More than 100 recorded versions of Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” are out there, and even more artists than that have played it live. Artists that have covered it include Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, and Bono. Not a bad group to be included in.
The X Factor winner, Alexandra Burke, recorded a version that is the fastest-selling download single in history, and Cohen is set to make nearly $1.3 million in royalties from the sales of Burke’s version alone.
It’s possibly one of the most ubiquitous songs of the recent decades, probably because of its anthemic feel, its simple chorus, and relatable lyrics. Cohen himself said that the song “explains that many kinds of hallelujahs do exist, and all the perfect and broken hallelujahs have equal value.”
Eric Church covered this ballad when he played a show at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado in August.
“I’m gonna try something here,” Church said to the crowd. “This could go bad…I swear to God I have not practiced or anything, this was something I put it on my crew about an hour ago, so we’ll see.”
The crowd ended up responding quite well, to say the least.
Since the release of his newest album, “Mr. Misunderstood,” Church has pretty much stayed put. Although starting in 2017, he’ll be playing two-set shows all across the country.
“The way this album came together mandated we release it as a surprise, straight to our fans, as it was important for me to deliver the music the same way the creativity hit me,” Church said about the album “Directly and swiftly. What I didn’t anticipate is that it left me scratching my head a little, as this year was supposed to be spent writing.
“What this year’s open schedule did afford us was time to think through the way the fans experience our music live, and it was important to us that we find a way to stick to these same principles when it came to approaching our shows, down to the way they go on sale.”
Bonus inspiration: here’s Burke’s version of “Hallelujah,” sung on The X-Factor stage.
Music is a powerful way to uplift us and keep us going. It’s almost like a medicine in a way. Hopefully, Church and Burke have done that for you with their versions of this classic song.
Is there a song that’s inspired you recently? Let us know in the comments so the rest of us can enjoy it too.
