First listen to Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah (REACTION)

Original Video: • Leonard Cohen - Hallel...
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[@timlynch5710]

This made me cry. I love that you love Leonard Cohen Daniel. I met him once while cycling in Toronto. I was on my bike and was a red, sweaty mess and he was cool, and humble and so calm. I didn't know him personally but he was the most gracious, kind, loving man I've ever had the chance to meet. He held my hand in both of his and looked right into my soul and thanked me for stopping to say hello. I'm still not over it. FYI: His papers, lyrics, letters, (some typed, a lot handwritten) and ephemera are housed at the University of Toronto in many, many boxes. Would take months to go through everything. If you ever visit I'd be happy to go with you. So much to share. Blessings to you D.

[@ijustneedmyself]

That's such a lovely story 🥺

[@falcon215]

I've always felt the song is about a transformative love gone that has died and yet at the end the singer still has the strength to marvel at its power regardless of the devastation it caused him. Amazing message.

[@hongfang2508]

KD Lang gives the performance of a lifetime when covering this song. It was liked so much that she was invited to sing it at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.

[@gaillouise8310]

K.D.Lang is great, but Leonard wrote it and he owns it, no one does it better!!!

[@pleasantvalleypickerca7681]

The original song writer singing one of his greatest songs. My favorite version is Leonard's. Still check these two versions out "Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (Official Video)" and "k.d. lang performs Hallelujah - Vancouver 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony | Music Monday". The are both amazingly great versions. I think the two main themes in Cohens song writing are sensual longing for a lover and religious spiritualty. He combines the passion we feel in our physical bodies and the longing it can bring on and the desire for being more than we are and longing to overcome our mortal limitations and rising to a spiritual level. Just my interpretation.

[@darrylvonrokk]

KD's is the greatest!!

[@Albinsable]

Yes....Yes...Yes....k d lang owns this song in her performance, especially the Vancouver 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony !!!!! It would be great to see Daniel react to this live performance kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpSygoahlMiAhZI

[@xers999]

Leonard Cohen sure did write some of the finest lyrics ever put on a song. Jeff Buckley's version may be more pleasing to the ears, but this one is done by Mr. L.Cohen himself with almost 80 years of weight on his shoulder.

[@cartridgemusic]

@@xers999 it's Cohen's song, and he wanted that it's sounds like this. That's the skull of this song, even when versions of others sound smoother ( compare the singing of K.D. Lang!).

[@lynette.]

Love this performance. Poetry with music. Means different things at different times it's a classic in every sense of the word.

[@deborahpannette7944]

To me, at least, many of Leonard Cohen's songs are a sort of alchemy. He takes sorrow, disappointment, hurt and loss and with his voice, through his songs, turns them into something indescribably beautiful. You'd need to have a harder heart than mine not to be touched by them...over and over and over again.

[@k_spats]

My widow and I danced our first song to Leonard Cohen. ("Dance Me to the End of Love.") Love. This. Man. So happy that you dig it, Daniel! 💜💫✌🏼🎵

[@emilyflotilla931]

Love Dance....

[@huckthomas7231]

I wouldn't call the song "simple" at all. Brilliant metaphor and wordplay make it quite deep, actually.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

I think he meant the music was simple, obviously not the lyrics or performance.

[@AChickandaDuck]

The structure of the song and the chord progression is very simple, the lyrics and symbolism of the message aren’t 😊

[@gabrieleflannery6504]

He is a rare treasure, especially doing this iconic jewel. You really should try "Tower of Song" next, think you'll love it. Great job by the way, wonderful reliving this music with one newly anointed.

[@thomasluczak2868]

he certainly never got mainstream recognition but we both know he`d have hated that. tower of song is great. hank williams is still coughing all night long. my favorite album is the future.

