Posthumous Heavy Weight Challenger of the World

by Scott H. Payne on April 14, 2009

So everyone is heartily familiar with the version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah that the extraordinary Jeff Buckley put out in his short time that rivals, if not surpasses the popularity of the original. Dara Lind on Facebook (see, it is good for something) wrote,

The original, though, has this wonderful (almost Brechtian) bitter triumphalism that’s totally lost in the Buckley version, and in all subsequent covers, which are basically covers of the Buckley version.

Which, though I admit to appreciating the Buckley version for its aesthetics more than the Cohen version, I can’t but agree with. So, Buckley was a stunning talented upstart, I can live with that. But I discover that Buckley wasn’t contented to take on Cohen on one of his best known songs, no, he had to take on Van Morrison on one of his most obscure songs, as well! It also happens to be one of  my favourite Van Morrison songs, so I’m a touched shocked that there is a “Buckley’s version is better” meme out there. You can judge for yourself,

Van (it’s really hard to find a recorded version of the song on the intertrons, so this not so good live version will have to do),


And Buckley (playing in behind some guy painting, also live and hard to find),


I love Jeff Buckley and have already admitted to my blasphemy on Hallelujah, but I’m sorry even with this crappy live version from Van, there isn’t a question.

Tagged as: Hallelujah, Jeff Buckley, Leonard Cohen, The Way Young Lovers Do, Van Morrison

Scott is a sometimes blogger and social media consultant/principal at East Side Media. In addition to writing at the League of Ordinary Gentlemen, Scott is also a founding member of Beams and Struts and a fellow at the Canadian Council for Democracy's blog the Commons. You can reach Scott via email and follow him on Twiter.

{ 2 comments }

1 Will April 14, 2009 at 12:39 pm

Two things:

1.) You can’t go from Mellencamp to the Boss and then to Cohen and Buckley. It just isn’t done.

2.) Are you facebook stalking the American Scenesters?

2 Scott H. Payne April 14, 2009 at 12:49 pm

Will,

1.) Technically I went from Mellencamp, to the Boss, to Cohen, to Buckley, to Morrison. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse, but needless to say: I play by my own rules.

2.) Define “stalking”.

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