Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah

Subject: ADD: Stand Together (Hallelujah)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 08:13 PM

Kathryn LaMar sang this at the Singaround Monday, and I thought it was pretty good. She emailed the lyrics to me.

Hi Joe, I can't figure out how to post a text block in Chat. Here are the lyrics to Stand Together

STAND TOGETHER
tune: L. Cohen's Hallelujah
new lyrics by Mark Segelman, 2016 and 2020

It’s been a very stressful time
It’s hard to find any reason or rhyme
Civility is hanging by a tether
But if we’re going to get things done
We need the help of everyone
Because we’re stronger when we stand together

Stand together, stand together, stand together, stand together

We may diverge politically
But we can all at least agree
That bigotry and hate don’t make things better
The strength of this democracy
Is our immense diversity
That’s why we’re stronger when we stand together
Stand together, stand together, stand together, stand together

Here in the United States
There is no room for racist hate
Our rights must be protected, to the letter.
When racist hate propels attacks
We all must rally to fight back
We won’t be strong unless we stand together.
Stand together, stand together, stand together, stand together

We may have come from different lands
But we are all Americans
It hurts us all when people tar and feather
We have a mission to fulfill:
“One nation indivisible”
We’re always stronger when we stand together
Stand together, stand together, stand together, stand together

Stand together, stand together, stand together, stand together

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 10:31 AM

There are another couple over on this thread here, including the hilarious "Auntie Julia" by Mike Danvers Scott and sung by Jez Lowe:
Hallelujah parodies

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 10:48 AM

May 2017 our local community choir did a trip to Malta. One of our prepared songs (for concerts there) was "Hallelujah", and I felt it needed a parody, naming some of the names (Phil= Accompanist, Justine=Choir Director, Paul=general organiser)

Malta 2017
The choir have learned a secret chord,
To raise the roof, and praise the Lord.
And Phil, you’ve got your music with you, do you?
The floors we’re on are the fourth & fifth,
The older ones can use the lift.
If you’ve got luggage, we can bring it to you.
Halleluiah, Halleluiah, Halleluiah, Halleluiah,


The choir all give the best we’ve got.
Some sing LOUD, but not a lot.
Emotion of the words sometimes get to you.
The choir sings, and starts to ‘Sway’.
While Justine’s arms just wave away.
You really should be watching her, but do you?
Halleluiah (*4)


And now we’re on the Malta trip.
We’ve had a meal, some had a ‘dip’.
And some just kept on drinking, what’s it to you?
It’s being/been enjoyed by all of us.
And thank you Paul, it’s worth the fuss.
Do you (all) want singing on the bus, now do you?
Halleluia (*4)
‘come on everyone’!
Halleluia (*4)

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 06:26 PM

In case people can't be bothered to go to the other thread, here again is Auntie Julia: sing it near Christmas time (if we have a Christmas this year!) Btw, I don't drink rum and coke tho' I am a granny!

AUNTIE JULIA

It's Christmas day the family who came to dinner stayed for tea
And my digestive system feels peculiar.
We've pulled the crackers, read the jokes, then on her fourteenth rum and coke,
Granny said, "Let's all sing Hallelujah".
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-u-u-u-u-jah.

I've heard it sung so many times, that litany of dodgy rhymes,
it's even sung by Natalie Imbruglia.
We get up to verse nine or ten, then you suggest we start again,
But I'm afraid I had to overrule yah.
Overrule yah, overrule yah, overrule ya, overru-u-u-u-u-ule yah.

The gift I gave you was quite nice, but you had got the same thing twice,
I've still got the receipt, I'll post it to yah.
At Christmas we must show we care, and that's the reason I must wear
This cardy knitted by your Auntie Julia.
Auntie Julia, Auntie Julia, Auntie Julia, Auntie Ju-u-u-u-u-ulia.

When Leonard heard my Christmas song, it didn't take him very long,
To figure out that this was Hallelujah,
He 'phoned his lawyer straight away, said "Get a letter off today,
Tell him Mr. Cohen's gonna sue yah".
Gonna sue yah, gonna sue yah, gonna sue yah, gonna sue-u-u-u-u-ue yah

Pine needles dropping off the tree, whilst I am absentmindedly,
Beginning to peel my thirty-first satsuma.
At Christmas I get overwrought, but even so I never thought,
That I would wind up singing Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelu-u-u-u-u-u-jah.

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: JennieG
Date: 24 Sep 20 - 07:31 PM

There is also a version for ukulele players......


UKULELE
(Guy Snape)

I heard there was a list of chords that I should play till I got bored
My teacher said that I should practice daily,
Well, it goes like this, C, F, G7, I'll never play a harp in heaven,
I'm going to hell to play my ukulele......
Ukulele, ukulele, ukulele, uku-lay - ay - eeee.

On X factor they sang this song but I believe they sang it wrong,
The vocals were too shrill and far too wail-ey,
But sometimes when the spirit moves
I'm sure that laughing Len approves,
I'll play his song upon my ukulele.
Ukulele, ukulele, ukulele, uku-lay - ay - eeee.

It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, near or far,
You could be Greek, Brazilian or Israeli,
No one will want to be your friend
Because you drive them round the bend
And irritate them with your ukulele......
Ukulele, ukulele, ukulele, uku-lay - ay - eeee.

So armed with my half dozen chords I'm stepping out to tread the boards
At folk club sessions, open mike or ceilidh,
From jazz, thrash metal, country, pop,
To 'Little stick of Blackpool rock'
You'll hear them all upon my ukulele.......
Ukulele, ukulele, ukulele, uku-lay - ay - eeee......
Ukulele, ukulele, ukulele, uku-lay - ay - eeee.