[@m.b.6402]

It's worth starting with Leonard's own versions of Hallelujah. It's always worth returning to them. This one, near the end of his life, is an excellent choice. It's beautiful music, and as a result many singers and musicians with beautiful voices and beautiful techniques have done covers, counting on the *beauty* to sell you. But the lyrics are raw, elegant, spare, and they cut deep. So deep. "Love is not a victory march." And that last verse...aieeee. Cohen's raw, rough voice, matched with the intensity of his feeling and his *age...* For a man of his age to stand, grateful and spare and defiant, celebrating even failed love, lost relationships, hands shaking and face crumpled in grief and gratitude? What's a pretty voice or a tight acapella harmony next to that?

[@shelaghkeen7960]

I have been a huge fan of Leonard Cohen since the 60's! I have seen him perform live many many Times I was actually at this performance!

[@davidhughes4089]

Gone but never forgotten, Leonard Cohen RIP, one of the few artists I've felt genuinely and deeply sad upon learning that they passed.

[@Yosef1952]

Yes! Unblocked, finally. What a performance! He was old, but still filled with passion and artistry. A classic. And an awesome, deeply heartfelt reaction by Daniel.

[@foxandscout]

Yes listen to the original with all 7 lyrics. And then listen for pleasure to the covers by Jeff Buckley, kd lang, John Cale, Rufus Wainwright, Pentatonix. At least Jeff and kd. (John Cale: founding member of the Velvet Underground). And then keep discovering Cohen songs. Early ones like The Stranger. Bird on the Wire. Famous Blue Raincoat (my favorite). Then Who by Fire, First We’ll Take Manhattan, The Future. and finally You Want it Darker (title song of his last album, released 2 weeks before he died). I saw him on his last tour, when he was 80. Sang all the favorites for 3 hours. It was astonishing and so moving. And I saw him in the late ‘80s. In a small club. Beautiful. I read his books of poetry before I ever heard his music, and I first heard covers by Judy Collins (who still performs) who was instrumental in getting to sing on stage for the first time. She covered many of him songs. By the time I was 15 I finally heard Leonard. Oh I love that man. But I also have great affection for those early covers by Judy. Hey That’s No Way to Say Goodbye; Suzanne, Bird On a Wire, So Long Marianne, Sisters of Mercy, Famous Blue Raincoat, and the depressing intense Dress Rehearsal Rag. Check Collins out singing any of these: you won’t be disappointed.

[@granfall00n]

I had the privilege of seeing him on this tour with the Webb sisters. Simply the best concert I’ve seen in 70 years.

[@billshine401]

I honestly want my tombstone to read "nothing on my tongue but "Hallelujah!". Great review!

[@emilyflotilla931]

Love that!

[@ljh5141]

His life story is incredibly moving as well. He went through so much. Loved this performance, it was like a melancholy replay of his life. A truly beautiful soul.

[@queenslanddiva]

I saw Leonard in Brisbane Australia in 2013. When he came on stage and began to sing, I cried. Don't know where it came from, but it took me about 20 minutes to get myself together. The young girl sitting next to me asked me if I was ok. A concert I will never forget - he was on stage for just over 2 hours. Thank you Mr Cohen

[@georgewodicka4839]

When a gravelly, yet seasoned and in it's own way silky voice reminds one of Johnny Cash's rendition of Tool's "Hurt", and then realizes it's all Leonard Cohen. Knew of Leonard Cohen, but learned of Leonard Cohen through you, Daniel.

[@borjaknight9579]

I've waited for this song since I met your channel, Daniel. Absolutelly delighted by your analysis, thank you!

[@bemused9522]

Leonard Cohen "Everybody knows", "Dance me to the end of love", "Woke up this morning", and "Thousand kisses deep" are all musts to listen to by him. Cohen was just amazing.

[@curtadams7406]

"Woke up this Morning" is not by LC, but he is still amazing!

