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Leonard Cohen made entire generations dance with “Hallelujah”. Bono, Céline Dion, Bon Jovi…. Many stars have taken over this global hit. France 2 looks at the history of this cult title, long forgotten.
Canadian artist Leonard Cohen composed Hallelujah in the 80s, “glory to the Lord”, in French. Sad words,a song of loneliness, where he lays all this pain of the world, all this violence of human life before the Lord”, even says Pascal Bouaziz, author of a biography of the singer. Leonard Cohen wrote up to 80 verses and multiplied the versions, which he put down in small notebooks, which were sometimes found in the freezer of his house. He recorded it in 1984, but his producer refused to release it. The tube therefore falls into oblivion.
Ten years later, Jeff Buckley takes over the piece. The world discovers the song. The song then appears in the soundtrack of the film Shrek, then will be resumed with all the sauces. “I consider this my little revengeexplained Leonard Cohen. Of course, I’m glad my song was covered. But it would be good if we forgot it a little.” Hallelujah has become a myth, and a hymn to life.
“The older we get, the more we are addicted to a few pieces that have founded our lives. Hallelujahthat’s part of it of course”, comments the musician Louis Bertignac.