What does this have to do with the Holidays?

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shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
13,625
7,653
113
#42
It may have been Jesus who was there when this man crossed over, He would be that fantastic, then, Mr. Cohen, would have believed.
I just jumped in here and got read up on him, not my style, best wishes anyway.
 

shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
13,625
7,653
113
#43
I think it might be like Steve Jobs who claim buddhist, was baptised Christian at an early age, on his deathbed his last words as he looked up and to the right were. "Oh wow! OhWow!"

Best wishes
 

Ghoti2

Well-known member
Nov 8, 2019
469
283
63
#44
I think it might be like Steve Jobs who claim buddhist, was baptised Christian at an early age, on his deathbed his last words as he looked up and to the right were. "Oh wow! OhWow!"

Best wishes
We like to think we have interpreted that whole book correctly when we harbor in our hearts so much vindictiveness disguised as "Justice." But, we never know.
 

shittim

Senior Member
Dec 16, 2016
13,625
7,653
113
#45
Have known 20+ who have had contact with those who have gone before, scripture says "we are compassed around" by them.
 
M

morefaithrequired

Guest
#47
At least Jews believe in God.
 
G

Godsgirl83

Guest
#48
It is one of my all-time favorite songs. (And, who told you it was supposed to be about the holidays?)
because where I am, it is ONLY played between mid Nov. when they start playing Christmas music and Dec 25 when they stop playing it..... leading to the assumption that it is intended to be a "holiday" song......
even my kiddos who are 10 and under asked about it.
 
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Godsgirl83

Guest
#49
"Hallelujah", in its original version, is in 12
8 time
, which evokes both early rock and roll and gospel music. Written in the key of C major, the chord progression matches lyrics from the song: "goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, and the major lift": C, F, G, A minor, F.[6]

Cohen wrote around 80 draft verses for "Hallelujah", with one writing session at the Royalton Hotel in New York where he was reduced to sitting on the floor in his underwear, banging his head on the floor.[7] His original version, as recorded on his album Various Positions, contains several biblical references, most notably evoking the stories of Samson and Delilah from the Book of Judges ("she cut your hair") as well as King David and Bathsheba ("you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you").[6][8]

Following his original 1984 studio-album version, Cohen performed the original song on his world tour in 1985, but live performances during his 1988 and 1993 tours almost invariably contained a quite different set of lyrics. Numerous singers mix lyrics from both versions, and occasionally make direct lyric changes; for example, in place of Cohen's "holy dove", Canadian-American singer Rufus Wainwright substituted "holy dark", while Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe sang "holy ghost".

Cohen's lyrical poetry and his view that "many different hallelujahs exist" is reflected in wide-ranging covers with very different intents or tones, allowing the song to be "melancholic, fragile, uplifting [or] joyous" depending on the performer:[6] The Welsh singer-songwriter John Cale, the first person to record a cover version of the song (in 1991), promoted a message of "soberness and sincerity" in contrast to Cohen's dispassionate tone;[6] the cover by Jeff Buckley, an American singer-songwriter, is more sorrowful and was described by Buckley as "a hallelujah to the orgasm";[6][9] Crowe interpreted the song as a "very sexual" composition that discussed relationships;[6] Wainwright offered a "purifying and almost liturgical" interpretation;[6] and Guy Garvey of the British band Elbow made the hallelujah a "stately creature" and incorporated his religious interpretation of the song into his band's recordings.[6]
Canadian singer k.d. lang said in an interview shortly after Cohen's death that she considered the song to be about "the struggle between having human desire and searching for spiritual wisdom. It's being caught between those two places."[10] Former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page, who sang the song at Canadian politician Jack Layton's funeral, described the song as being "about disappointing [other] people".[11]
okay, well for starters I did not know the song was that old, and second
the version quoted in my OP is performed by a group "penatonix" which is the version that is played on the radio here ONLY during this season. Which is why I questioned it.....
my kids heard the line "tied you to the kitchen chair broke your throne and cut your hair" and started making faces asking just WHAT we were listening to. (also my youngest (6) thought it said "broke your throat" )
so it got me questioning it myself, and since I do not use any other forums or social media, I asked here...…..
 
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Godsgirl83

Guest
#50
It is the Leonard Cohen this entire thread has been about.
This thread has NOT been about Leonard Cohen.....
kindly reread the OP..... the question was "what does it have to do with the holidays?" as I have explained this is the only time of year I have heard this song ( ONLY the version quoted in the OP was being questioned as until now I was not aware that so many other versions existed.)
 

Ghoti2

Well-known member
Nov 8, 2019
469
283
63
#51
This thread has NOT been about Leonard Cohen.....
kindly reread the OP..... the question was "what does it have to do with the holidays?" as I have explained this is the only time of year I have heard this song ( ONLY the version quoted in the OP was being questioned as until now I was not aware that so many other versions existed.)
This may be difficult for you to grasp, but Leonard Cohen wrote that song.
 
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Godsgirl83

Guest
#52
Okay, to get back on track of my OP...….
in keeping with the title and theme of this thread......
here's another seasonal music selection question...….

Love the movie "Sound of Music", but why is it that the song
"my favorite things" is played on the radio only during this season?
Is it because it talks about snowflakes falling on my nose and eyelashes
or that it talks about brown paper packages tied up in string?
I'm only thinking of this because it is playing now....
 

Ghoti2

Well-known member
Nov 8, 2019
469
283
63
#54
GG,
Why not telephone the programing director of the radio station you listen to, and ask your question of them? They are the only person who can tell you why they play certain songs. Maybe they can show you how they feel it is Christmassy.
 
Feb 28, 2016
11,311
2,972
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#55
He's incredibly honest and artistic...
neither one of us can count the times that we have fallen/had doubts/confusion/travelled down the wrong-road -
hopefully, these un-pleasant times are our teaching times so that we may have compassion upon others, and so,
Christ begins His path-way for us to follow Him and rejoice and sing, hallelujah-hallelujah-hallelujah!!!...

Judy Collins has several wonderful renditions worth listening to...
 
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Godsgirl83

Guest
#56
GG,
Why not telephone the programing director of the radio station you listen to, and ask your question of them? They are the only person who can tell you why they play certain songs. Maybe they can show you how they feel it is Christmassy.
the thought had crossed my mind......
but the station it plays on is very secular, and one that is owned and ran under the mega branch of ihartradio…… (seems like all the stations that used to be decent have gone down hill the past several years since they were taken over)….
besides, then I wouldn't learn all the stuff like I am here,
such as how long the song has actually been out and how many renditions of it there are.