And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

The lyrics of “Hallelujah” are a bit out there. Typical Leonard Cohen. David played music that pleased God, but my girlfriend isn’t into music. Great. King David and Samson are people that struggled with the sexual aspects of love. Love can bring good, but it has its dark sides too. Given that and given that I have lived by myself before, I know that sometimes love is not always going to be great. Sometimes there are going to be problems, and that’s okay.

Our communication used to be great, now it isn’t, perhaps that is a source of some of our current problems. Look, love is tough, we should be surprised and grateful it ever happens at all. When you look at the lyrics closely, I feel like there is some sort of argument that is being made that symbolic logic and modus ponens could perhaps address better than I can.

Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” where he plays with just an electric guitar is amazing. Sometimes solo electric guitar can sound off (usually it sounds better with an acoustic guitar). However, he pulls it off and delivers the biggest hit of his career, but also makes Cohen accessible to a new audience that would have never discovered him.

The melody is quite good. And although the chorus is simple, it is powerful, memorable with a great sound. Unfortunately, Buckley died young, so his catalog is not very deep, but this song is spectacular.

Other great songs by Leonard Cohen.
You might also like this epic song by Simon & Garfunkel.

Hallelujah Lyrics

Well I’ve heard there was a secret chord,
That David played and it pleased the Lord.
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
Well it goes like this-
The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift,
The baffled king composing Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof.
You saw her bathing on the roof,
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya.
She tied you to her kitchen chair,
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair.
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.

But baby I’ve been here before,
I’ve seen this room and I’ve walked this floor.
You know, I used to live alone before I knew ya.
And I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch,
And love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.

Well there was a time when you let me know,
What’s really going on below.
But now you never show that to me do ya?
But remember when I moved in you?
And the holy dove was moving too,
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.
Hallelujah,
Hallelujah.

Maybe there’s a God above,
But all I’ve ever learned from love,
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.
And it’s not a cry that you hear at night,
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light,
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah.

written by Leonard Cohen