Hallelujah
Coleman Hawkins' All American Four Lyrics

I walked down these city streets
Starting from here, the singer conveys his feelings and experiences while walking down the city streets

Just a lonely man inspired
The singer is a man who feels a sense of loneliness, but also has the inspiration to do something about it

Hoping God would send the water down
He hopes that God would give him the guidance he needs to quench his burning desires

To quench this burning fire
The artist is struggling with inner turmoil and seeks an end to his emotional pain

If I left here for the mountain
Contemplating leaving the city for the solace of the mountains

A monastery man
The mountains provide an opportunity for him to become a part of a simpler, spiritual society

Things are still the same so I remain
Despite wanting a change, the singer realizes that his problems won't disappear and stays put

To show just who I am
He remains to discover himself and demonstrate his true identity

Seen things around me
The artist has observed his city surroundings

Bonnie and Clyde
He has come across infamous stories of Bonnie and Clyde

Graffiti with no message
He has seen examples of meaningless graffiti around the city

Doctors medicine and pride
The artist has observed the medical industry and its use of drugs as well as how pride fits into it.

But it doesn't really matter
Despite observing these things, they do not have a significant impact on the singer's life

They're blowin' in the wind
These observations seem inconsequential and temporary to him

On the cover of a magazine
These observations are often sensationalized in popular media

[Chorus:] Hallelujah Babylon is falling
The chorus is a reference to the Bible's book of Revelations and is expressing that the current corrupt system is coming to an end

I try to wash my dirty hands
The artist is attempting to cleanse himself from his sinful ways

But they won't come off with water
He has realized that cleansing himself requires more than physical cleaning

Hoping truth will make me clean and then
He hopes that by discovering the truth, he will be healed and find redemption

Redeem my sons and daughters
The artist is hoping that his enlightened self can become a guide for others, to further help them on a path of redemption.

Though they're not we're very happy
The NPCs or masses that you see happy, aren't really happy deep down

Vast along the nose
The artist has separated himself from superficiality and seeks a deeper connection with the world

That's why I left my memories far behind on nature's road
He has moved away from his memories as they are weighed down with negativity and onto nature's road where the peace resonates

Seems so simple, the future's the past
The artist believes that the present is heavily influenced by the past which affects our future in ways we often fail to recognize.

The present are the things we're holding on to make those last
The things that we hold onto in the present define how we perceive our future and helps sustain us through difficult times

But it doesn't really matter
Despite these revelations, these ideas don't have a significant impact on the singer's life

[Chorus: x4] Hallelujah
Final chorus likely repetition intended for heightened effect of reference from the Bible's book of Revelations and message of change and hope.