Asha Elijah ~ Hallelujah (unplugged)

Asha Elijah (aka Asha & Asher Quinn) sings 'Hallelujah' by Leonard Cohen. It's on his unplugged album "Guitar Boy". CD/download soon.

Leonard Cohen wrote this song for his album "Various Positions" in 1984, but it came to the attention of the wider world when Jeff Buckley transformed it into a goosebump-inducing, solo anthem just with an electric guitar on his album "Grace", in 1994.

Since then, and because of that, it's turned into one of the most famous and best-loved modern songs ever; strange really, because Leonard Cohen although a global star, had a more esoteric following.

For a Leonard Cohen song to become really famous took me as much by surprise as learning that Bob Dylan played golf! Somehow those two worlds are unlikely bed-fellows!

But it's not by accident that it made it into the public eye, it's trajectory is surely orchestrated from above!

'Hallelujah' simply means 'God is present', and though many see it as a feisty song of sorrow about a past relationship, or even as a sexual song, it's actually a spiritual song... a life philosophy song, about trying to maintain faith under duress.

Leonard Cohen was born Jewish, and he explored many esoteric aspects of faith, living for several years as a Buddhist on Mount Shasta in California.

'Hallelujah' means 'God is present' in Hebrew, so his mystical Jewish roots were never far from his heart.

Jeff Buckley's bold and raw rendition, allows for anguish to meet beauty at some strange border of the soul, and it is THIS that seems to strike such a chord with so many.

His version is well nigh perfect in every way, expressing simplicity; daring; drama; fragility; force; pain; love and beauty, all of which are present, and then something transcendent is constellated.

Even if unconsciously to many, this song has brought God's presence a little nearer the heart of every listener.

Here is Leonard Cohen's original:
   • Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah (1984)  

And Jeff Buckley's version:
   • Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Official V...  

Jeff Buckley died young in a drowning accident or suicide; a live-fast die-young eternal child who nonetheless planted seeds of eternal hope on the earth through his art.

I have two other versions myself; one accompanied by piano:
   • Asha ~ Hallelujah (Piano & vocal)  

And one with a female friend, Yloush, in Hungary, where I now live:
   • Asha & Yloush ~ Hallelujah  

This year I'm making an unplugged album called "Guitar Boy", with just acoustic guitar and vocals, plus a mouth-organ and a foot-tambourine sometimes.

I made the film at the spectacularly frozen Lake Balaton in Hungary, last week (mid January). Somehow that surreal landscape suited the sombre aspects of the song.

A few other sight-seers were strolling around, and one of them, Gabriella, asked me what I was doing. When I said I was a rock-star & international sex-symbol making a YouTube of 'Hallelujah' she asked me to sing it for her, her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend!

So I did... my first ever concert on ice!!

There are other Biblical references in the song from the Old Testament. The 'David' referred to right away is none other than King David, he who slew Goliath. In the book young David was a shepherd-boy who sang with a lyre, and his singing 'pleased the Lord'.

But having found favour, temptation got the better of him with Bathsheba, and they committed adultery. But worse was to follow; David had Bathsheba's husband killed.

Eventually through faith, he redeemed himself, and, as King David, the House of David was founded, through which, many generations later, Jesus of Nazareth was born.

So Leonard Cohen sings of temptation; faith and God's presence, and how hard it is for the human being to find God in his soul. Yet, despite the anguish or even hint of bitterness, he is still able to cry out 'Hallelujah'... God is present... amidst the suffering & sacrifice.

That is the seed planted upon the earth with this song.