Rufus Wainwright- Hallelujah

Reviewed by ShoreWhisperer

Song Time: 4 Minutes 36 Seconds

Hallelujah
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I first heard this song in Shrek. I know that’s really sad but it’s the truth. Then my friend asked me if I knew it and I only knew the hallelujah part. Then another friend had me memorize it so I could learn how to play it on the piano and sing at the same time. I love the lyrics of this song. I had to do some research on it to actually understand it but it helped me understand it. So this is what I got.

First off there are many biblical references, such as Samson and Delilah and King David and Bathsheba. These are the most obvious. The story about Samson is that Delilah betrayed him and tied him to a kitchen chair so that she could cut his hair. His hair was the source of his power, so when she cut it all off she in reality cut off his pride. In the story of King David he sees Bathsheba on the roof and falls madly in love with her. In his passion he has her husband killed in battle so that he can marry her and eventually she becomes pregnant. In this he commits a sin and feels guilty when God kills the child. These can relate to the song and the character in the song.

Obviously, there is this guy in love with this girl.  This girl (let’s call her Debby)… Debby is very free and doesn’t see love the same way that the boy does (let’s call him John). So John gets upset that Debby doesn’t feel the same way that he does. She uses him to make herself  look good. This is implied in the line “I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch/love is not a victory march”. Debby sees John more as a prize while John sees Debby as something special. Not only does she not respect him but she cuts him down to size but he still loves her. He remembers the times they had together: “There was a time you let me know/ what’s real and going on below/ but now you never show that to me do you”. The last line and stanza sum up what Debby has made him realize. That love is not fair and that it’s not as glorious as it sounds. It’s hard and painful, and not as easy as it’s made out to be.

This song makes me want to cry every time I hear it. I love listening to the beautiful melody and it’s a real reality check from other songs that tell about how great love is and this is one of the best examples of how it really isn’t. I would love to hear our reader’s thoughts about this song and what they think it means! So please comment!
Real Teen Rating~ A: Worth Buying!!!