Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Please Stop Covering 'Hallelujah': Leonard Cohen

After 181 recorded versions, singer-songwriter thinks its time for a break

By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff

Posted Jul 10, 2009 3:01 PM CDT

(Newser) – Leonard Cohen is tired of people covering “Hallelujah.” “I was reading a review of a movie called Watchmen that uses it, and the reviewer said, ‘Can we please have a moratorium on ‘Hallelujah’ in movies and television shows?’ and I kind of feel the same way,” Cohen said in a recent CBC interview. The song, from his 1984 album Various Positions, is a go-to tune for tearjerkers and other dramas.

Cohen’s concerns are justified, Rolling Stone reports—besides Watchmen, various versions of "Hallelujah" have cropped up on Scrubs, The West Wing, Everwood, and The O.C. One hundred eighty-one versions of the song have been recorded, according to LeonardCohenfiles.com. Still, all the “Hallelujah” overkill gives Cohen a certain satisfaction: “Sony wouldn’t put out” Various Positions, he said. “They didn’t think it was good enough. So there was a mild sense of revenge that arose in my heart.”

Leonard Cohen performs at the Beacon Theatre, his first concert in New York in 15 years, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2008.
Leonard Cohen performs at the Beacon Theatre, his first concert in New York in 15 years, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2008.   (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)
Leonard Cohen performs at the Beacon Theatre, his first concert in New York in 15 years, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2008.
Leonard Cohen performs at the Beacon Theatre, his first concert in New York in 15 years, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2008.   (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)
Singer/musician Leonard Cohen performs during day 1 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival held at the Empire Polo Club on April 17, 2009 in Indio, California.
Singer/musician Leonard Cohen performs during day 1 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival held at the Empire Polo Club on April 17, 2009 in Indio, California.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 9 comments
iamacidangel
Aug 2, 2009 6:07 AM CDT
No matter who does it (as long as the artist has a lick of talent), its still bomb.
zr1556
Jul 12, 2009 2:49 AM CDT
Don't forget 'Hallelujah' was also in Shrek. It's sad I remember that.
pg13
Jul 12, 2009 2:09 AM CDT
Oh bite me, Leonard Cohen. Jeez. If you don't like it, get up and walk out. Don't come back, it's OK. It's my living room and I'll sing it if I want to.
 

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Timelines   |   POPSUGAR Tech   |   Business Insider   |   HuffPost Entertainment   |   NewsOne