"Hallelujah"

Song Lyrics and Meaning

Hallelujah

Meaning of the song lyrics

The soulful song in question is the 1984 musical work of art, and labor of love, “Hallelujah”, by singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. Covered by many… So David, the apologetic wiseguy from EverydayWordsofWisdom.com thought to do a bit o' commentary on the depth of the lyrics the popular song…

Introduction

First things first, let's start with the defining the title. Hallelujah is the Hebrew word which roughly translates into English as "praise the LORD" and/or "thank God". Hallelujah literally transliterates to; "praise Yahweh" or more simply "God be praised". The word is most often uttered in worship or as a spontaneous expression rejoicing with tremendous gratitude for all the Lord has blessed us with. So the word can be used to express reverent thankfulness to the Lord for life in general. Joy is found in both happy and sad circumstances, accepting the world as it is, hardships and blessings alike and being thankful for it...

The central theme of the song is that Hallelujah has different meanings and is used in different circumstances. Cohen uses this theme to express the natural hardships of human love; love man has for himself, love for life, love for a woman, as well as the love and struggle between mankind and God Himself. And it is only by praising God no matter what the circumstance, no matter what life throws our way, that we thank the Lord in the end. Hallelujah, is right! It is only Hallelujah that we may learn how to love ourselves, understand real love, let alone learn how to love one another.

It's clear that this song, like many other great works of art, literature or music, Hallelujah easily supports several levels of interpretation well beyond what even Cohen originally may have meant. One such interpretation is to see the narrative as the tragic love song that tells the story of a man's love for a woman, and how it all goes wrong and that love becomes bittersweet in the end. Or on another level, the tragic love ballad about the love mankind has for God. But sin and this broken world does nothing but beat down our love, putting that love through the fire so to speak. Both tragic conclusions end with the song's protagonist's praise of thanks to the Lord in the final three verses (line 41, And even though it all went Wrong, line 42, I'll stand before the LORD of Song, line 43, with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah)...

The listener can literally feel the cold and bitter emptiness of a man who feels he's sacrificed his pride and humility for the bond of trust that comes with love (line 10, she tied you to a kitchen chair, she broke your throne, she cut your hair....). Only to have it unravel because of not only tensions that inevitably develop later in a relationship (line 16, I've seen your flag on the marble arch, Love is not a victory march).

However, as the baffled king (the POV of the song changes midway through the song) soon learn, it is the recognition of our own faults and pride, our human failures of faith and mortal weaknesses as human-beings that contributed to (ay, i.e. caused) the destruction of that love (line 34, And all I ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you...) Us human beings and our pride... Perfect poetic irony...

And it is only by the grace of God that we may ever learn how to love. But that grace is only for believers. Without faith, life is hell. Our protagonist reflects on how life is not what it used to be like (line 19, Well there was a time when you let me know, What’s really going on below, line 20, But now you never show that to me do you?)

The song’s incredibly melancholic tune, the deep lyrics and the chord progression that deliberate alternate between major and minor chords give the song its haunting nature.

There are a few biblical references in the song (King David, Samson, and Delilah). I will touch on them briefly, as others have already explained these references in great detail.

Verse 1

1, Well I heard there was a secret chord

2. That David played, and it pleased the Lord

3. But you don’t really care for music, do ya?

4. Well it goes like this, The fourth, the fifth

5. The minor fall and the major lift

6. The baffled king composing Hallelujah

The Bible makes reference to King David communing with the Lord and learning that certain types of music were more pleasing. The chords mentioned in the lyrics (line 2 "David played and it pleased the Lord) are often used in hymns. David is the author of many of the Bible’s worship songs and praise, the Psalms, often include the word “Hallelujah” which literally means Praise the Lord. And some of David's ladies didn't care for his music, thus line 3.

Regarding lines 4 and 5 (The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift) to which the chords progress from F major to G major to A minor and back to F.

This is hauntingly clever for a few reasons. One is the way that not only the chords line up in the lyrics and in the music, but also because the musical connotations of "major" and "minor" add to the meaning of the song. The "fourth" is a major chord variation based on the fourth note in the seven notes of a scale or key of the song. Furthermore, moving from a chord in the fourth position to the fifth position in a major chord progression gives the music a feel of a major "lift up".

So here is wiseguy's interpretation: the "Minor Fall" corresponds to the minor setback of Jesus being nailed to the cross, and the "Major Lift" corresponds the major step up when He rose again three days later... Now that is a minor fall and a major lift if you ask me... And Thank God too! That deserves a hallelujah!

