Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen song)

Hallelujah is a song written and recorded by [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Cohen [Leonard Cohen] ] in 1984. It was included on the messy release of his album Various Positions, and eventually reached the public later in 1985.

Regarded by many as one of the most beautiful popular musical pieces ever written, the song deals with ambiguous topics and there is much debate over Cohen's intentions or messages. Religious themes and sexual lyrics imply that the track deals with the dynamic of a relationship by using a spiritual metaphor, and the tone is often described as depressive or sorrowful.

In later years, the inspirational song was to be performed, or covered by, esteemed artists such as Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and Bono from U2. It also helped launch the career of American singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley, whom many consider to have recorded the most striking version of Hallelujah. Most recently, Rufus Wainwright covered the track, using a similar style to Buckley, though his version is more piano-driven. The popularity of Wainwright's recording was reflected in its inclusion on the Shrek movie soundtrack in 2001.

With each different musical interpretation of Cohen’s song, it is interesting to note how the lyrics have changed and evolved. Indeed, more recent versions convey a quite different feeling to the original. However, the melody and themes have remained unchanged throughout the many covers of this is a deeply respected song, which many consider to be Cohen’s finest work.