[@johnorson6907]

I’ve just discovered Cohen’s music in the last few days, I can’t stop thinking about it. He was truly unique, there’s so much depth to his lyrics and sound despite his minimalist arrangements. It seems he was a uniquely articulate and sensitive man, often conflicted between his religious devotion and his need for hope for humanity. Absolutely fascinating. He was a true artist

[@curtadams7406]

@@johnorson6907 Yes, Leonard was certainly a unique poet, song-writer, and performer, many books have been, and still are being, written about his life. I discover him in the early 1970s and loved his first three albums (and was always surprised that many of my friends did not). Then my life went on and I forgot about him (other than occasionally playing those first three albums) until late 2009 when I learned (through "Live in London" which was showcased by PBS in their year-end fundraising shows) that he was still alive and had produced a wealth of music that I never knew about. I was luckier than you were, as I rediscovered Leonard early enough to see him perform six times on his last two tours, every concert was a magical, almost religious, event to me and the other concertgoers. Check out the Leonard Cohen forum for a staggering array of discussions, videos, etc.

[@davidhughes4089]

Who by fire, the partisan, stranger song, you want it darker, so many great songs. What a legacy, RIP

[@doplinger1]

Seriously, one of the best versions I’ve ever heard was by Puddles the Clown. Not a joke.

[@lindamaxwell302]

That is a trip in itself. Love me some Puddles!!!

[@emilyflotilla931]

Oh yes, Puddles!

[@lino9222]

I have been listening to Cohen since the 60s I am in my 70s now and I got to see him sing all these songs in I think 2012 or so in Moncton NB . I never in my years before did I ever think I would see this same group you are showing us. Thank you from Canada

[@pod054321]

“Famous Blue Raincoat “ & “Joan of Arc” are powerful L.C. songs

[@foxandscout]

Famous Blue Raincoat, still my favorite after all these decades. But there are so many I love.

[@cherylreichardt]

Amazing rendition by a truly brilliant artist. Love the band and background vocalists. Perfect for Veteran's Day.

[@sherryheim5504]

This poem actually has about 22 stanzas but he cut it down for the song. His shortest poems are bout 10 stanzas. I love this man, I was so devastated when he passed. I have been listening to him and studying his words since I was a teen so when he passed it was like losing a piece of myself. What an amazing gentleman he was. I am so glad to have his music. My current favorite song of his is called "Happens To The Heart." It has some Spanish type of guitar on it played by Javier Mas...it is just so beautiful. I see you got it on this time. That is excellent. LC was a musician's musician, everyone wanted to play with him, so he always had the best bands to back him up. Cohen was raised in a Jewish home but he lived in a very Christian community which presented a bit of question for him and later in his life while battling depression, he became a Rinzai Zen Buddhist monk and stayed within that for several years. So religion is extremely contrasting for him and a big part of his life's questions which are often brought forth in his poetry/songs. I have an album from this particular tour and I absolutely love his passion on each of the performances on that CD. Thank you for reacting to this outstanding performance.

[@daveking9393]

Nice... Been happily waiting and hoping since the tease... Glad they released it. Thank you.

[@reactionswitherin5504]

Wow, I’m speechless. Amazing performance. Thank you for reacting! 😊

[@sharonm6262]

Completely forgot to say - thank you for putting together yet another well-thought-out analysis. A joy to see your appreciation for this great artist and great song.

[@carlacook5181]

Daniel, thank you so much for this, it is beautiful...take care. PS, it never ceases to make weep and feel the power of the lyrics.

[@Dee-JayW]

A CANADIAN ICON! Leonard Cohen was from Montreal…and was originally a Poet. This, his lyrical genius. YOU must look into his time spent on Hydra in Greece with his love, Marianne. 🇨🇦

[@BOOMNERD51]

Thanks Daniel for your persistence delving into Leonard's ironies! Took me a lot longer tho college brought me to Suzanne and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye "

[@Ibi333]

great reaction. This song always brings me to tears. It feels like an anthem for everything I've wrestled with-love, religion, and life itself. The song captures that raw, sometimes painful truth that love isn't always the romantic ideal, and faith isn't always steady. It’s messy, imperfect, but still sacred in its own way. The repeated "hallelujah" resonates with me because it's both a cry of frustration and a moment of surrender. It reminds me that, in my struggles, there's a strange beauty in accepting the highs and lows, in finding peace amid the chaos.

