When
my mom died, she was carrying Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man" audio
cassette in her purse. I played Cohen's “Hallelujah” until the tape warped. Only
song that got me through her death.
Many people think Tim Buckley's son, Jeff Buckley wrote “Hallelujah”—but it is Leonard Cohen's
song. Buckley drowned during a
spontaneous evening swim—fully clothed—in the Wolf River Harbor, a slackwater channel of the
mighty Mississippi River, caught in the wake of a passing boat,
1997. Buckley
went down, boots and all, singing
the chorus of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin.
Chart success also came posthumously to Jeff Buckley, with "Hallelujah" he attained his first #1 on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs in March 2008. But wasn't around to enjoy the accolades.
Rufus Wainwrignt knew Jeff Buckley, and recorded his version after Jeff. I
don't like Rufus' whiny tone (in Shrek). I prefer Leonard's gravelly first
release (I'm Your Man), and there are several Jeff Buckley versions of
“Hallelujah” on YouTube.
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