowful tone of the song.

We will be taking you through the original 7-verse composition by Leonard Cohen in the below lyrics interpretations. But he also knows that she is not into music. Even a song that pleased the Lord is not enough to win this girl over. King David sees a beautiful young lady bathing from his balcony. He invites her over to his palace and sleeps with her.

She is Bathsheba, the wife of a soldier named Uria who is fighting the war for the King. Bathsheba becomes pregnant and informs this to the King. King sends word to Uriah to return from the war front to give a report to him, with the intention of getting him and home to sleep with his wife and make him believe the pregnancy was his act.

However, Uriah refuses to come home while his brothers are fighting the war. He does get killed there. Tying someone to a chair could be considered a fetish sex play. The song draws another Biblical reference to Samson and Delilah, where Samson allows Delilah to cut his hair-his source of strength.

Samson betrays his country as a judge when he allowed Delilah to cut his hair. Hence, both examples show how great men have fallen in front of love and lust.

However, both David and Samson were able to experience the sweet ecstasy of passion in their lips. The singer talks about his familiarity with relationships. He has treaded these steps before.

He has been hurt before so he was set to be alone until he met her. Leonard explains how cruel love can be. Love is an attachment that requires work. It is never going to be a victory march with banners heralded high. There will be losses and wins, and we only have to make sure that even if the battles are lost, the war is to be won in the end. These two lovers have begun to fall apart.

There is no intimacy between them anymore. She used to be quite open about her sexuality with him, but not anymore. However, it could simply mean that she used to confess all her thoughts to him sometime back, but now she does not. Reverting back to the David-Lord theme, all of these lyrics could be interpreted religiously as well. When King David fell from being a devout man, having written the Psalms praising the Lord, he lost touch with the Lord.

The holy spirit of the Lord moved into the Earth through King David, before he committed a carnal sin. Note how women call out God during sexual climax. Born in Canada to a Jewish family in the s, he then moved to Hydra, where in the first half of the s he wrote and published several novels and collections of poetry. This is how Leonard Cohen made his way in the world of music at the age of it was and the album was called Songs of Leonard Cohen.

Before Various Positions , other records followed: Songs from a room , Songs of love and hate , Recent songs , all full of sin and redemption, sex and holiness. But Cohen, as he revealed in an interview, took his little revenge thanks to one of the songs belonging to that album: Hallelujah. Then, exactly 10 years after the release of Various Positions , a young Jeff Buckley covered this song.

It took five years for Cohen to write his most famous song. Others might and do , but I don't. As to whether the song is Christian, of course it isn't! Yet it is one of the most spiritually honest songs I have ever heard. It blows my mind how many people can't view this song from any viewpoint other than "Is it ratifying my faith?

Songs and songwriters don't owe you or your religion any obeisance. They don't need to observe your bizarre shame over sex, an act of love and pleasure that every single person owes their existence to, that holds spiritual meaning in most religions. Only a Christian could hear a song featuring stories and characters from the bible, where the chorus is literally "Hallelujah", and think that the song isn't doing enough for their religion.

Yellow Forest, that you can see no meaning in Cohen's use of "Hallelujah" beyond getting a rise out of the religious, that you think the references to biblical characters were just thrown in for attention in a song that took years to write and is celebrated for its many layers of meaning , that you think a song exploring love when it's being born, dying, long dead, and remembered is purely hedonistic, only reveals your own shocking lack of spirit.

Whenever you hear Hallelujah,the first thing that comes to mind is Hallelujah Chorus of Handel's Messaiah which dates back to mid 18 Century. I am a fan of Pentatonix whose rendition of Cohen's Hallelujah is beautiful. I really expected to be a version of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. I liked the music but not the lyrics.

In Cohen's there is nothing spiritual abouit it and is purely hedonistic. He chose the word Hallelujah to gain instant notoriety and threw few biblical characters to create sensation and attention.. It is not spiritual in view of Judaism or Christianity and honestly rather blasphemous. If you've never heard KD Lang singing this song then you are missing the best version ever.

I've heard this song hundreds of times and she nearly brought me to my knees. B Not all spirituality is transcendent. Some of it is found in desperation, in moments of love when all else is fallen, and in other moments of life.

The song is somewhat confusing as to Christian or secular!!! I love BOTH! What a great and detailed description of this song. You have a fluent and engaging writing style. My favourite version of "Hallelujah" is the one that's played in "Shrek," though I'm not entirely sure who sang that one. Thank you so much for this explanation of a song that I especially love. I've been very curious about it's meaning. You've done a wonderful job of presenting this information When Did religion get to dictate what is sacred?

Only the heart gets to decide these things. Any other way is to give away what was born into you This is a lack of spiritual discernment with those that find this song spiritual. It really irritates me that so-called Christians will use this as a Christian song! This song is partly about a powerful orgasm.

Keep good religion out of it. Hallelujah is a praise for God, it has been hi jacked much as other holy things such as the rainbow. My brother recently passed. He loved Leonard Cohen and this song.

It is haunting and eerily comforting to listen to. If it is a song about humanity and our broken condition then Hallelujah Jesus is the only answer for this. RIP Garman. Jehovah, is Gods name. Jehovah created and sent his son Jesus to us, as an undeserved gift, giving us the opportunity to gain back the state of perfection that our human forefather Adam lost. Jehovah gave the earth to Adam.