Halleluja
Lucky Jim Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I heard there was a secret chord
That david played and it pleased the lord
But you don't really care for music do ya
Well it goes like this the fourth the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the hallelujah.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Baby i've been here before
I've seen this room and i've walked this floor
You know, i used to live alone before i knew you
And i've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you
But remember when i moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Well maybe there's a god above
But all i've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah
Hallelujah

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Lucky Jim's song Halleluja are quite deep and meaningful. The song starts by talking about a secret chord that David played to please the lord. The next line suggests that the person being addressed doesn't really care about music, implying a lack of interest in religious matters too. The lyrics then go on to describe the chord progression - "the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall and the major lift" and how it led to the baffled king composing hallelujah. This is possibly a reference to King David composing psalms and religious songs.

The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the word "hallelujah", which is an exclamation typically used to express joy or praise, especially in religious contexts. The second verse talks about a love interest, who overthrows the lover with her beauty and ties him to a kitchen chair. This is a reference to Samson and Delilah from the Bible. The woman draws the hallelujah from his lips, possibly suggesting that she led him to spiritual enlightenment.

The third verse talks about the complexities of love and how it can be both beautiful and broken. The references to seeing a flag on a marble arch and the holy dove suggest a sense of patriotism and religious devotion. The line "love is not a victory march" suggests that love is not always a happy ending, but can be a bittersweet experience.

Overall, the lyrics of Halleluja seem to suggest a sense of romantic and spiritual longing, with the chorus emphasizing a sense of joy and praise. The song seems to be questioning the nature of spirituality, love, and the overlapping of the two.

Line by Line Meaning

I heard there was a secret chord
I heard that there is a special sound that only certain talented musicians can create

That david played and it pleased the lord
David, a famous musician, once created this sound and it supposedly made God happy

But you don't really care for music do ya
But you, the listener, don't seem to have much interest in music

Well it goes like this the fourth the fifth
This special sound goes in a specific order, starting at the fourth note and then the fifth note

The minor fall and the major lift
The sound gets lower and then higher, creating a feeling of sadness and then joy

The baffled king composing hallelujah
Someone who was once very powerful and important created this sound while feeling confused and uncertain, and called it 'hallelujah'

Well your faith was strong but you needed proof
You used to believe strongly in something but now you need evidence to truly accept it

You saw her bathing on the roof
You witnessed someone you were attracted to in a vulnerable moment

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
Her attractiveness and the setting of the moonlight caused you to become overwhelmed and helpless

She tied you to a kitchen chair
She took control of you in a forceful way

She broke your throne and she cut your hair
She destroyed your sense of power and authority, even altering your physical appearance

And from your lips she drew the hallelujah.
Despite all of this, you still were able to make that special sound, perhaps due to the intense emotion involved

Baby i've been here before
I've experienced this situation before

I've seen this room and i've walked this floor
I've been in similar circumstances and locations before

You know, i used to live alone before i knew you
I was used to being by myself before meeting you

And i've seen your flag on the marble arch
I've noticed your accomplishments and successes

And love is not a victory march
Love should not feel like a competition or a battle to win

It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Love can be difficult and often doesn't work out perfectly, but we can still find beauty and meaning in it

Well there was a time when you let me know
There was a period when you were more open with me about your thoughts and feelings

What's really going on below
You shared with me the deeper, more personal aspects of your life

But now you never show that to me do you
But now you seem to be more guarded and less open with me

But remember when i moved in you
But let's recall a time when we were closer and more connected

And the holy dove was moving too
And it felt like there was something divine or spiritual guiding our relationship

And every breath we drew was hallelujah
And every moment we spent together felt filled with that special sound of intense emotion, connection, and beauty

Well maybe there's a god above
There could be some kind of higher power, creator, or spiritual force out there

But all i've ever learned from love
But from my experiences with love, I've only learned how to hurt or be hurt

Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you
I've learned how to be aggressive and defensive when it comes to love, trying to 'win' or compete with others

And it's not a cry that you hear at night
Despite the intense emotions involved with love, it's not always obvious or loud

It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's not necessarily a grand epiphany or breakthrough moment

It's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah
Despite its challenges, love can still be beautiful and meaningful, even if it doesn't always work out as we hope

Writer(s): Leonard Cohen Copyright: Bad Monk Publishing

Contributed by Samuel D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS