Hallelujah!
André Previn Lyrics


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I walked down these city streets
Just a lonely man inspired
Hoping God would send the water down
To quench this burning fire
If I left here for the mountain
A monastery man
Things are still the same so I remain
To show just who I am
Seen things around me
Bonnie and Clyde
Graffiti with no message
Doctors medicine and pride
But it doesn't really matter
They're blowin' in the wind
On the cover of a magazine

Hallelujah
Babylon is falling
Babylon is falling
Hallelujah
Babylon is falling
Babylon is falling

I try to wash my dirty hands
But they won't come off with water
Hoping truth will make me clean and then
Redeem my sons and daughters
Though they're not we're very happy
Vast along the nose
That's why I left my memories far behind on nature's road
Seems so simple, the future's the past
The present are the things we holdin' on to make those last
But it doesn't really matter

Hallelujah
Babylon is falling
Babylon is falling
Hallelujah
Babylon is falling
Babylon is falling

Hallelujah
Hallelujah




Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of André Previn's song Hallelujah! convey a sense of hopefulness and redemption. The singer begins by describing himself as a lonely man walking the city streets, hoping that God will help him find relief from his inner turmoil. He considers leaving for the mountains to seek refuge in a monastery, but ultimately decides to stay where he is and show the world who he is. Along the way, he observes the seeming chaos and disorder of his surroundings--graffiti with no message, doctors' medicine and pride, Bonnie and Clyde--but recognizes that ultimately, these things don't matter. "They're blowin' in the wind / On the cover of a magazine."


The singer then turns to the idea of spiritual cleansing, hoping that truth will help him "wash [his] dirty hands." He expresses his desire to redeem his children, and reflects on the simplicity of the past and the uncertainty of the future. "Seems so simple, the future's the past / The present are the things we holdin' on to make those last." Finally, he returns to the refrain: "Hallelujah / Babylon is falling," a statement that feels both triumphant and mournful, as though something is ending and something else is beginning.


Line by Line Meaning

I walked down these city streets
I took a walk on the streets of the city


Just a lonely man inspired
I was a solitary man, but inspired


Hoping God would send the water down
I was hoping for divine intervention to quell my thirst


To quench this burning fire
To put out this intense passion


If I left here for the mountain
If I went away to the mountain


A monastery man
To be a man of the monastery


Things are still the same so I remain
However, things remained unchanged so I stayed put


To show just who I am
To exhibit my true identity


Seen things around me
I have observed things in my vicinity


Bonnie and Clyde
I have seen criminals Bonnie and Clyde


Graffiti with no message
I have seen pointless graffiti


Doctors medicine and pride
I have seen the arrogance of physicians and their medications


But it doesn't really matter
But these things don't hold much significance


They're blowin' in the wind
They are being blown away by the wind


On the cover of a magazine
Captured on a magazine cover


Hallelujah
Praise the Lord


Babylon is falling
The great empire of Babylon is collapsing


I try to wash my dirty hands
I try to clean my guilty conscience


But they won't come off with water
But my hands won't be clean with just water


Hoping truth will make me clean and then
Hoping that only the truth will redeem me


Redeem my sons and daughters
And rectify the mistakes of my children


Though they're not we're very happy
Although they are not, we are still content


Vast along the nose
Very brazen


That's why I left my memories far behind on nature's road
That's why I choose to forget the past and start anew in nature


Seems so simple, the future's the past
The future seems simple because it repeats the past


The present are the things we holdin' on to make those last
The things we cherish in the present are those that we anticipate to retain in the future


Hallelujah
Praise the Lord


Hallelujah
Praise the Lord


Hallelujah
Praise the Lord


Hallelujah
Praise the Lord




Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: CLIFFORD GREY, LEO ROBIN, VINCENT YOUMANS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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