ITT Thread Hobo Ranks Versions of Leonard Cohen's "Halleujah"

[Hobo]

Everyone has covered this song. So many that Cohen himself said in 2009 said he thought the song was being a bit over played When I was a teenager, my friends, as teenagers will do were SUPER OBESSED with how good they thought the Jeff Buckley version was. But ever the hipster I preferred the Leonard Cohen version at the time and hated Jeff Buckley with a passion. (Now, I think Grace is an OK album but I still don't think his Halleujuah cover is that great).

So, completely on a whim, here is my best-worst of some popular covers of the song.

The Worst:

Bono covered this for the Leonard Cohen tribute album Tower of Song, IIRC. It is the only version I've ever heard to combine all lyrics from the original with the all the verses from the two different versions (the original Cohen recording and the live version). It's four minutes of Bono whispering and wailing to some sort of terrible dance track and it reeks of self indulgence and pomposity because, well, Bono.

The second worst:

Rufus Wainwright really bugs me. I love, love, love, love his dad. But I can't get into Rufus' music. Anytime I hear him perform I just find him nasally and drab. I just don't find him that fun. This is not that much different from one of my favorites. Except it's got Rufus Wainwright rufusing all over it. It's just... dull.

Incidentally, Rufus is the father of one of Leonard Cohen's grandkids because he's been friends with Cohen's daughter Lorca for years.

This one is kinda OK:

Yeah, I hated this when I was a teenager but... I don't hate it as much now. I think the fact it starts with an audible sigh doesn't help. It sounds like a guy just dithering about on his guitar and singing. It's OK but it's kinda over hyped.

Perfectly Acceptable Wrestling:

I love that this is just dirge. It's crooner era Leonard Cohen with a hint of irony, lots of synth and a choir and it's an not-so-very-subtle song about sex. He has a lot of these.

This is fun

Live Leonard Cohen where he seems to be really enjoying himself. If it weren't Leonard Cohen it would be awful. Crooner Leonard Cohen is just something special.

This is the best one

John Cale's version is the one most people cover and John Cale is awesome. Especially around this time when he was adapting Dylan Thomas poems into songs and had weird floppy hair. I just think this one has something that the practically identical Rufus Wainwright version lacks. Which, is probably a singer whose voice I can stand. I just like when John Cale sits down and sings songs. Especially because you know at any moment he could just start going batshit and yelling.

There are ZILLIONS more of these. Including terrible X-Factor related covers and one by a priest (I sometimes wonder if people actually realize this song is actually about) but these are the ones that I consider the canonical versions of the song.

I await people telling me I am wrong about either Rufus Wainwright or Jeff Buckley!

[apsham]

Rufus can't even touch second when there's the Bob Dylan one.

"She cut your hair in her kitchen chair" indeed.

[RPS]

Agree that Rufus's Hallejuah is terrible. I actually like Rufus when he doesn't cover something, because when he covers something he makes it this huge production. It worked for the Judy Garland stuff, but it doesn't work any other time.

[GoGo Yubari]

Yeah, this is a good ranking. I like Jeff Buckley's a lot but it gets hyped as the definitive "Hallelujah" and that is not true. Wainwright's is just trying too hard. I'm not even clicking on the Bono version.

[Hobo]

Rufus can't even touch second when there's the Bob Dylan one.

"She cut your hair in her kitchen chair" indeed.

I totally forgot about that one! I have it on a CD-R somewhere because I heard it in the days of Limewire.

Yeah, this is a good ranking. I like Jeff Buckley's a lot but it gets hyped as the definitive "Hallelujah" and that is not true. Wainwright's is just trying too hard. I'm not even clicking on the Bono version.

Never do. Instead enjoy U2 and Leonard Cohen singing Tower of Song where Bono is relegated to being behind a keyboard and doing backing vocals and l like to think he is really unhappy about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-4PHAkxdHs

[METALMAN]

John Cale one is shit, sorry. Lenny Cohen's is the best and I used to like Jeff Buckley's one.

But really, it's not actually a very good song. Especially when Bon Jovi do it.