“Hallelujah,” a song that resonates deeply with countless listeners across the globe, has become a modern standard, performed and recorded by a vast array of artists. Its poignant lyrics and haunting melody are instantly recognizable, but the story of its creation and rise to fame is less widely known. The question, “Who Wrote The Song Hallelujah?” is often the starting point for those discovering this remarkable piece of music. The answer leads us back to a celebrated singer-songwriter and a journey filled with artistic struggle, industry indifference, and ultimate triumph through rediscovery and reinvention.
The man behind “Hallelujah” is none other than Leonard Cohen, the iconic Canadian poet, novelist, and musician. In June 1984, Cohen, in the quiet confines of New York’s Quadrasonic Sound studios, committed to tape a song that had been years in the making. This was “Hallelujah,” a track that would eventually ascend to the heights of contemporary popular music, despite a remarkably muted initial reception.
At the time of its recording, “Hallelujah” was slated for inclusion on Various Positions, Cohen’s seventh studio album for Columbia Records. However, in a decision that would become infamous in music industry lore, Walter Yetnikoff, the head of Columbia’s music division in the U.S., chose not to release the album domestically. Famously, Yetnikoff told Cohen, “Leonard, we know you’re great, but we don’t know if you’re any good.” This rejection mirrored the stereotypical image of tone-deaf music executives, unable to recognize true artistry when they heard it. The sentiment was clear: “I don’t hear a single.”
Various Positions, despite its initial U.S. shelving (it was eventually released in 1990), is now recognized as containing some of Cohen’s most enduring work. The album opens with the seductive rhythms of “Dance Me to the End of Love” and concludes with the spiritual yearning of “If It Be Your Will,” a song Cohen described as a “rewritten old prayer.” Nestled within this overlooked masterpiece, on side two, track one, was “Hallelujah,” a song whose destiny was far from clear at the time.
For many years, “Hallelujah” remained a relatively obscure piece in Cohen’s vast catalog. As the documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song reveals, the song’s path to ubiquity was anything but straightforward. Inspired by Alan Light’s 2012 book exploring the song’s journey, the film delves into the vagaries of the music industry and the unpredictable nature of a song’s lifespan. It’s a story of how a song, initially lost in the shuffle, could be rediscovered and reimagined, ultimately becoming a song that seems to belong to everyone.
Cohen’s transition to songwriting came from a pragmatic place. Initially a celebrated poet and novelist, he turned to the more financially viable world of popular music in the mid-1960s out of economic necessity. This shift coincided with a significant evolution in the music scene. Artists like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell were changing audience expectations; singer-songwriters who performed their own material were gaining prominence, moving away from the earlier norm where artists primarily interpreted songs written by others.
This shift placed a particular emphasis on the “original” recording by the songwriter. In this paradigm, the songwriter’s version became the benchmark against which all subsequent versions, termed “covers,” were measured. While seemingly straightforward, this “original versus cover” model struggles to fully capture the complex history of a song like “Hallelujah.”
The term “cover” itself gained traction around 1966, coinciding with Cohen’s emergence as a performer of his own songs. Before this period, the concept of “standards” dominated. Singers like Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, and Elvis Presley were primarily interpreters of the Great American Songbook, performing songs like “Summertime” or “My Funny Valentine.” These “standards” were written with the intention of being interpreted by multiple artists, lacking a definitive “original” recording.
Judy Collins played a pivotal role in bringing Cohen’s songwriting to a wider audience. In May 1966, Cohen, seeking to promote his work, met Collins in New York. As Collins recounts in the documentary, Cohen, with characteristic humility, presented “Suzanne,” saying, “I can’t sing, and I can’t play the guitar, and I don’t know if this is a song.” Collins immediately recognized its power, including “Suzanne” on her album In My Life. Her rendition became a standout track, introducing both the song and its writer to American listeners. Interestingly, when Cohen released his own version of “Suzanne” on his debut album Songs of Leonard Cohen, it was, in a way, a cover of Collins’s already popular interpretation.
“Hallelujah” similarly challenges the traditional “original and cover” framework. Following Columbia’s initial refusal, Various Positions was briefly released in the U.S. by the independent label Passport Records, but in limited quantities. It quickly faded from view.
The song’s resurgence began when John Cale, a founding member of the Velvet Underground, heard Cohen perform “Hallelujah” at a 1988 concert. He was profoundly moved, later describing it as having “knocked me sideways.” When invited to contribute to the 1991 Cohen tribute album, I’m Your Fan, Cale chose to record “Hallelujah.” Cale’s version was not simply a straightforward cover; he undertook a significant re-editing of the song. Cohen’s original drafts of “Hallelujah” were rumored to contain anywhere from 15 to a staggering 180 verses. Cale meticulously selected verses, blending some from Cohen’s recorded version with others unearthed from Cohen’s extensive archives, including what Cale termed “the cheeky verses.”
Cale’s interpretation, featuring solo piano and his distinctive baritone, became a pivotal recording, arguably the de facto reference point for “Hallelujah,” even eclipsing Cohen’s original in influence, at least initially. Jeff Buckley, inspired by Cale’s version, created his own haunting rendition with guitar. Buckley’s version, gentle and vulnerable, highlighted a different facet of the song compared to Cale’s more magisterial approach.
The song’s journey took another unexpected turn when a modified, family-friendly version of Cale’s rendition was used in the animated film Shrek (2001). Although Rufus Wainwright’s cover appeared on the soundtrack album, the film’s immense popularity, grossing nearly $500 million worldwide, catapulted “Hallelujah” into mainstream consciousness.
It is estimated that “Hallelujah” now exists in hundreds upon hundreds of versions. The website SecondHandSongs catalogs nearly 500, a testament to its widespread appeal and adaptability. This proliferation of covers, arguably, is due to the initial limited accessibility of Cohen’s original recording. Interpretations arose and gained traction based on their own artistic merit, independent of direct comparison to Cohen’s version.
However, not all interpretations of “Hallelujah” are equally successful. Some singers, in their renditions, seem to miss the song’s inherent subtlety. While k. d. lang’s vocal prowess is undeniable, her version, for some critics, veers towards overselling the chorus, losing some of the song’s delicate balance. This tendency to over-dramatize “Hallelujah” has become a recurring theme, particularly in vocal competition shows like Idol, Voice, and X Factor, as highlighted in the documentary, where singers often prioritize vocal gymnastics over emotional nuance.
Conversely, Brandi Carlile’s rendition is often cited as a successful example. She manages to become a conduit for the song, allowing “Hallelujah” to speak for itself rather than imposing herself upon it. Her version is reverential, prioritizing the song’s inherent power.
In conclusion, “Hallelujah,” penned by the masterful Leonard Cohen, has undergone a remarkable transformation from a neglected album track to a globally recognized standard. Its journey, marked by initial obscurity and subsequent rediscovery through countless interpretations, underscores the song’s inherent strength and universal appeal. “Hallelujah” has transcended the typical notions of originals and covers to become something rarer – a contemporary pop standard that belongs not just to its writer, but to the world.
