Rec | THE JOHN CALE VERSION

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Rec'd on 💽 what’S everybody’s favorite version of the song “Hallelujah”

I like this as much as the Cohen one, or maybe a little more. It’s the Shrek version (in the actual movie not on the soundtrack), so it was the first one for me, and a lot of ppl around my age. It’s also the cover that every other cover is based on. John asked Cohen for his lyrics after seeing it live, and was given all the various verses he’d written. He rearranged the order, added some of the alternate lines that didn’t make the original cut, changed the musical arrangement and made it more melodic. Apparently his version even influenced how Cohen played it live later in life. Without this second version, all the following ones don’t exist.

@slowdazzle

Apr 29, 2024

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@slowdazzle

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Daniel Kahn's yiddish translation

There's some cool linguistic junk that appeals to me as well as cool verbal imagery & biblical allusion while still maintaining Cohen's original vision (I think) pretty well. Additionally, I think Daniel Kahn's voice carries an emotional weight that no other cover has really managed in my opinion.