• Mission
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe
  • Terms of Service
Conscious Life News
5-day Holosync Challenge
  • Home
  • Conscious Living
    • Activism
    • Animals and Pets
    • Conscious Evolution
    • Conscious Parenting
    • Happiness & Humor
    • Inspirational
    • Manifestation / LOA
    • Meditation
    • Peace & Human Rights
    • Relationships & Sex
    • Thrive
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Education
    • Loans and Frugal Living
    • Investing and Insurance
  • Environ.
    • Climate Change
    • Eco-Friendly
    • Farming & Gardening
    • Environmental Hazards
    • Nature & Wildlife
    • Preparedness
  • Govt.
    • Agencies & Systems
    • The Fed & Banking Cartel
    • Censorship
    • Govt. Corruption
    • Internet Control
    • Military Industrial Complex
    • Policies
    • Politics
    • Govt. Surveillance
    • Whistleblower
  • Health
    • Alternative Health Care
    • Big Pharma, CDC & FDA
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Diet, Weight Loss, Obesity
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Food, Drink & Nutrition
    • Healing & Natural Remedies
    • Herbs, Seeds & Spices
    • Human Energy Systems
    • Longevity & Life Extension
    • Mind-Body Connection
    • Pet and Animal Health
    • Prevention
    • Skin & Hair Care
  • Horoscopes
  • Media
    • Alternative Media
    • Books
    • Art and Music
    • Corporate Controlled Media
    • Films & TV
    • Internet
    • Social Media
  • Reality’s Edge
    • Afterlife & Past Lives
    • Ascension
    • Astrology & Numerology
    • Channeling & Readings
    • Dreams, ESP & Remote Viewing
    • Dying, NDE, & OBE
    • ETs, UFOs & Crop Circles
    • Mandela Effect
    • Mysteries
    • Predictions & Prophecies
    • Quantum Physics
    • Reality Shifts & Timelines
    • Spirituality and Religion
    • Angels & Spirits
  • Sci-Tech
    • Archaeology
    • Earth & Space
    • Futurism & Inspiring Inventions
    • Medical Advances & Procedures
    • Nature
    • Psychology-Psychiatry
    • Science
    • Technology
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Conscious Living
    • Activism
    • Animals and Pets
    • Conscious Evolution
    • Conscious Parenting
    • Happiness & Humor
    • Inspirational
    • Manifestation / LOA
    • Meditation
    • Peace & Human Rights
    • Relationships & Sex
    • Thrive
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Education
    • Loans and Frugal Living
    • Investing and Insurance
  • Environ.
    • Climate Change
    • Eco-Friendly
    • Farming & Gardening
    • Environmental Hazards
    • Nature & Wildlife
    • Preparedness
  • Govt.
    • Agencies & Systems
    • The Fed & Banking Cartel
    • Censorship
    • Govt. Corruption
    • Internet Control
    • Military Industrial Complex
    • Policies
    • Politics
    • Govt. Surveillance
    • Whistleblower
  • Health
    • Alternative Health Care
    • Big Pharma, CDC & FDA
    • COVID-19 Vaccine
    • Diet, Weight Loss, Obesity
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Food, Drink & Nutrition
    • Healing & Natural Remedies
    • Herbs, Seeds & Spices
    • Human Energy Systems
    • Longevity & Life Extension
    • Mind-Body Connection
    • Pet and Animal Health
    • Prevention
    • Skin & Hair Care
  • Horoscopes
  • Media
    • Alternative Media
    • Books
    • Art and Music
    • Corporate Controlled Media
    • Films & TV
    • Internet
    • Social Media
  • Reality’s Edge
    • Afterlife & Past Lives
    • Ascension
    • Astrology & Numerology
    • Channeling & Readings
    • Dreams, ESP & Remote Viewing
    • Dying, NDE, & OBE
    • ETs, UFOs & Crop Circles
    • Mandela Effect
    • Mysteries
    • Predictions & Prophecies
    • Quantum Physics
    • Reality Shifts & Timelines
    • Spirituality and Religion
    • Angels & Spirits
  • Sci-Tech
    • Archaeology
    • Earth & Space
    • Futurism & Inspiring Inventions
    • Medical Advances & Procedures
    • Nature
    • Psychology-Psychiatry
    • Science
    • Technology
No Result
View All Result
Conscious Life News
No Result
View All Result
Home Media & Arts Art and Music

Why Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” Is The Ultimate Thanksgiving Song (You’ll Be Amazed By Its Meaning!)

