| Leonard Cohen – Hallelujah Lyrics | 14 years ago |
|
I really like this song. I grew up in a very christian family, and decided that Chrisianity wasn't making me happy at all. This song definitly remindes me of my roots. The bible stories that it refers to I remember very clearly. The first verse is obvioulsly referring to King David (as in David and Goliah, David). He was the messanger of God but turned away because of his love for a woman that was not his to have. He demanded that the woman that he saw bathing on the roof of her home to be brought to him, its unclear but we assume David rapes her. He as king abused his power and sent her husband to the front of battle and killed him, then took her as his own. The next verse starting "she tied you to a kitchen chair..." is referring to Samson. A man of supernatural strenght, so much so that he killed 1000 Philistines with the only weapon of the jawbone of a donkey. God gave him this gift as long as he didn't cut his hair. Samson fell in love with a woman named Dehilia, who was paid by the Philistines to find Samson's weakness, and one night while Samson was drunk in the kitchen. He told her his weakness and she cut his hair. Samson loses his strength and God turns his face from Samson. Thereby being captured by the Philistines. The third verse starting with "You say I took your name in vain" I think that it is referring to Peter's denial of Jesus's name. Three servent girls reconized Peter as Jesus's deciple but he denied it because he was trying not to get killed. The Romans were looking for deciples of Jesus to kill but Peter lied and lived but was shamed by God. The final verse I'm pretty sure was referring to Jesus's speach on the cross. He asks God why has he forsaken him, his only son and left him to die on the cross when he was trying to touch the lives of people. In all these stories God turns away from these people who obviously need Him most at that point. To me its the question of why does this "God" forsake his people. How is this proof that He exists. A God that leaves his people when his people need him the most, why would anyone need that? Hallalujah is hebrew for "Praise you." The hallalujah is haunting because these people gave their lives to God, and even God leaves them. I also think that the sexual twist to the words, are purposeful. Praising God is refurred to as a sexual experience. These stories refer to a betrayal of God because of women. To me its like a parallel of God leaves man as a woman leaves a man. I definitely think that its about the battle of where his faith lies. I definely remember fighting it myself. |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.