Verse 2

7. Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof

8. You saw her bathing on the roof

9. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

10. she tied you to her kitchen chair

11. And she broke your throne and she cut your hair

12. And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

The man (King David) falls in love, but the relationship is not healthy and not approved by God. It ends up with him submitting to his own lustful carnal desires, perhaps because his faith was in his own judgment instead of trusting God (line 7). But David, after honest self-examination recognizes his own sin, repents. The take home lesson here is that we may try to fool ourselves or others, but we cannot hide our sin from God. The bright side is that God always offers forgiveness for our sins, but we cannot escape the consequences. God highly values our faith in him. Despite life's ups and downs, God is ever-present to give us comfort and help. And despite the king's destructive relationship, sinful lust, and disobedience, he cries Hallelujah in the end, even if force by suffering (line 12). Dispute his hallelujah of despair, David is still called a man after God's own heart.

Brief biblical background. Now the song merges two other Old Testament stories. The woman bathing on the roof (line 8) is, of course, Bathsheba, with whom King David committed adultery and then had her husband Uriah murdered. So King David betrays one of his citizens and his God. But then the song switches to reference Samson, who was God’s chosen rescuer of Israel (line 11). Samson had superhuman strength but the secret to his strength was a vow to keep his Nazarite promises – not to drink alcohol and not to have his hair cut. Samson uses his immense strength for his own ends and disobeys God on many an occasion.

Meanwhile, Samson’s girlfriend is approached by her compatriots (the Philstines) who were tired of being defeated by Samson to find out his secret so that they can disempower him. She does discover Samson’s secret and betrays him to her people and they tie him up, cut his hair, gouge out his eyes and take him into custody. But in his weakness, Samson does cry out a prayer to God and asks for one last chance to be God’s rescuer and he is given one last victory over his enemies which results in his own death.

These stories teach something of God’s generosity to forgive the sins of broken people. Both David and Samson find forgiveness from God despite turning their backs on Him.

Verse 3

13. Well baby I’ve been here before

14. I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor

15. I used to live alone before I knew ya

16. I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch

17. Love is not a victory march

18. It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Line 13 and 14 express how the song's protagonist has seen all this before, this is nothing new. Line 15, is chillingly close to wiseguy's heart. What this means to me is that before I was saved by God grace, before I knew Jesus and accepted Him as my Lord and Savior, before I felt God's personal love for me, I lived alone (line 13) and in hell (line 19) before I met Him. I literally lived alone without God before I found my faith.

Take home point: Love is not easy, it take real work, obedience, honor, loyalty, meekness and more. It is not about winning victories (Line 17), love is about submission and the humbleness that only comes from being broken, hence the broken hallelujah.

Cohen's lyrical intertwining of biblical and spiritual alliteration with the elation found in when the bond of spiritual, emotional and physical love are first formed (Line 12, And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah...), but then sadly and predictably lost (line 14, I know this room, I've walked this floor, line 15, I used to live alone before I knew you...), is pure musical genius.

Verse 4

19. Well there was a time when you let me know

20. What’s really going on below

21. But now you never show that to me do you?

22. And remember when I moved in You?

23. And the holy dove was moving too

24. And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Line 19 and 20 reminds me of what life was life before I believed; my life was hell, it was as if God was showing me what life is without Him. He was showing me what life is like if I live my way instead of his. Line 21 reminisces that God doesn’t show that to me anymore. Line 22 is that moment I was saved, angels rejoiced in heaven it was as when Jesus was first baptized.

Matthew 3:16 “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.”

And line 23 about when the Holy Spirit moved in... Line 24 means that now every breath I and the Holy Spirit draw is Thank the Lord.

Verse 5

25. You say I took His name in vain

26. I say you don't even know His name

27. But if I did, well really, what's it to you?

28. There's a blaze of light in every Word

29. It doesn't matter which you heard

30. The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Line 25 references the doubters that accuse me of not using the Lord’s name correctly, or they way they want me to use it. And to the line 26 responds with likewise. Line 28 mean that every word of God is a blaze of truth shines like a light in the darkness. The blazing light of truth that shines from the Word of God, from his Word, the Holy Bible. Line 29 is awesome because it really doesn’t matter which word you hear and remember, because every single word of God is a blaze of light, and that is an understatement...

Leonard Cohen, the composer reflects on the fact that love and life most often do not have the fairy tale ending we’d all hope for. (which is ironic as Rufus Wainwright’s version of this song was one of the highlights of the Shrek soundtrack). I wonder if the song’s finale hints at the fact that despite the cold reality of life – there is still something transcendent that we seek to reach out to, that we still seek to worship and offer hallelujah – Praise to the Lord?