"Hallelujah," voted the "most perfect song ever," elevates gratitude, encouraging us to be grateful for all of life's moments.

by Ross Pittman
November 24, 2024
in Art and Music
Reading Time: 6 mins read
0 0
A A
24
Why Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” Is The Ultimate Thanksgiving Song (You’ll Be Amazed By Its Meaning!)
100
SHARES
1.9k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsApp
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Thanksgiving is a heartfelt celebration of gratitude, honoring the abundance and blessings that enrich our lives. Among the myriad things I cherish, I extend profound appreciation to the late Leonard Cohen. His musical legacy is a treasure, particularly his song “Hallelujah.”

“Hallelujah” elevates gratitude, encouraging us to embrace all life's moments — joyous or challenging, triumphant or sorrowful.

My love for this song was ignited during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. k.d. lang's breathtaking rendition of Cohen's (a fellow Canadian) timeless masterpiece at the opening ceremony was truly unforgettable. Her performance, coupled with the song's poignant lyrics, sparked a deep curiosity in me to explore the deeper meanings and nuances of this iconic song.

In short, here's what songwriter Cohen said of the song's meaning:

“It explains that many kinds of hallelujahs do exist, and all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have equal value.”

Cohen further elaborates on the meaning of the song:

“Finally there's no conflict between things, finally everything is reconciled but not where we live. This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled but there are moments when we can transcend the dualistic system and reconcile and embrace the whole mess and that's what I mean by Hallelujah. That regardless of what the impossibility of the situation is, there is a moment when you open your mouth and you throw open your arms and you embrace the thing and you just say ‘Hallelujah! Blessed is the name.'  And you can't reconcile it in any other way except in that position of total surrender, total affirmation. That's what it's all about.”

The Most Perfect Song Ever Took Five Years to Write

In 2008, Q Magazine held a poll in which “Hallelujah” was voted “the most perfect song ever.”  According to Cohen, it took him at least five years to write the song:

“Hallelujah was at least five years. I have about 80 verses. I just took verses out of the many that established some sort of coherence. The trouble that I find is that I have to finish the verse before I can discard it. So that lengthens the process considerably. I filled two notebooks with the song, and I remember being on the floor of the Royalton Hotel, on the carpet in my underwear, banging my head on the floor and saying, ‘I can't finish this song.’”

Cohen trimmed the number of verses and released the song in 1984 on his album titled “Various Positions.”   However, the song did not receive popular acclaim until 1991 when John Cale, a Welsh singer-songwriter, recorded a cover version of the song.

As of November 2024, the song “Hallelujah” has been covered and recorded by over 500 artists in various languages. The song's simple, yet profound lyrics and its adaptable melody have made it a favorite for musicians to interpret and re-imagine, contributing to its enduring popularity and the growing number of versions available.

A breathtaking cover of “Hallelujah” by the late Jeff Buckley reached the top position on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart in March 2008.

The Meaning of Lyrics to Hallelujah

The word Hallelujah is of Hebrew origin and is commonly translated as “Praise God” or “Praise the Lord.” It is a compound word, consisting of two elements: Hallelu, which is an exhortation to praise, and Jah, a shortened form of Yahweh, which is the name of God in the Hebrew Bible.

Thus, Hallelujah is praise directed towards God, often used in religious contexts. It has been adopted into many languages and used in various forms of Christian worship, as well as in Jewish liturgy. Additionally, the term has permeated popular culture and music, often retaining its connotation of joy, relief, or gratitude.

Below are the lyrics to “Hallelujah” and one of the many interpretations of the lyrics from lyricinterpretations.com, this one by Francis O'Brien:

First part:

Now 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?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

This relates to the story of King David who had an intimate relationship with God and was also a great harp player (secret cord/pleased the lord). The hallelujah at the end of this verse is a happy and spiritual one.

Second part:

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

In this part Cohen relates to the story of David and Bathsheba when David was walking on the roofs he saw her bathing and seduced her. He ended up committing adultery, lost a lot of influence, and weakened his link with God (broken throne). Then we move to the story of Samson who gets his hair cut and loses all his powers, once again, a broken throne. In this verse, the hallelujah is a very sad and desperate one.