[@mariagalanis6476]

He had the heart of a poet, brilliant musician, deep. I’d read years ago that he’d written over 80 stanzas and would pull out verses in each performance as the spirit moved him in the moment, that’s why I don’t think his renditions can be compared with others. His performances were unique. Covers are generally beautifully done but always different. Love your analyses 👏👏🎶

[@MisterWondrous]

Rest in peace, indeed. Thank you for adding so much depth to this masterpiece that I know the king himself would be pleased by. One of my favorite dreams found me having a beer with Mr. Cohen, back when his hair would shame Al Pacino. I mean his hair, even in the dream, was a wonder to behold. The man had the magic. Great, timely, review...and what an historic concert!

[@dixiechatty958]

If you like this, you should listen to K D Lang's version of it. It is unbelievable.

[@waynecox3958]

It is indeed.

[@lorettascurato2692]

Yes! Lang’s voice owns this. Pentatonix also brings a whole new majestic feel to this song.

[@BOOMNERD51]

Loved your reaction to this great performance.

[@tommarr3884]

This is certainly one of the most iconic songs of all time and Leonard presented it beautifully and with a wonderful feeling. I'd suggest that you react to the version released on Oct. 21, 2016. That version takes place in the desert and is my favorite of all time and does great justice to the feeling I get when hearing Leonard sing it. Give it a try and let us hear your reaction and comparison to the thoughts and feelings you had with this original recording by Mr. Cohen. Thanks again for all your thoughts and reviews. You're certainly one of my most favorite reviewers ever. Thank you!!

[@gabrieleflannery6504]

To me this song was always about baring one's soul with grace, confusion, and a bit of melancholy. This applies regardless of which lyrics are used.

[@chrisvickers7928]

Back in the mid 1960's his friend Mordecai Richler, sitting in Richler's kitchen in Montreal, told him if he wanted to reach a wider audience with his poetry he should set it to music.

[@robinreiley1828]

What you were hearing in this performance, was a Lifetime of Pain, Love and Love Lost, Faith and Faith Lost and Found.

[@kendavis8046]

Great song. Great reaction. Thanks!

[@peterpickering4785]

Beautiful...the song...and your reaction!

[@stevemattfis]

I've heard a hundred versions of this song but this live one is the most honest , flawed and frankly human version. You made the right choice and I'm happy to see you get that it is so much deeper than the obvious religious association. The deconstruction in the lyrics as the intentional pathway of finding spirituality in a relationship. BTW he wrote this as a New Yorker does which includes summertime rooftop sunbathing. He lived on and off in New York, Greece, Israel and Montreal so there were many occasions to view sunbathing on rooftops. Religion is the framework for him when the actual story is how we meet and fall for love with all its ups and downs. At no time is he talking to anyone but himself. David, Sampson and Delilah references are just part of his framework and i cant stress this enough, Jesus has nothing to do with a Jewish mans religious framework.

[@Katehowe3010]

I love great voices, so Jeff Buckley's version wins the gold!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

What you said 👍

[@Katehowe3010]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Thanks! 😉

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@Katehowe3010 I must say about Cohens framework, he was a New York based sixties folkie and like many of his contemporaries was very familiar with Christian folk songs and was trying to emulate some of that in his own songs even if it was just for traditions sake, it was central to the genre. I think Christian references and concepts are in his songs.

[@Katehowe3010]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Undoubtedly! Cohen was the eternal seeker, and his entire oeuvre is littered with spiritual allusions!

[@curtadams7406]

Thanks for getting back to Cohen, Daniel. What made your reaction all the more interesting was how it evolved, from Hallelujah first seeming like a simple song to it being a very complex one as it unfolded. I shared your link with three devout Cohen fans that I know, and their feedback to me was extremely positive, and these are folks who are not necessarily approving of reaction videos. Hope you get to some more of his work, especially from his first three albums.

