Hallelujah

[Left Is Write]

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Left Is Write!

Um....pardon my ignorance, sweetie.....

But...Just what are we voting on?

OK, I know I'm culturally deprived....... :blush:

[Swede]

3. The best version of the song Peggy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=JfSW3ZBzyXg

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. Thank you, my dear Swede!

And that is a beautiful version...

[question everything]

13. Oh no. This is Leonard Cohen's song

and with his deep voice his is the best

http://youtube.com/watch?v=rf36v0epfmI

Of course, the videos of his performances are not as polished as the most recent ones, and that scene from Shrek is heart breaking but if you just listen - and I have Leonard Cohen's CD - this is his song.

Hollywood has been using this several times, when someone heart is breaking (and ours, too).

I first noticed it at the season finale several years ago of the West Wing, when the Mark Harmon character was a secret service assign to protect CJ. They were in NYC, he went to a small store to buy something and there was a hold up. He thought that he stopped it, but there were two robbers and he was killed. CJ's heart was broken and the Hallelujah was in the background. (No, not by Leonard Cohen. I think it was Buckley).

Then I noticed it in Shrek 1, when he thought that the princess hated him and he just delivered her to the prince, got his reward and went home with a broken heart and the Hallelujah.

And then, another season finale of the OC when Ryan left Newport Beach to be with his pregnant girl friend. Kirsten went to the beach house to remove the linens and was crying and, yes, her heart was breaking. I think that it was Rufus Wainwright.

Last year we saw the movie about Leonard Cohen songs and were disappointed by most of the performances - even though Cohen was part of the show - since he has such a deep voice and no one could come close to him.

[Hippo_Tron]

25. I loved that episode of the West Wing

I also loved how they tied up the loose ends in the premiere of season 4, 20 Hours in America, instead of just dropping the Simon Donovan (Mark Hamon) plot, which they could have done.

Also, the season 2 premiere of House featured the song at the end of the episode. There were actually two main stories in this episode. The first was that they had been treating a Death Row inmate in the episode and discovered he had a condition that leads to uncontrollable rage. House doesn't believe this is an excuse for what he did, Foreman isn't sure.

The second, and probably more appropriate for the song, was that Cameron had been trying to diagnose a woman's respiratory symptoms while making friends with her. She refuses to do a biopsy because she says it is invasive but House says she refuses to because they all know it's cancer and she doesn't want to accept it. Finally she has to do the biopsy and does discover that the patient has inoperable cancer but she holds off telling her and continues becoming friends with her. Wilson tries to persuade her that she shouldn't become emotionally attached to a person who is going to die, but she says that the woman has nobody else and that when I good person dies, somebody should care.

The music is played in the last 2 minutes to the background of the death row inmate being led away in shackles, Foreman testifying at his appeal, and Cameron telling the patient that she is going to die. Finally, House crosses off the 5th stage of denial that he had written on the board to show Cameron that she was in denial. The 5th stage being "Acceptance", the title of the episode.

[Left Is Write]

4. The version of the song Hallelujah that the voter prefers.

:)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Thanks, my dear Left Is Write!

:hi:

[Lady President]

2. Jeff Buckley

Buckley sings my favorite version, but there is no wrong answer to this question because the song is just that good. :)

[some guy]

5. k d lang

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. I concur.

[u4ic]

21. The best cover, by far

in my opinion. :thumbsup:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SURrNrWOWp0



I kinda like the Norwegian dudes, too. :D



:hug::hi:

[some guy]

22. I have GREAT musical taste

:D

Just one of the reasons I'm your groupie. :loveya:

:hug: So how's the new album going? I've seen the cover art. :thumbsup:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=6768058&mesg_id=6768172

[u4ic]

23. Yes, you were handpicked

BECAUSE of your fabulous musical tastes :*


(and that I could look good if we ever danced...:P )

Fortunately, I had my webcam on during some of my rehearsals:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cu6bwUOTtE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGTJNYDCL4I&mode=related&search=

:loveya:

[some guy]

26. whew

I'm so glad you're not one of those temperamental artists.

