Leonard Cohen
“You let me sing, you lifted me up, you have my soul a beam to travel on. You folded your distance back into my heart. You drew the tears back to my eyes. You hid me in the mountain of your word. You gave the injury a tongue to heal itself. You covered my head with my teacher’s care, you bound my arm with my grandfather’s strength. O beloved speaking, O comfort whispering in the terror, unspeakable explanation of the smoke and cruelty, undo the self-conspiracy, let me dare the boldness of joy.”―Leonard Cohen, “Poem 19,” Book of Mercy, 1984.
My husband and I recently watched an incredible documentary about Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” and the 80 to 180 verses he wrote throughout his lifetime. Certainly, the music and its lyrics captured the life of the Canadian poet and songwriter. The story behind Hallelujah was equally fascinating. It took Cohen five years to write the song.
Cohen initially released Hallelujah on an album that was rejected by a major record company in this country, and it was only released in England in 1984, where it achieved minimal success. Its widespread popularity truly began when other well-known singers, John Cale and Jeff Buckley, started performing Hallelujah. Remarkably, the version of Cale’s Hallelujah used in the animated movie Shrek in 2001 caused the song's popularity to skyrocket. Then, after Cohen’s death in November 2016, the song gained renewed international recognition.
I remember being moved by “Hallelujah” when k.d. lang performed it at the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. She was dressed in white on a high stage, singing the anthem with all her heart.
Lang described the verses as a battle between human desire and spiritual wisdom. The early lines include biblical references to Samson and Delilah, as well as King David and Bathsheba. Many see the music and lyrics fluctuating between blessings and losses. The history of the anthem and its lyrics appears to serve as a powerful timeline for Cohen’s spiritual autobiography.
What music might each of us compose to share the story of our spiritual journey?
Joanna https://www.joannaseibert.com/