Jeff Buckley. 1995
Jeff Buckley’s rendition of Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen
I just heard this today on the radio. This version. Yeah, I know. Where have you been for the last decade or so? Anyway, I was stunned. It’s just a beautiful song, a profoundly moving song, with a strange mix of symbols and images, both secular and biblical. Ambiguity adds strength and mystery to that combination. It’s the kind of song that rewards a much deeper look, several listens, and a long walk with. Climb. Climb up into the mountains and ponder. Or don’t. But it’s cool to ponder and climb and think about all of the Hallelujahs on the way.
(Yahia Lababidi posted an excellent essay here on Leonard Cohen for Spinozablue last month.)
Jeff Buckley also deserves a much closer look. A singer/songwriter of great talent, he passed away at a tragically early age (30) from a drowning accident.
