Music Blog

A Secret Chord

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

This is Week 48 of Glyn’s Mixed Music Bag and we are
being asked to choose a song by a group or solo artist whose
name begins with the letters U, V or W. This is my choice.

Praised by the New York Times for his “genuine originality”, Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists, songwriters, and composers of his generation.

 The New York-born, Montreal-raised singer-songwriter has released eleven studio albums to date, three DVDs, and six live albums including the Grammy-nominated Rufus Does Judy at Carnegie Hall. He has collaborated with artists such as Elton John, Burt Bacharach, Miley Cyrus, David Byrne, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, Pet Shop Boys, Heart, Carly Rae Jepsen, Jessye Norman, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting, among many others; he has written two operas and numerous songs for movies and TV. His latest Grammy and Juno-nominated album of original songs, Unfollow the Rules, finds Wainwright at the peak of his powers. His newly released (and also Grammy-nominated) studio album Folkocracy features reinvented folk duets with artists like Chaka Khan, Brandi Carlile, John Legend, and more. 

Each year, Rufus Wainwright, his sister Martha Wainwright and several of their well-known musical friends produce “Noël Nights” … AKA “A Not So Silent Night” … a series of holiday concerts in major North American cities. Proceeds from ticket sales and special VIP packages go to the SU2C Kate McGarrigle Fund. Monies raised in Canada go to music therapy and research in Canada, and monies raised in the US are designated for music therapy and research. The SU2C Kate McGarrigle Fund is a collaborative program from Stand Up To Cancer and the Kate McGarrigle Foundation which aims to provide music therapy resources to cancer patients with a passion for music, as well as much-needed funds for sarcoma research. Kate McGarrigle was a Canadian folk music singer-songwriter; she is the late mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright from her marriage to Canadian singer/songwriter Loudon Wainwright III.

When the hugely influential singer/songwriter/poet/author/legend Leonard Cohen passed away in 2016, tributes to him started flooding in. Unsurprisingly, Cohen’s timeless 1984 classic, “Hallelujah” was the song most commonly covered. There are more than 300 known recorded versions of the song – and that’s not counting the legion you’ll find on YouTube – many of which continue to pop up. While the original is untouchable, there have been some excellent renditions of the track; in my opinion, Rufus Wainwright’s version is one of the best.

Wainwright’s rendition of “Hallelujah” has earned its place as one of the most emotive interpretations of Cohen’s song. Stripping back the arrangement to a simple piano accompaniment, Wainwright’s subtle vocal nuances and phrasing add depth to Cohen’s already profound lyrics, resulting in a deeply moving listening experience.

As a side note, Rufus Wainwright and his partner are the parents of Viva Katherine Wainwright Cohen, grandchild of the legendary Leonard Cohen.

This is “Hallelujah” by Rufus Wainwright

LYRICS

I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

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, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe I’ve been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

There was a time you’d let me know
What’s real and going on below
But now you never show it to me do you?
And remember when I moved in you?
The holy dark was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Maybe there’s a God above
And all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you
It’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and its a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Leonard Cohen
Hallelujah lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

As a one-time church organist/choir director, I couldn’t resist sharing this next video. Like the video you just saw, this is another one that’s not all polished up and remixed to sound grand; in fact, it’s pretty basic … just a bunch of people, a couple of instruments and Rufus Wainwright. It’s deeply moving for me to see people from every race and creed and walk of life coming together to create something beautiful. Just look at the expressions on their faces. I never get tired of it! It’s living proof how excellent the world could be if we all came together for the common good.

This is Rufus Wainwright with “Hallelujah” featuring Choir! Choir! Choir! … the international singing phenomenon that exemplifies the best of creativity, collaboration, and community-building. Led by directors Nobu Adilman and Daveed Goldman, the duo takes a non-traditional approach; there are no auditions and the audience is the choir. The concept behind Choir! Choir! Choir! is simple: just show up and sing.

Mixed Music Bag – week 48 – Wilson’s way

Big thanks to Glyn Wilton for hosting Mixed Music Bag every week. Please be sure to follow the link and check out Glyn’s site.

Thanks for joining me today and spinning some tunes.

See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2024

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

36 thoughts on “A Secret Chord”

  2. It’s weird because I think I am the only person on the earth who can’t stand the original hallelujah.

    I love Rufus but not his hallelujah but then I found one by Imogen Heap.

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  3. I used to loathe Rufus Wainwright and his nonchalant voice. Then he came out with Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk and I was converted. (Kinda like I used to hate Bob Dylan but don’t anymore 🙂 )

    His is not my favourite version of Hallelujah (cover). That, for me, belongs to k.d. lang. However, the version with Choir! Choir! Choir! is my favourite of his versions!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. k.d. lang’s version is masterful. We watched a special about Roy Orbison last night and there was a clip of k.d. singing Roy’s “Crying”. Half way thru, I was crying! Her voice is smooth as cream. HERE listen to this. Just amazing.

      I just love the whole concept of Choir, etc. It’s a beautiful thing!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. It is. I saw her live and you could have heard a pin drop when she paused… Except for the stupid bitch who was with me who let out a “woooooo!” I swear to all that I hold dear that it took everything in my power not to smack her. The whole row we were in, the row above and below all turned to look at her with daggers in their eyes. Talk about fucking up a moment.
        And yes. Her Crying duet was amazing, too.

        I love it too!

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

          1. Oh God! That makes it 1000 times worse! Are you still talking to that moron? I can’t stand people who do that. I would have bitch slapped the bitch! How embarrassing. I bet you would have crawled under the seat if you could. People like that usually aren’t even aware of their insensitivity.

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            Reply

            1. Neither could any of us in her vicinity. And get this… she’s an ex-girlfriend of my late husband! I invited her (must have been a last-minute thing and I had no one else) and no. She has been barred. She apologized profusely. I couldn’t even say anything nice like “don’t worry about it”… Stupid C**t.

              Liked by 1 person

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                1. I love that the Brits use this term willy-nilly. Still leaves some people stunned when used over here. And honestly, I usually cringe when I hear it but in this case? She totally deserves it!

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                  Reply

  8. Rufus Wainright’s contributions in the Leonard Cohen tribute concert are extraordinary. I agree his version of Hallelujah is one of, if not the best I have heard. Do you mind if I give a shout-out to his sassy, but exemplary version of Cohen’s ‘Everybody Knows’:

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