Verse 6:

31. Maybe there's the God above,

32. But all I've ever learned from love

33. was how to shoot at someone who outdrew ya.

34. It's not a cry you hear at night

35. It's not someone who's seen the light

36. No it's a cold and it's a very broken Hallelujah.

The concluding verse of the popular Jeff Buckley's version of the song: Here the narrative turns from looking back to looking forward. We try, but often fail in love. We start with the best intentions and though it can go wrong, we need to try. In the end, it is worth it. This Hallelujah is optimistic because it shows that the hardships have not defeated him.

Line 31 is directed towards the unbelievers as it sarcastically supposes that maybe God is above. Line 32 and 33 is about that as a human man, all I ever learned from love was to try to out do and beat whoever tried to beat or oppose me. Line 34 means that being saved is not about crying out to God when you’re in trouble or just when you need Him, and Line 35 is saying that it not someone who claims to have seen the light, no it is about being broken and needing God with all your heart and soul. And it is only by being broken and humbled, that you can truly find God...

Verse 7

37. I Did my best, it wasn't Much

38. I could not feel, so I tried to Touch

39. I've told the Truth, I didn't come to Fool you

|40. And even though it all went Wrong

41. I'll stand before the LORD of Song

42. With Nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Line 37; I love this line, it is so true, and that is all that you can do. And no matter what your best is, it is never really much. Thank God for His grace… Line 38 means that the numbness of depression left me unable to truly feel, so I had to learn to try to touch. Line 39 means just what it says, I am not here to fool you, God has enlightened me with the truth and I intend to share it, to be best of my understanding. Line 40 means that no matter how hard I try and plan and seek, I will always fail, and in the end as I stand before the Creator and perfect judge (Line 41) I will have nothing to say to Lord Himself (LORD of Song is a Psalms reference) but Thank You and Praise Your perfect Holy Name and Creation.

Conclusion

Whether you love one of the many original versions by Leonard Cohen, or you love one of the many covers, like Jeff Buckley or Alexandra's version straight from her X factor winning performance or if you've only heard it in the Shrek movie, you may be wondering what the song means.

So like many other great works of art, literature or music before, Hallelujah's several levels of interpretation go beyond what even songwriter originally meant. Similar examples include Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" and many works of Hemingway, Mozart and Rembrandt: the spirit that moves the artist to create great works so often is not fully understood nor appreciated by them until much later.

The full version of the song has 15 verses (75 plus lines). Cohen, a notorious perfectionist, is said to have originally written 80 verses (500 plus lines).

Hallelujah in the Bible

Although Hallelujah consists of two distinct verbal entities (a verb and a name), it's consistently written as one word. In the Old Testament, it occurs only in the Psalms, and often at the beginning.

Hallelujah seems to fulfill the function of a mere liturgical term; a call to praise, like "here we go!" But under scrutiny, a second meaning emerges, or perhaps the primary meaning that had slipped under the popular or liturgical one.

It seems that the word Hallelujah tends to show up in the vicinity of contemplation on death, which is after all the final moment of letting go every living creature has to deal with. The Bible sometimes calls death the "way of all the earth" (Joshua 23:14, 1 Kings 2:2) and the Psalmist distinctively admonishes not only his soul to perform Hallelujah (146:1), but also everything that has breath (150:6).

"After these things I heard, as if it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God. Because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her". And a second time they said "Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever". And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!" And a voice came from the throne saying, "Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great". And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns". " (Revelation 19:1-6).

Hallelujah is not a mere liturgic command, like a prelude to something exuberant. It is a crucial exercise that teaches us not only how to live but also how to die. Blessed is the one who is able to die in the spirit of Hallelujah, who can render the soul without hesitation or trepidation.

Hallelujah seems a good skill to have when the moment of the final letting go is at hand.

Hallelujah

The familiar word Hallelujah looks exactly like a Biblical name (verb + name of God), and it's a bit of a miracle that it was never applied as one (as far as we know). And even though in our modern languages, it exists as a verbal orphan, like a little linguistic island in a familiar textual ocean, in Hebrew it's part of a vast cluster of frequently occurring names, words and phrases. Where in our experience, Hallelujah means something like YOO-HOO!!, in Hebrew the word Hallelujah was recognized as proper language, and perfectly understood.

Etymology of the word Hallelujah

The word Hallelujah consists of two elements. It ends with יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which in turn are abbreviated forms of the Tetragrammaton; the name of the Lord: YHWH, and it starts with an imperative form (that means it's a command) of the root הלל (halal):

v7 imported to new Google Site 7/30/17 1229

-v6.1 updated 7/9/16 1417

v6.2 7/11/15 updated grammar