jeff buckley hallelujah lyrics

Hootsmon

what's the story here...Jeff's wonderful lyrics ( what's going on below....you never show that to me....) are somewhat different to LCs....what gives?

Samgb

Leonard wrote it, Jeff changed some of them.

ICBM

Apparently Leonard Cohen originally wrote about 80 verses for it, and doesn't always use the same ones when he plays it.

The song seems to have taken on something of a life of its own now, but the definitive and best version will always be Cohen's… whichever one he chooses to sing.

It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine that a lot of people refer to it as "Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah" or put it at the top of a list of "covers that are better than the original". It isn't.

badlydrawnbanjo

I quite like the Rufus Wainwright version.

Bucket

ICBM said:

 It isn't.

Yes it is.

KKJale

I think Jeff Buckley was inspired to cover the song after hearing John Cale's 1991 version (which is really great).

The story goes that when Cale asked Leonard Cohen for the lyrics, Cohen faxed over many pages of verses, some of which he'd only done live occasionally, or not at all. 

Cale went through them all and, as he put it, "picked out the cheeky ones"...  

So the Buckley version uses Cale's lyric choices from three years earlier, pretty much word for word. 

Drew_TNBD

I fucking hate that song.

ICBM

Bucket said:

ICBM said:

 It isn't.

Yes it is.

No, it really isn't. See above for a partial explanation why… it's just a cover of someone else's version which misses the point of the original.

Not to mention that Buckley's voice grates.

This is how it's meant to be...

thumpingrug

Ive seen LC live several times. The man is a genius.     Even a good cover of a cover doesn't come close.

Iamnobody

Drew_fx;775183" said:

I fucking hate that song.

I've never got it either. I seem to be in the minority though whenever I've expressed this opinion.

Drew_TNBD

Iamnobody said:

Drew_fx;775183" said:

I fucking hate that song.

I've never got it either. I seem to be in the minority though whenever I've expressed this opinion.

Lets be Hallelujah hatin' bumchums.

not_the_dj

ICBM said:

Bucket said:

ICBM said:

 It isn't.

Yes it is.

No, it really isn't. See above for a partial explanation why… it's just a cover of someone else's version which misses the point of the original.

Not to mention that Buckley's voice grates.

This is how it's meant to be...

I love Cohen's vocals on that, but the band and backing singers just make it sound really cheesy to me.

So sorry, but I'm with @Bucket on this one as I'd much rather listen to the Buckley cover of a cover.

dindude

Yup, I'm with @bucket too - respect the LC version, but JB betters it.

ICBM

It's that horrible wailing he does, especially at the end, that totally ruins it. I never liked his voice anyway but he ruins a great song with it here.

The whole point of the song is that it's meant to be downbeat and resigned, not forced.

Each to their own I suppose, but I can totally understand Drew's point of view if all you know is any of the covers. (Including the Cale one, sorry.)

lustycourtier

Bucket said:

ICBM said:

 It isn't.

Yes it is.

What drives me mad is people talk about what a beautiful take jeffs is, but it's about 19 takes spliced together

dindude

Well this has turned out to be a nice positive thread hasn't it

not_the_dj

dindude said:

Well this has turned out to be a nice positive thread hasn't it

Well apart from Drew we all like the song, just different versions!

No one's right, no one's wrong.

bingefeller

Best version is Jonathan Kreisbergs solo guitar.

Bucket

ICBM said:

It's that horrible wailing he does, especially at the end, that totally ruins it. I never liked his voice anyway but he ruins a great song with it here.

The whole point of the song is that it's meant to be downbeat and resigned, not forced.

I don't think it sounds forced at all. It's not the best track on the album though (Grace as a whole is a masterpiece).

As you so rightly say, each to their own - we're not going to agree, are we?

Hootsmon

KKJale said:

I think Jeff Buckley was inspired to cover the song after hearing John Cale's 1991 version (which is really great).

The story goes that when Cale asked Leonard Cohen for the lyrics, Cohen faxed over many pages of verses, some of which he'd only done live occasionally, or not at all. 

Cale went through them all and, as he put it, "picked out the cheeky ones"...  

So the Buckley version uses Cale's lyric choices from three years earlier, pretty much word for word. 

ah so the saucy extra lyrics are actually LCs....? cooool

Hootsmon

thanks guys