Third Part:

Baby I have been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

In this part, Cohen talks about the ambivalence of love and its effect on your faith. It can be glorious like a flag on a marble arch or cold and broken. And when in heartbreak you may lose or strengthen your faith, in this case, it is strengthened because he still praises the lord in the end. In this case, the hallelujah is (obviously) cold and broken.

Fourth Part:

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you
The holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

This is an obvious reference to sexuality… In this verse, the hallelujah can be interpreted as an orgasmic one.

Fifth Part:

You say I took the name in vain
I don't even know the name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

This is a reference to one of the Ten Commandments and through this Cohen is trying to make the listener understand that religion and faith are not etched in stone and that everyone should interpret the holy texts and religion in his own way and that there is no “Right Way” to believe. This is an uncertain hallelujah, meaning that he is not sure what to believe but he believes anyway.

This alludes to one of the Ten Commandments, with Cohen subtly encouraging listeners to recognize that religion and faith are not rigid or unchangeable. He suggests that sacred texts and beliefs should be interpreted personally, emphasizing that there is no single “right way” to believe. It reflects an uncertain hallelujah, meaning that he is not sure what to believe but he believes anyway.

Sixth Part:

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

In this part, he has found what to believe in and realizes his past errors but he is ready to face the lord because he now has complete faith. This hallelujah is one of total faith and love for “the Lord”.

12 Breathtaking Performances of ‘Hallelujah'

André Rieu & His Johann Strauss Orchestra

k.d. lang

Jeff Buckley

One Voice Children's Choir

Lucy Thomas

The Ten Tenors

Pentatonix

Rufus Wainwright (plus 1500 singers)

The U.S. Air Force Band's Singing Sergeants

Andrea Bocelli With His Daughter Virginia

Juliette (the Most Viewed Wedding Ceremony in Germany)

Leonard Cohen (last but NOT least)

Tags: broken halleluhahhallelujah meaningLeonard Cohen Hallelujahmeaning of hallelujahThanksgivingThanksgiving hallelujah
ShareTweetSend
Previous Post

Weekly Astrology Video WC 25th November 2024 + All Signs…

Next Post

Mercury Retrograde from 26th November Deep Dive Video + All Signs…

Related Posts

Why Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” Is The Ultimate Thanksgiving Song (You’ll Be Amazed By Its Meaning!)
Art and Music

Why Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” Is The Ultimate Thanksgiving Song (You’ll Be Amazed By Its Meaning!)

November 24, 2024
David Icke: “The Totalitarian Tiptoe” + “Totalitarian Tiptoe Blues” by Ralph Buckley
Activism

David Icke: “The Totalitarian Tiptoe” + “Totalitarian Tiptoe Blues” by Ralph Buckley

April 22, 2024
Sinéad O’Connor’s Breathtaking Acapella Rendition of “Danny Boy”
Art and Music

Sinéad O’Connor’s Breathtaking Acapella Rendition of “Danny Boy”

March 17, 2024
“Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony (with Lyrics)
Art and Music

“Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony (with Lyrics)

August 26, 2023
Sinéad O’Connor: A Troubled Soul With Immense Talent and Unbowed Spirit
Art and Music

Sinéad O’Connor: A Troubled Soul With Immense Talent and Unbowed Spirit

August 3, 2023
“Brainwashed” | Tom MacDonald (Must See Music Video)
Art and Music

“Brainwashed” | Tom MacDonald (Must See Music Video)

October 11, 2022
Next Post
Mercury Retrograde from 26th November Deep Dive Video + All Signs…

Mercury Retrograde from 26th November Deep Dive Video + All Signs...

Comments 24

  1. jeffhand409@hotmail.com' Jeff says:
    12 years ago

    THANKS to CLN.com for a SPANKIN website that helps Humanity become AWARE and ascend. Peace on Earth !

    Reply
    • admin@consciouslifenews.com' clnews says:
      12 years ago

      Thank you Jeff. We really appreciate your kind words! -Ross

      Reply
  2. sfurr33@gmail.com' Susannah Furr says:
    12 years ago

    Ross, thank you for a wonderful explanation of such a powerful, spirit filled song! Awesome, thanks!