Credited to Guy Snape. Last verse is optional in some versions.

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 25 Sep 20 - 05:49 PM

When I was a teenager, I read one of Cohen’s novels where he had a line about the F chord making your fingers bleed, which ‘struck a chord’ with me, because I had just taken up the guitar at that time. I later wrote a song about learning guitar chords, which is a bit of a visual in-joke amongst guitar players, but as they say you had to be there:

(Key of C)

Now you learnt some things called sequence chords
You burnt the strings as you squeezed the board
But it never really soared like music to you
Now C’s a piss, but F’s a shit
A Minor’s fine, but that F’s a bitch
Though G’s a stretch, here’s E which won’t really screw you

Really screw you, really screw you
Always F shapes really screw you.

Then you made up chords and you faked the game
You gave them all your made up names
Even though they sounded lame, you thought they’d do you
You said sod C Thirteenth, Diminished Sevenths
A Minor Ninth, F Major Eleventh
Cos J Flat Twelfth of Never won’t really screw you.......

To tell the truth there’s worse than that
In Hell they’ve tunes in cursed B Flat
Where that Devil’s chord E Flat really threw you
Plus C Suspended, F Augmented
A Modal Third, and that F Demented
But those that you invented won’t really screw you....

(Modulate to Key of D)

So you’ve raised the pitch to a better key
You’ve made the switch with no F in C
Even though that little B once nearly slew you
But here’s the hitch, G fourth, A fifth
B Minor, then you start to twitch
Here comes another F bitch to really screw you.....

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: Joe Offer
Date: 05 Feb 22 - 09:24 PM

JennieG posted almost the same song above, but here's the version Elizabeth Block came across:

UKULELE
(With apologies to Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”)
(“Ukulele” words by the Gloucester Strings Ukulele Club, UK)

Now I heard there was a list of chords
That I should play ‘til I got bored
My teacher told me I must practice daily
It goes like this, cee, eff, gee-seven
I’ll never play the harp in heaven
I’m going to hell to play my ukulele

Chorus:

Ukulele, ukulele, ukulele uku-le….le…le

On The Voice they sang this song
But I believe they got it wrong
The vocals sounded shrill and far too wailey
But sometimes when the spirit moves
I’m sure that Leonard would approve
I’ll play his song upon my ukulele

It doesn’t matter who you are
Or where you come from, near or far
You could be Greek, Brazilian or Israeli
No one will want to be your friend
Because you drive them round the bend
And irritate them with your ukulele

So armed with my half dozen chords
I’m setting out to tread the boards
At folk-club sessions, open mic and ceilidhs
From country, jazz, pop, rock and blues
”Baby Face” and “Five Foot Two”
You’ll hear them all upon my ukulele

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: GerryM
Date: 06 Feb 22 - 01:09 AM

Over at https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=170923 I posted a link to a recording by John Thompson of his take-off on Hallelujah, The Concertina Song. Yorkshire Yankee sang it, to thunderous applause, at the Mudcat Singaround of 24-25 January 2022.

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: sian, west wales
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 09:47 PM

There is a Welsh language version performed by brothers Ynyr and Eurig Roberts ("Brigyn") written by Tony Llewelyn. It's quite an exceptional Christmas piece.

Haleliwia
Mewn dwrn o ddur mae'r seren wen
Mae cysgod gwn tros Bethlehem
Dim angel gwyn yn canu Haleliwia.
Codi muriau, cau y pyrth
Troi eu cefn ar werth y wyrth
Mor ddu yw'r nos ar strydoedd Palesteina.

Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia.

Mae weiran bigog gylch y crud
A chraith lle bu creawdwr byd
Mae gobaith yno'n wylo ar ei glinia'
A ninnau'n euog bob yr un
Yn dal ei gôt i wylio'r dyn
Yn chwalu pob un hoel o Haleliwia.

Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia.

Mae'r nos yn ddu mae'r nos yn hir

Ond mae na rai sy'n gweld y gwir
Yn gwybod fod y neges mwy na geiria'
Mai o'r tywyllwch ddaw y wawr
A miwsig ddaeth â'r muriau lawr
Daw awr i ninnau ganu Haleliwia.

Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia.



[Welsh lyrics: © Tony Llewelyn]


English Translation:

The White Star in a fist of steel,
There's a shadow of a gun over Bethlehem,
No white angel singing "Hallelujah".
Raising the walls, closing the doors,
Turning their backs on the value of the miracle,
The night's so dark on the streets of Palestine.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

There's a barb-wire circling the cradle,
And a scar where once was the World's creator,
Hope is weeping - on it's knees.
Guilty - each and every one of us,
Holding Mankind's coat -
While he destroys every trace of "Hallelujah".

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

The night is dark, The night is long,
Yet there are some that see the truth,
They know the message is more than words;
That from the darkness comes the dawn,
and the music brought the walls down.
There came the hour for us to sing, "Hallelujah."

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.


sian

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: keberoxu
Date: 08 Feb 22 - 10:05 PM

Love the Ukelele parody.

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: GUEST,MaJoC the Filk
Date: 22 Feb 22 - 03:06 PM

Don't know if this counts, but yesterday's XKCD cartoon ....

Chorded Keyboard

.... struck, shall we say, a chord with me.

[runs away and hides]

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Feb 22 - 03:29 PM

That's a good one!

Subject: RE: Songs based on Cohen Hallelujah
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 22 Feb 22 - 04:59 PM

I'll second that!!