It is concluded to be a sexual reference with Cohen feeling that his lover is no longer intimately interested in him. Yet in another verse, as published by Genius Lyrics, Cohen goes ahead to say that his lover would let him know what was going on below and she would communicate how she felt. In another stanza, you can feel Cohen’s pain when he says that he did his best, but it was not enough, so even if he stands before the Lord, he confesses there is nothing to say but “Hallelujah.” It is as if he is admitting he has given up on love. The lyrics “her beauty overthrew you” show the lust that overcame David leading to the betrayal that Uriah the Hittite experienced when the king sent him to war to be killed. By referencing Samson and Delilah, Cohen shows the tragic romance that befalls Samson. The first verse of “Hallelujah” recounts such biblical stories, but once you get deep into the other stanzas, you realize there is more to the song than biblical passages. She used her charms and learned the secret was in his hair and got Samson to cut his hair, leaving him weak and at the mercy of the Philistines. The lyrics to Cohen’s song also talk about Delilah, who befriended Samson to get the secret of his strength. Therefore, he had her husband killed so he could marry her.
Later, when he became King, David could not control his lust for a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, who saw bathing. A Lamentation of Lost Love and BetrayalĬhristians know the story of David, who had the unique gift of music and, as a young boy, used to play the harp to calm down the evil spirits that visited King Saul often. So what exactly do the words to “Hallelujah” mean? Let’s tell you what we know so far. The song sneaks into every occasion, be it a religious one or a social one, such as when Justin Timberlake sang it in 2010 for the survivors of Haiti’s earthquake.
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It was also featured in movies and series such as “Shrek” and “Scrubs”, respectively. One song that has undergone various renditions is “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, from being a judge’s pick on “American Idol” to contestants making it their choice to prove their musical prowess. Some songs seem to have the edge over others, and each creative mind wants to use them in different productions.