So, the next album ought to be out in about fifteen years, yes? :P

:bounce: :bounce:

(As you can see, I have my outfit picked out for the next tour.)

[stuntcat]

33. k.d. lang

uh hu! And Hallelujah is MY SONG. And kd singing it makes me cry my eyes out.

[ThomCat]

36. I have her version bookmarked so I can listen to it periodically.

:applause:

[crim son]

37. I'm listening to her sing it now!

Totally weird coincidence.

[question everything]

41. I am listening to it now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NpxTWbovE&mode=related&search=

and, yes, it is nice if I've never heard Leonard Cohen's. But since I first heard it by him, with his signature deep voice, nothing can compare.

[johnnie]

8. It's a great song

I like all versions I have heard so far. Buckley's voice soars and is beautiful, Cohen has that poetic style that fits his lyrics perfectly. Wainwright's version was the one used in Shrek I do believe and KD Lang does a great version too. I enjoy playing this one myself now and again.

A good song is a good song.

[Fenris]

9. L. Cohen, and no one else.

[Redstone]

10. Dar Williams, of course. How could you all have forgotten her?

Redstone

[WCGreen]

11. Have you listened to her version of Highway Patrolman...

Haunting and even more stark than Bruce...

[Redstone]

32. No, I've not, but I will; thanks for the update. And I owe you an apology; I made a promise to you

that I did not keep. Mea Culpa. Mea maxica culpa.

Redstone

[WCGreen]

34. No problemo...

[some guy]

16. Wait. What?

Dar?

Where can I find that? Please.

:loveya: Dar!!!!!!

Thanks for mentioning it. :hi:

[Redstone]

31. It's her own song, not the one referred to in the OP. On her "Honesty Room" CD.

Redstone

[some guy]

35. Oh. Thanks!

I was mentally locked in to the Leonard Cohen song, and covers of it. I was thinking you were saying Dar had covered the Cohen song, and I wasn't aware of it. :(

Yep, Dar's Alleluia is a terrific and fun song.

:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Listen to these Norwegians singing it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM&mode=related&search=

I think it's really beautiful...

I don't have a favorite. The song speaks for itself. :D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. Allison Crowe does a nice job, too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIMOdVXAPJ0&mode=related&search=

[speedoo]

17. Check out this blog...

http://myoldkyhome.blogspot.com/2006/05/hallelujah.html

Many versions listed, but don't bother trying to "play" evidently the links have expired.

While she is not listed and I can find no recording by her, I can hear Judy Collins singing the song. She sings Cohen beautifully, better than anyone else IMO. Check out her cover of Suzanne in a duet with Cohen. It's actually my favorite Cohen song, and the one that is most covered.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7cZJxE6nlo

Oh and she did a full album of Cohen covers, but Hallelujah is not included. I really can't believe she's never covered it.

http://www.mymusic.com/product.asp?curr=0&muzenbr=528774

[enigmatic]

18. John Cale

http://recluseshow.blogspot.com/2007/03/hallejulah-john-cale.html

[Inchworm]

19. Brandi does it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHIYHl_5-6U

:loveya:

[speedoo]

20. Brandi's amazing.

I gotta see her live, and when I do I hope she does Fortunate Son. She owns that song.

[question everything]

40. Had to stop watching as I was getting dizzy

whoever held the video camera was either drunk or was swaying too much.

[Hippo_Tron]

24. Jeff Buckley, but L Cohen gets a lot of props for writing the song

[Guava Jelly]

27. Leonard Cohen

all the way

[MrCoffee]

28. Buckley

I'm not wild about Rufus' version.

[buddhamama]

29. Leonard Cohen

:)

[Burma Jones]

30. Handel

Now Stand up........

[stuntcat]

39. yup

[Arugula Latte]

38. I just listened to Buckley, Cohen and Wainwright's versions and

I think I like Buckley's the best.