Leonard Cohen originally wrote and released ‘Hallelujah’ in 1984. The meaning and lyrics of the song contain various biblical references such as David playing the harp for the King. Since then his song has been covered by over a hundred different artists with the most famous versions covered by Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright and most recently Alexandra Burke. Each version of the song has been targeted to different audiences. Leonard Cohen’s version would have been targeted more towards subcultures, whereas Alexandra’s version has been produced more for mass culture, with it being made famous through the talent contest The X Factor.
Rufus Wainwright’s version was used as a soundtrack for the hit animated movie ‘Shrek’. This put Cohen’s song back in the public eye with many young kids who are fans of the movie undoubtedly singing it around school believing that the true meaning behind the song is probably Shrek’s undying love for Princess Fiona! In addition to being used in ‘Shrek’ it has also been used in many television programmes such as One Tree Hill.
