Allusions In Hallelujah

Leonard Cohen explains in an interview with Bob Dylan that, “There is a religious Hallelujah, but there are many other ones. When one looks at the world and his proper life there’s only one thing to say, it is ‘Hallelujah’”. Cohen spent years struggling with his song “Hallelujah”, he recalls banging his head on the floor and repeating to himself, “I can’t finish this song”. He wrote 80 verses before stripping the song down and recording it on the 1984 album Various Positions. The philosophy of the song shows that there can be many different hallelujah 's. They all are calls to different emotions, each hallelujah has a unique idea and message. The story of “Hallelujah” is one of beauty, irony, and melancholy allusions. Cohen 's song begins with a reference to the Bible 's King David, mentioning the heroic harpist 's "secret chord”. The story states, “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (1 Samuel 16:23). It was his harp playing that first earned David a spot in the royal court, the first step toward his rise to power. However, this opening verse instantly undermines its own sincerity. After presenting an inspiring image in the opening lines, Cohen remembers whom he 's speaking to, and reminds his listeners that, "You don 't really care for music, do you?”. Cohen implies that no matter how hard he tries no one will enjoy