Best version of hallelujah?

Submitted by JoeLawson10 t3_11zqx6y in Music

As the title says im asking you guys who you would say made the best hallelujah cover (or whatever the original if you think thats the best)

I am on Spotify if that helps narrow it down :)

Thank you for any help in advance have a nice day:)

2

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

slippin_park t1_jddpi4y wrote

Jeff Buckley

And while you're there if you haven't already listen to the entirety of Grace.

22

teriyaki_tornado t1_jdfd0k7 wrote

You should listen to the song A Coat of Butterflies by Kevin Morby. It’s about Buckley. There is a line in the song that says:

And hey man, have you heard Buckley Singing hallelujah? He did what Leonard never could to it Gave it wings then away it was

2

Opus-the-Penguin t1_jddpn0g wrote

Jeff Buckley. Never heard anything that comes close. Not Cohen's original. Not John Cale, who inexplicably gets ranked ahead of Buckley by some. Seriously? Listen to them both. How do you go back to Cale's surface skim after hearing Buckley plunge deep into the song's heart? Cale makes pleasant music but he clearly has no idea what the words mean. Definitely not Rufus Wainwright's Shrek version. Not J-Hud. Buckley's is one of those covers that makes all other versions superfluous and all future attempts pointless. It's kind of like Johnny Cash's Hurt.

16

cynical_genx_man t1_jddr9n5 wrote

Because Cale was the first to sort of re-jigger the original lyrics and everything subsequently - including Buckley - is just a duplicate.

4

Opus-the-Penguin t1_jddshhk wrote

Yeah, but it's not. That's my point. Cale's making fine music but, for me, there's no connection to the words. He might as well be singing in a foreign language. He's Joan Sutherland and Buckley is Maria Callas.

Or to switch metaphors, Leonard Cohen's version is Moses--harsh and full of implied glory. Cale's is John the Baptist, preparing the way. But when the perfect comes, the partial must pass away.

1

cynical_genx_man t1_jddttnz wrote

Well, here is where the subjectivity about music comes in, because when I hear them, Cale's version is understated which actually makes the lyrics more impactful, while when I hear Buckley it's almost as if he's trying too hard to give emotional resonance.

However, again, the fact is Cale's reworking of the lyrics was so profound that altering the song that it was a tectonic event. Buckley just sang it differently.

I don't think either of us is wrong, just different interpretations and reactions.

1

Opus-the-Penguin t1_jddtzb7 wrote

Fair enough.

2

cynical_genx_man t1_jdeo08s wrote

As I think about it, it seems that my lack of enthusiasm for the Buckley version stems from the fact that to me the song is one from the POV of a middle-aged man who is looking back on his life and his relationships (both physical and spiritual) and trying to unpack the memories good and bad.

With that in mind, a singer still in their 20's - no matter how much soul or passion they bring - miss the mark because one cannot mimic the sort of experience, approach, and attitude that comes with age. It's the same reason that having someone like, say, Bono or Paul McCartney try and cover a song of youthful angst and rebellion comes off as lacking the necessary life-perspective behind it. Sure, they can recall what it was like to be 20, but the feelings and internal reality of a 20 year old are different than the memories of it and an old guy whinging about the difficulties a young person faces can often feel forced or silly. So for this song while a young singer might be able to imagine themselves as an older version of themselves wandering the dusty rooms of their life, it's at best a good approximation.

And, as a middle-aged dude myself, I can sense that inauthenticity (for lack of a better word), while that genuine truth is clear when the song is sung by someone of the right age.

Even worse is using this song as some sort of celebratory anthem. It's not. It may not be full doom and gloom, but there is a melancholy to the lyrics *and* music that sort of renders any use of this as an upbeat joyful song of triumph to be a misapplication.

Anyway, I'm sure that now this comment will be downvoted simply because my opinion doesn't match that of others who are unaware that subjective opinions and interpretations of art is not a matter of right or wrong.

4

Opus-the-Penguin t1_jderszf wrote

Yeah, I hate the way people use downvotes as a way of disagreeing. I like hearing opinions that don't match mine and I think you've expressed yours thoughtfully.

For what it's worth, I was close to 40 when I heard Jeff Buckley's version (and it was the first I'd heard, so I admit I "imprinted" on it like a duckling). And I'd had some major life curves that aged me beyond those years. But what I heard seemed authentic and relatable and not at all like a cheeky kid claiming he'd experienced the full gamut of life's vicissitudes.

3

cynical_genx_man t1_jdkcszm wrote

As you said before, fair enough.

Say hi to Bill, Steve, and the rest of the gang in Bloom County for me!

2

Canucklehead_Esq t1_jddohdr wrote

k d lang, imo

5

tonidoll24 t1_jdeiphh wrote

Definately KD Lang. I never realized how many times I'd heard this from my dad till I played it now. I love this rendition.

1

No-sleep-till-MTL t1_jddrixz wrote

Rufus Wainwright did an exceptional job at covering Hallelujah

5

spookynutz t1_jddpg1x wrote

The original is best. The Jeff Buckley and K.D. Lang covers are pretty good. The Bono cover might be the worst cover song ever produced by a major label artist.

4

ztmwvo t1_jddqsqx wrote

Leonard Cohen, when you’re ready for it

2

MunsonRoy3 t1_jddt8eq wrote

As much as I love Cohens, I’d have to say KD Lang imo

2

abradford87 t1_jdg1165 wrote

My wife and her 3 sisters with a guitar every Christmas hands down.

2

CoolArt589 t1_jddz0os wrote

The worst is Bon Jovi, hands down

1

YesterdayActual t1_jdgbav6 wrote

Hallelujah- Haim

Ok ok you caught me it’s an original, not a cover, but still great song.

1

cynical_genx_man t1_jddr4sw wrote

Cohen's second version (the more secular one) is the absolute best.

A close second is John Cale's version, because all of the others (including Buckley) are just basically carbon copies with nothing original to them whatsoever.

0