[@MultiLakewood]

Maelyn Jarmon did this song on the Voice and showed the power of the words and that there is so much pain connected to drawing a "Hallelujah" from one's soul. RIP Leonard Cohen.

[@cheampeake1680]

k.d. lang performs Hallelujah - Vancouver 2010 Olympics Opening Ceremony

[@lethalphenomenon6061]

Swans guy here... here's my favorite live version of Hallelujah in the 80s. Cohen really gets into it. Beautiful.

[@lethalphenomenon6061]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZaaaH-egayEbNE

[@richardperrett5380]

I’m so pleased you really got that one. Sometimes I see reactors do it and they just don’t get it. Yes, he’s not technically a great singer and other people “sing it better” but there was something so powerful being at one of those shows and feeling his passion for those amazing words

[@emilyflotilla931]

KD Lang's version is great too! I also love Choir Choir Choir doing this with Rufus Wainwright. By the time you are 20, you will probably be qualified to teach a Music History Class! This one brought you ever so much closer! Thank you.

[@carolmeindl8973]

He evokes the image of life being something complex with emotions playing between joy and sorrow and yet, life is precious. Alleluia! Isn’t life a terrible thing, thank God!

[@AFLOVEable]

That's what real artists and poets do, telling stories in simple structures, yet in a deep meaning and with purpose.It's the sign of true artistry, to deliver a message with easy words, enigmatic humor and ambiguity.

[@Bigwave2003]

I think you'd enjoy Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "Chelsea Hotel #2".

[@williamosmith8162]

i first heard this tune at the plaza of the palace in Madrid on a solo Accordion and i gave a couple of Euro to the busker. haunting.

[@ryanodom7720]

Check out his song, The Partisan. It’s my favorite of his and really pulls the heartstrings. Thanks for the great reactions!

[@annettegreen6689]

So glad you got to upload this. It was definitely worth it. Thank you 😊💖

[@annfreels3071]

Brought me to tears~

[@vieella389]

How is it possible I've never seen/heard this version before? Thank you DDR.

[@stephenmclaughlin5191]

I was about 27 before I noticed Leonard, that's a long time ago, (I'm old.) A poet and a scholar, and please listen to Closing Time, if you enjoy darkness and a laugh.

[@shelaghkeen7960]

I have been married to my husband since 1971 he is almost 75 now and I am 72 it's been a wonderful journey

[@bmxsundaze]

Even though it all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of song.... LOVE

[@tahfaa66]

You got it back! Yay!!!

[@grantbarrow1609]

Amazing reaction to one of the greatest songs ever written Daniel.

[@grantbarrow1609]

Would love to see you react to Tower of song, Bird on a wire or it it be your will

[@GrandmaChachy]

I love this song I'm enjoying Your channel you're a very respectful young man I wish you well God Bless You and Your Family.I would love you to react Elvis Presley he has so many great songs.

[@FleagleSangria]

Welcome to the journey of Mr Cohen. Its a wonderful one.

[@lawrencebass769]

Excellent reaction

[@spongo]

I was just a casual fan the first time I had the opportunity to see Leonard Cohen perform live. I am a religious agnostic, but I consider his performance akin to a religious experience. Leonard Cohen was mystical and as efficient a poet as you'll find.

[@treywest268]

You are watching Leonard Cohen Live in London with Sharon Robinson and the sublime Webb sisters. They are Charley and Hattie Webb. You should read up on Leonard. Listen to his last few releases plus his first ones. Sharon was his collaborator on his songs after he was robbed of all his assets. She got him back on the road to perform.

[@KenBreadbox]

This is Cohen's most popular. It's far from the only track you should look into. I would especially recommend anything off the album THE FUTURE.

[@stevenschmitzer299]

My favorite Leonard Cohen song is "Dance Me To The End Of Love".