    Reply
    • admin@consciouslifenews.com' clnews says:
      12 years ago

      You are welcome. I was inspired to research the meaning of the song after I saw k.d. lang sing it at the 2010 Olympics. I will repost this article as well as your article on the magic of gratitude on Thanksgiving day. They are a great pair.

      Reply
  3. Alcyone says:
    12 years ago

    This is a wonderful article Ross. Thank you for posting!

    Reply
    • admin@consciouslifenews.com' clnews says:
      12 years ago

      You are very welcome!

      Reply
  4. Tom Smith says:
    12 years ago

    https://consciouslifenews.com/hallelujah-amazing-song-about-giving-life/1121719/

    Reply
  5. Natalia Przybylska-Hansson says:
    12 years ago

    Feel that song on that special day
    https://consciouslifenews.com/hallelujah-amazing-song-about-giving-life/1121719/

    Reply
  6. barbarasinclair11@gmail.com' Barbara Sinclair says:
    12 years ago

    Dear Ross, I have always loved this song but reading the lyrics along with your thoughts has made it even more relevant. I published a blog post the day before Thanksgiving about being grateful for the difficult things in our lives. If we can be strong, they truly strengthen and elevate us. I was going to publish it on CLN but I was rushing out the door to catch a flight! Here it is: https://barbarasinclair.com/2012/11/21/thankful-for-the-pain-the-grief-and-the-lessons-they-have-taught-me/ Thanks for the wonderful article and I hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving! 🙂

    Reply
    • admin@consciouslifenews.com' clnews says:
      12 years ago

      Thank you Barbara! I just read your beautiful article. It’s one of your best, and my new fav. Heartfelt. It goes very well with my article. But, I think it could be posted at any time and people will resonate and benefit from it. So, feel free to post on CLN when you have some spare time. Love and blessings. -Ross

      Reply
  7. roger_kohn@yahoo.com' Roger Kohn says:
    12 years ago

    Like many people I have searched and searched for some more of the 15 or 80 or whatever number of verses that supposedly Leonard Cohen wrote for this song. Alas, I haven’t found them and I suspect they do not exist. I got so frustrated that I wrote my own verse and, since I haven’t even had 15 seconds of fame, I copyright it, that is if I can copyright a verse to a song that isn’t mine. Here it is:

    We the first were given reign:
    Our lives and theirs, the gift of name.
    But chains don’t fit and a snake said something to us.

    Some say that we were forced to go.
    But, no, we grew and left to know
    Both the joyous and the broken hallelujah.

    BTW, I have several variants of this verse and a similar notion may account for some of the “missing” verses. Great song!

    —- Roger Kohn

    Reply
  8. 1402952466610993@facebook.com' Where there is love there is life says:
    9 years ago

    Never ignore a person who loves you, cares for you, and misses you. Because one day, you might wake up from your sleep and realize that you lost the moon while counting stars.

    Reply
  9. 1690384254531431@facebook.com' Pinky Deb says:
    9 years ago

    Good post

    Reply
  10. 10206658904124003@facebook.com' Jean Sibley says:
    9 years ago

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  11. 161378394194951@facebook.com' Ryan Getty says:
    9 years ago

    It just is. Cohen is a master.

    Reply
  12. clnKimberlay says:
    9 years ago

    A heartfelt and inspired post for this day before American Thanksgiving. It is all in there somewhere in the 80 verses, the melody, the talents of the performers and the listeners who resonate with it all. It is also there in every life even when the one who lives does not recognize it. The ultimate gift is that: the gift of Life, whatever experiences it grants to the one who lives. It is up to us who are thankful to en-lighten/raise up those who have forgotten. Thank you Ross, Vicki and the entire CLN team

    Reply
    • admin@consciouslifenews.com' clnews says:
      9 years ago

      Thank you Kimberlay!!!

      Reply
  13. 540995409395730@facebook.com' Susan Forde says:
    9 years ago

    Such a beautiful song! Well done Maestro! ❤️??

    Reply
  14. 10207705263577939@facebook.com' Christine Casabar says:
    9 years ago

    I agree – this is what floats my boat. Hallelujah! Happy Thankgiving!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0b8osZW21c

    Reply
  15. 568379783316844@facebook.com' Mary Wang says:
    9 years ago

    Thanksgiving is s day to give thanks to God for his blessings and also a day to repent of what you have done abroad (as shedding the blood of innocent people )and domestic(as legalizing the gay marriage).

