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Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Hallelujah Redux (NaPoMo 2/30)

In honor of my friend Alisha's moving open mic performance at Busboys and Poets (Shirlington), I offer my arrangement to the lyrics of one of my favorite songs, Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. #NaPoMo


1          HOLY MYSTERY         


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

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

2          LUSTFUL PASSION


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

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

3          SACRED OR PROFANE?


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 ya?
There's a blaze of light
In every word
It doesn't matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

4          COLD AND BROKEN


Baby, I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew ya.
Yeah I've seen your flag
On the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
No it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

5          SAD AND WISTFUL


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

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

6          LOST AND LONELY


Maybe there's a God above
As for me, all I've ever learned from love
Is how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya.
Yeah but it's not a cry
That you hear at night
It's not some pilgrim who has seen the light
No it's a lost and it's a very lonely Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

7          DEFIANT: DOWN, BUT NOT OUT


I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come all this way to fool ya.
Yeah even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand right here before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah





For the back-story, and more information about the various performers who have covered this song (before Alisha) please see the original post HERE.

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