[@keymack2477]

Enjoyed your reaction as always, Daniel! I love Leonard Cohen and love this song! The three other versions you need to listen to one day (whether you show us reactions or not) are those by Jeff Buckley, Pentatonix and kd lang from the 2010 Olympics opening ceremony! Powerful stuff!!

[@qbear17]

Your reactions/interpretations are very astute. Many, many, many artists have covered this song. Some beautifully. Others not so much. The song and the many verses (not always included by some artists) seem to touch people differently, but deeply. The selection of verses can really shape the meaning of the performance. Some of my favorite performances are by Rufus Wainwright (Leonard is the grandfather of Rufus' daughter), k.d.lang, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile. Leonard's songs make up a legacy to the world like few others. Listening to Leonard is like listening to his soul. There are many meanings that can be interpreted in this song, and that contributes to its greatness.The only versions I don't like are the explicitly Christian versions you mentioned, which seem to remove the depth of the words and the intentions of the song, while building in their own purposes, including sometimes changing the lyrics. CHANGING the lyrics. I shake my head.

[@peggie52]

Bon Jovi does an amazing version of this! Hope you can listen when you get a chance. I've never heard this live version from him... AWESOME! Thank you Daniel for pushing this thru. Also, if you've seen Shrek...this song is in there.

[@Damiana_Dimock]

“Light gets through,” made me think of the Primal Scream song, “Where The Light Gets In.” If you haven’t listened it it I def recommend.

[@localnetsolutions]

did you know that as he originally wrote it there are over 60 verses to this song and most covers are based on Jeff Buckley's cover which was a cover of a cover. When Leonard sings it he sometimes adds some of the other verses. If you want to hear another beautiful one by him listen to his Joan of Arc duet with Jenifer Warnes on Jenifer's 'Famous Blue Raincoat" album.

[@mjl9002]

You have a sensitive and sincere approach to your reviews. Added to that reaction, your real-time analysis comes across as searching to discover the artist's meaning and intent. Much better than most reviews, despite your youth and relatively brief life experience compared to Cohen's interpretation at 80 years old of his own iconic song. You might consider comparing a different version, like Jeff Buckley or k d lang. Thank-you - I look forward to watching more of your postings.

[@rattlesnakehaven]

The message I get from the whole song is, love isn't easy but in the end it's the only thing that's worth it, and despite everything he's suffered for having loved, ultimately he regrets nothing.

[@emilyflotilla931]

Well said.

[@paulprendergast3184]

Great songwriter, great Canadian. Bird on a Wire is my personal favorite.

[@kevinbailey8827]

My introduction to Leonard Cohen came late at night in the 1980s when I was alone behind the counter of a lonely Subway sandwich shop. A song came on that cast a spell on me. I hadn't been paying attention, so I didn't hear the title. As soon as it was over, I called the public radio station that I was listening to, and asked the name of the song they had just played. "Which Song?" "The one about the famous blue raincoat." "Well that was 'Famous Blue Raincoat' from the new album Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes." I went out the next day and bought the cassette tape, which was full of songs written by Cohen and covered by Warnes. Cohen joins in on one or two songs. Famous Blue Raincoat takes the form of a letter to an unknown person. It's voyeuristic, because it offers a glimpse into shared experiences between the sender and the recipient. We're left to fill in the bittersweet details ourselves, but the pictures he paints with the lyrics are extremely vivid. The "famous blue raincoat" stood out to me, even though it's only mentioned once in the song. Almost everything is only mentioned once. The song doesn't have a chorus, except one line that gets repeated near the end. I recommend this song highly. First Warnes' version, since I want everyone to share the experience I had. I think it adds even more mystery to the lyrics to have them sung by a woman. Cohen's original version has some slightly different lyrics to make it from a male point of view. And he signs the letter himself, making it seem autobiographical. So his is more authentic. I'm just partial to the way I first heard it. Warnes has a beautiful voice. She had some chart hits in her day, including "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

[@jonsher7682]

For those who try to interpret what Leonard Cohen intended or meant, a word of caution: Cohen always doubted his own views, didn't really view himself as a songwriter, and didn't trust his own instinct to write, so instead borrowed the rigidity of certain poetic structures to force himself to make choices, for example, based on rhymes. He distrusted rigidity of thought because he distrusted his one views, or so it seems based on what seem like earnest answers to questions he has been asked over the years. That he wrote 80 verses is telling: He never trusted himself enough to conclude it was finished. None of that should stop any of us for seeking meaning in his words that are personal to each of us.

