First recorded and released in 1984, Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah” is having one helluva pop-culture moment. In the past few weeks, the song’s been in the TV spotlight at least three times by my count.
Following January’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, Justin Timberlake joined forces with friend Matt Morris to perform “Hallelujah” during the Hope For Haiti Now charity telethon. With Charlie Sexton on guitar, the fellas turned in a hushed, reverential rendition, one of the many high points of the evening. Hear here:
Purchase Justin Timberlake (feat. Matt Morris & Charlie Sexton) – “Hallelujah” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.
During the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics on February 12, k.d. lang wowed the live audience in Vancouver and viewers watching at home, treating us to a stunningly flawless version of “Hallelujah.” Her gorgeous voice took flight in BC Arena, soaring throughout the dome and coming in for the gentlest of landings.
She’d first recorded the song for 2004’s Hymns Of The 49th Parallel, an album of cover tunes from lang’s favorite fellow Canadian songwriters (Cohen’s “Bird On A Wire” also made the cut). Perfectly timed to her Olympics performance (and quite likely the very same cut), lang revisited “Hallelujah” for the just-released career compilation, Recollection. Hear here:
Purchase k.d. lang – “Hallelujah (New Version)” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.
And on last Wednesday’s edition of American Idol, Jeff Buckley‘s cover of “Hallelujah” played as the show recapped the 24 hopefuls aiming to be Season 9’s singing victor. Recorded for the late singer’s 1994 debut, Grace, Buckley’s take is the most famous of all the many covers of Cohen’s modern classic, even making Rolling Stone‘s list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.” Hear here:
Purchase Jeff Buckley – “Hallelujah” via iTunes, Amazon MP3.
Now one would think Leonard Cohen is mighty pleased that “Hallelujah” has found such favor with so many people in so many places, so many years later. And the 75-year old truly does feel a certain vindication, telling CBC Radio just last year that label execs at the time didn’t think the record was good enough to issue in the States. But Cohen also mentioned a review of The Watchmen movie which had featured the song, and he felt one criticism was spot-on. “The reviewer said, ‘Can we please have a moratorium on “Hallelujah” in movies and television shows?’ And I kind of feel the same way.”
Well, we’re only two months into 2010, if Cohen would like to make it official, because I’ll bet at least one Idol contestant gives it yet another go this year.
