Music, like any other compulsive work, causes emotions and communicates powerful information to the audience. It is more than words and the instrumentals that accompany it and writers appreciate the texture and flow of phrases. On the other hand, the listeners decide on the music that goes with their personality or a genre that reflects their current situations. After developing enough appreciation for a specified set of music genres, the desire to explore more types is minimized. With an objective of discovering new tastes and help from the Internet, this reflection ventures into classic music and discover Leonard Cohen’s song ‘Hallelujah.’
Leonard Cohen was a Canadian nationalist known for his various songs. He was an exceptional individual venturing into different works of etiquette composition. The song was not recognized until Bob Dylan played it in some of his shows (Parks). Leonard’s poetry and music were among his leading works. His tracks were a bliss of poetry and rhyme, setting standards that have since natured the music industry. Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ is unlike any other release; many covers available provide evidence of the quality of the song. The music has a complex history and overlying information, which hides its true meaning. However, ‘hallelujah’ refers to spiritual praise, Cohen’s melody is more about love and loss (Parks). The presentation brings a lot of resemblance to spirituality and human needs for consolation in times of grief, indicating ‘hallelujah’ has wider contexts.
The song has diverse interpretations which makes it efficient for many cultural themes. The tune’s genre is not certain to the general audience, but Leonard’s composition imposes a feeling of sorrow after the loss of a partner who brought many memories to the writer’s life (Mondanaro 116). As mentioned above, hallelujah in the spiritual context refers to praise and worship, relating to the feeling of joy and fulfillment from the departed partner. Moreover, the song is etic; it has been listened and fits across all cultures. Such attributes of the song make a variety of emotions hence captivating an audience in multiple emotional states; the music goes well with times of distress, regret, and reunion and can also do for celebratory occasions.
Cohen used poetry to highlight different interpretations of the song, to present the sense of rushed sexual orgasm. The understanding Leonard Cohen had acquired during his career life is accelerating for any song lover; the twists of phrases and words make the track outstanding. Furthermore, the lines in the song are open-ended making the audience to actively participate in recreating the song’s scenes as per their imagination. Leonard Cohen’s production is an example and reflection of his capability to compose and influence the brain, an attribute that defines a true artist. Leonard’s creation reflected his acceptance of religion as well as his passion and understanding of sexuality. He captures the romantic scripture when he mentions both King David and Solomon’s romantic sagas mentioned in the Jewish religion.
In the music, chords and melody are more basic compared to the typical song, with below standard levels in chord and melody intricacy, chord-melody tension, chord-bass melody, and chord progression novelty. The tune is due to the repetition of ‘hallelujah’ with varied strength and length, developing the musicality (Lebold 109). The song is six minutes long with a tempo of 172 BPM and a signature of 3 beats per bar. The track’s original key is key C which most recent covers have maintained over the years. Although there is a contrast in claims that the song was originally of key D, the vocal range proves otherwise. The singers maintained a range of keys C3-E4, which are high voices associated with key C.
The song applies a range of dynamics such as starting softly with a touch of piano, crescendo followed by the main melody and then decrescendo to the fort range. The tune’s rhythm is estimated at a 6/8 measure. The analysis shows an accent in the first and third words in the melody, with the second note’s accent in each cord being reflected by the guitar (Lebold 105). It has a homophonic texture evident when the guitar accompanies the singer in the background. Leonard Cohen’s original production blended religion and sexuality, however, the lyrics later changed during tours and performances of the peace. Artists who developed covers of the original songs have since merged the two songs, with each production having different keys and moods. The initial version was interpreted as sexual but covers produced over the years have different evaluations since some depicts sorrowful and cheerful status, contrasting the original dispassionate tone. The producers then opted for Bb instruments ranging from the soprano saxophone, clarinet, and tenor saxophone.
Conclusively the song ‘Hallelujah’ can be considered among the best music the world has witnessed. Leonard Cohen had a talent; his track reminded the audience of the times when writing was about perfection and emotional captivation. Compared to other melodies, hallelujah fits the pop genre, presumably why it has such sway over emotions. Most tracks lose sentimentality once they have been released. However, the hallelujah tune is likely to outlive even the latest productions. The music’s dynamics and texture set the track on a platform that surpassed its time when it was first produced. Furthermore, the track’s open-endedness still mesmerizes new producers to add their touches to the song.
Works Cited
Lebold, C. “Nothing on Their Tongue but Hallelujah: Why Leonard Cohen’s Dark Hymn Will Forever Escape Trumping.” Popular Music and Society, vol. 44, no. 1, 2021, pp. 107-110.
Mondanaro, John. “Resourcing Popular Music for Relevant Themes in Music Therapy with Perinatal Loss.” Music Therapy Perspectives, vol. 39, no. 2, 2021, pp. 116-125.
Parks, Kyson. “The Meaning and History of the Song ‘Hallelujah’ by Leonard Cohen.” Spinditty, 2021.