[@YvesFey]

You're almost compelled to join in the chorus. With joy and sadness.

[@stevewebster973]

He embodied those lyrics so we’ll in his life

[@Hogtownboy1]

Listen to kd lang singing at closing of the Olympics. She was Cohen favourite. Strange you had heard it before. It is one of the misted covered song to show off vocal range. But I still envious of your range. .

[@colincampbell4862]

Tower of Song is another sure listen by Cohen

[@adamyoung6797]

One of the biggest songs of the 20th century, but only caught on in the last fifteen years or so.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Great song. It’s interesting how simple music can be the most powerful. Simplicity leaves space for expression and dynamics to come forward. This is my favorite version. I think I heard Cale’s version before Cohen’s. Great job diving into the lyrics etc.

[@chicagojon1972]

So glad to see you finally got around to this and that it is unblocked. So many great covers of the song, but still nothing like the original.

[@judithgehrig2632]

As to what you read about Cohen's reference to light in Anthem that is my own promise to the ,for me, dark times we are witnessing now. The lines referenced are "There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." There is always hope!

[@tahfaa66]

Pentatonix version is also awesome, give that a listen!

[@melissakhalar1842]

Great Song. 🎶

[@karensheline6958]

It's the voice ..that deep deep register

[@genehenrylindgren]

it took him years to write this son g It was worth the wait.

[@jeremyluster9821]

I like that you get it, so many reactors don't. Hope you do his song, You want it darker.

[@christiankalk4668]

I've been a huge fan of this song since the first time I heard it, and in my mind, Leonard's studio version will always be the definitive version. This performance is amazing though; I don't think I've ever heard him use his upper register with such power and emotion as he does here in the chorus.

[@thesuperdak7224]

The older backing vocalist is Sharon Roberts, Cohen's longtime writing partner. IIRC she was the one who actually dragged him out on stage to perform for the first time, decades ago. This is one of the songs they wrote together, from the same concert. kzbin.info/www/bejne/anare3unndZ4sJY

[@LaStarza61]

No, you definitely chose the right version of the song to react to first. This live performance is much more powerful than the album version.

[@billolson4986]

Jeff Buckley version is the best ever done. I just saw Andrea Bocelli in concert sing this with his young daughter, and as moving as it was it still pales in comparison to Buckley's.

[@Newfie-zc7ug]

I love Jeff's cover as well but my favorite is done by K D Lang. She sings it to Leonard at Canadian music awards...must see.

[@queenslanddiva]

That's very subjective. I believe no one sings it like Leonard Cohen. I like Jeff Buckley's and k.d. lang's versions, but Leonard is the master.

[@jonsher7682]

@@Newfie-zc7ug Cohen always said he was flattered whenever anyone covered his songs, in part because he endured some struggles in his career. He knew Buckley's father and of course knew Jeff's cover, and no doubt liked it, but in interviews he singled out the cover by Lang as a favorite. Personally, I like my own cover, especially when I am not within earshot of anyone else.

[@douglasleinbach6313]

Who hasn't covered this song?

[@darrylvonrokk]

you are wrong. KD Lang did the greatest version!!! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y16po3eJrZJlZ80

[@1Lovebird1]

Jeff Buckley version my personal favorite.

[@sharonm6262]

This is the most heartfelt version, obviously, what with it coming from the songwriter himself, especially coming years after he wrote it. Pentatonix' version kicks it up to another level musically and would be worth a listen.