Comments on: The X-Factor: Hallelujah.

By: Eddie

Eddie — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:35:35 +0000

……….and I thought it was a ‘gimme’ that Diana Vickers was going to win X Factor – remembering her version of Hallelujah from Boot Camp and that the winners song was public knowledge weeks ago!

(My wife is an avid Digital Spy reader)

Diana Vickers rendition : http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5GC2jFym4eg

By: Dan Wilson

Dan Wilson — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 23:17:07 +0000

I agree: I don’t think that Simon Cowell, or indeed the contestants, really get the song. (And I think Guy Garvey’s show “The fourth, The fifth, the minor fall” (see link below) was a really excellent exploration.) And the lack of intellectual rigour does concern me a little. It certainly isn’t a celebratory hymn.

My favourite lyric is:

“Maybe there’s a god above/ but all I’ve ever learned from love/ was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you.”

I may well buy the Buckley version this week on iTunes. Even though I have “Grace”.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/musicclub/doc_hallelujah.shtml

By: Scratchy

Scratchy — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 22:08:52 +0000

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 her kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

This is the second verse of the Hallelujah song.Jeff Buckley who described the song as “the hallelujah of the orgasm”. His cover of the Leonard Cohen song is presently at No.43 in the charts & is from his 1994 album Grace (a song which he vertially made his own – Leonard Cohen has said that this is his favourite version as well).The track was released in opposition to X-factor announcing it will be their Christmas single.The christmas/religious association with the song is dubious to say the least – some say it is anti-religiuos (certainly slightly sexually deviant connitations within the lyrics).Jeff Buckley drowned in 1997 due to a depressive disorder (walked into Mississipee fully clothed/with boots on).His version is vertially unmatchable in most peoples minds – possibly Simon Cowell has a high regard for his cover.A contestant on American Pop Idol also covered the song.There have been 170 covers of the song to date (including Rufus Wainwrights,Buckley inspired cover which featured in Shrek !).
I think the selection of the song is a bit contraversial to say the least.