Hallelujah – English Lyrics

• By: Leonard Cohen

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music can be a profound experience, and Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah' offers a rich tapestry of poetic language and complex emotion. The song's journey from a rejected track to a global anthem is a story in itself. By exploring its lyrics, you can delve into themes of love, faith, and the human condition, all while appreciating the beauty and power of a song that has touched millions.

[English]

[cheering]

["Hallelujah" playing]

♪ Now 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 And she cut your hair ♪

♪ And from your lips She drew the Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Now maybe there's A God above ♪

♪ As for me, all I ever Learned from love ♪

♪ Is how to shoot at someone ♪

♪ Who outdrew you ♪

♪ But it's not a crime You hear tonight ♪

♪ And it's not some pilgrim who Claims to have seen the light ♪

♪ it's a cold and it's A very broken Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

[vocalizing]

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Oh, people I've been here before ♪

♪ I know this room And I've walked this floor ♪

♪ You see, I used to live alone Before I knew you ♪

♪ And I've seen your flag On the marble arch ♪

♪ But listen, love is not Some kind of victory march ♪

♪ No, it's a cold and It's a very lonely Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ There was a time You let me know ♪

♪ What's really going on Below ♪

♪ But now you never Show it to me, do you? ♪

♪ I remember when I moved in you ♪

♪ And the Holy Dove She was moving too ♪

♪ And every single breath that We drew was Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ I've done my best I know it wasn't much ♪

♪ I couldn't feel So I learned to touch ♪

♪ I've told the truth I didn't Come here to London ♪

♪ Just to fool you ♪

[loud cheering]

♪ And even though It all went wrong ♪

♪ I'll stand right here Before the lord of song ♪

♪ With nothing Nothing on my tongue ♪

♪ But hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

♪ Hallelujah ♪

[crowd applauds and cheers]

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
secret /ˈsiːkrɪt/ B1	noun - something that is kept hidden or private adjective - not open or accessible to others
chord /kɔːr.d/ B2	noun - a combination of notes played or sung at the same time
played /pleɪd/ A2	verb - to perform or execute music on an instrument
pleased /pliːzd/ B1	adjective - feeling happy or satisfied
care /kɛər/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest
goes /goʊz/ A1	verb - to move from one place to another
minor /ˈmaɪ.nər/ B1	adjective - less important or serious
fall /fɔːl/ A2	noun - an act of descending freely by the force of gravity verb - to move downward
lift /lɪft/ B2	verb - to raise or move to a higher position
baffled /ˈbæf.əld/ C1	adjective - confused or bewildered
king /kɪŋ/ A2	noun - the male ruler of a kingdom
faith /feɪθ/ B2	noun - complete trust or confidence in someone or something
proof /pruːf/ C1	noun - evidence establishing the truth
beauty /ˈbjuː.ti/ A2	noun - qualities that are aesthetically pleasing
moonlight /ˈmuːn.laɪt/ B2	noun - light from the moon
tied /taɪd/ B2	verb - to fasten or attach with a rope or band
broke /broʊk/ C1	verb - to damage or fracture something
hair /hɛər/ A2	noun - the thin thread-like strands growing from the skin of humans or animals
draw /drɔː/ B2	verb - to pull or drag something physically or conceptually
light /laɪt/ A2	noun - electromagnetic radiation visible to the human eye adjective - not heavy or dark

Key Grammar Structures

• Now I've heard there was a secret chord

  ➔ Present Perfect Tense ('I've heard')

  ➔ The present perfect tense ('I've heard') expresses an action that started in the past and continues to have relevance in the present. It signifies that the speaker heard about the chord at some point in the past and the information is still relevant.

• But you don't really care for music, do you?

  ➔ Tag Question ('do you?')

  ➔ A tag question ('do you?') is used to confirm or seek agreement on a statement. It turns a statement into a question.

• Your faith was strong, but you needed proof.

  ➔ Use of 'but' as a conjunction

  ➔ 'But' is a coordinating conjunction that introduces a contrast or exception. It connects two contrasting ideas: the strength of faith and the need for proof.

• As for me, all I ever learned from love is how to shoot at someone who outdrew you.

  ➔ Noun Clause as a Subject ('how to shoot at someone who outdrew you')

  ➔ The entire phrase 'how to shoot at someone who outdrew you' functions as a noun clause, acting as the subject of the verb 'is'. This clause expresses what the speaker learned from love.

• And it's not some pilgrim who claims to have seen the light

  ➔ Relative Clause ('who claims to have seen the light')

  ➔ The relative clause 'who claims to have seen the light' modifies the noun 'pilgrim', providing more information about the kind of pilgrim being referred to.

• I know this room, and I've walked this floor.

  ➔ Parallel Structure ('I know this room, and I've walked this floor')

  ➔ Parallel structure is used to create a sense of balance and rhythm. Each clause ('I know this room' and 'I've walked this floor') has a similar grammatical structure: subject + verb + object.

• Love is not some kind of victory march.

  ➔ Use of 'some kind of' to express generalization

  ➔ 'Some kind of' suggests that love is not a specific type of victory march, but rather generally unlike any form of triumphal procession.

• I couldn't feel so I learned to touch.

  ➔ Infinitive of Purpose ('to touch')

  ➔ The infinitive phrase 'to touch' explains the purpose of learning. The speaker learned to touch *in order to* feel.