    Reply
  16. 150081085348310@facebook.com' Aneeda B. Magikal says:
    9 years ago

    Jamie Hardaway Curran: thinking of you and your love for Mr. Leonard Cohen
    ~Happy Hallelujah ?

    Reply
  17. cheriedirksen@yahoo.com' Cherie Roe Dirksen says:
    7 years ago

    Wow, amazing. Be grateful for everything – good and bad – love that!!! I can’t believe it took 5 years to write :O I have to say my favourite version is Jeff Buckley. Second favourite is Rufus Wainwright

    Reply
    • admin@consciouslifenews.com' clnews says:
      7 years ago

      Thank you Cherie!!! This goes very well with your new article: https://consciouslifenews.com/simply-be-gratitude/11156650/

      Reply
  18. willythethrillis2029@gmail.com' Tropuc Evader says:
    6 years ago

    Leonard Co|<ehead!!

    5 years– 😯 sets of lyrics– 2
    notebooks– bangung your head on
    some hotel floor because you can't
    finish the song….

    Alllllrrriigghhttyyyy thhennnn!!

    I bet he's Jewish! That will explain
    EVERYthing!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Conscious Life News

The mission of Conscious Life News is to be a global leader in the consciousness-raising of the planet.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Activism
  • Afterlife & Past Lives
  • Agencies & Systems
  • Alternative Health Care
  • Alternative Media
  • Angels & Spirits
  • Animals and Pets
  • Archaeology
  • Art and Music
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Ascension
  • Astrology & Numerology
  • Astrology Overview
  • Big Pharma, CDC, FDA & NIH
  • Books
  • Business
  • Careers
  • Censorship
  • Channeling & Readings
  • Climate Change
  • Conscious Evolution
  • Conscious Living
  • Conscious Parenting
  • Corporate Controlled Media
  • COVID-19 Vaccine
  • Daily
  • Diet, Weight Loss, Obesity
  • Dreams, ESP & Remote Viewing
  • Dying, NDE, & OBE
  • Earth & Space
  • Eco-Friendly
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Environmental Hazards
  • ETs, UFOs & Crop Circles
  • Exercise and Fitness
  • Farming & Gardening
  • Featured
  • Federal Law
  • Films & TV
  • Food, Drink & Nutrition
  • Futurism & Inspiring Inventions
  • Government
  • Govt Censorship
  • Govt. Corruption
  • Govt. Surveillance
  • Happiness & Humor
  • Healing & Natural Remedies
  • Health
  • Herbs, Seeds & Spices
  • Home Maintenance, Repairs & Improvement
  • Horoscopes
  • Human Energy Systems
  • Inspirational
  • Internet
  • Internet Control
  • Investing and Insurance
  • Laws and Lawyers
  • Lifestyle and Fashion
  • Loans and Frugal Living
  • Longevity & Life Extension
  • Mandela Effect
  • Manifestation / LOA
  • Maya / Matrix / Virtual Reality
  • Media & Arts
  • Medical Advances & Procedures
  • Meditation
  • Military Industrial Complex
  • Mind-Body Connection
  • Monthly
  • Mysteries
  • Nature
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • News Flash
  • Peace & Human Rights
  • Pet and Animal Health
  • Policies
  • Politics
  • Predictions & Prophecies
  • Preparedness
  • Prevention
  • Psychology-Psychiatry
  • Quantum Physics
  • Reality Shifts & Timelines
  • Reality's Edge
  • Relationships & Sex
  • Sci-Tech
  • Science
  • Skin & Hair Care
  • Social Media
  • Spirituality and Religion
  • Stuff
  • Technology
  • The Fed & Banking Cartel
  • Thrive
  • Uncategorized
  • Weekly
  • Whistleblower
  • World

Recent News

Scorpio Full Moon Deep Dive Video + Zodiac Forecasts All Signs

Scorpio Full Moon Deep Dive Video + Zodiac Forecasts All Signs

May 11, 2025
Weekly Astrology Video WC 12th May 2025 + All Signs…

Weekly Astrology Video WC 12th May 2025 + All Signs…

May 11, 2025

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 ConsciousLifeNews.com - Premium WordPress news & magazine theme by Jegtheme.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.