Hallelujah for the NRA – Parody of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

This parody was first posted on March 6, 2018. Sadly, it is as relevant now as it was then. I hope this parody becomes obsolete soon. . . the soonter the better.

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Hallelujah for the NRA

You see yourself the defender of
the amendment passed to you from above,
and any change that happens must go through ya.
While other freedoms slipped away
with nothing standing in their way,
you waved your gun and claimed your hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We’ve heard you say these words before,
about the guns that you adore.
There really is no point in talkin’ to ya.
You pride yourself the ears and eyes
of five or so million other guys,
and think your words will draw their hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your mind is stuck in sixty-five
when cold-war commies were alive.
And those who wanted change were out to screw ya.
And gun controls of any kind
mean liberal commies in your mind
who’ll steal your rights then raise their hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

We think it’s time that you step down.
Just walk away and pass the crown,
before someone decides they need to sue ya.
The arms race lost, it would appear
and you’ve become the thing you fear
an echo of your bloody hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

HISTORY OF ORIGINAL SONG

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen

Hallelujah” is a song written by Canadian singer Leonard Cohen, originally released on his album Various Positions (1984). Achieving little initial success, the song found greater popular acclaim through a recording by John Cale, which inspired a recording by Jeff Buckley. It is considered as the “baseline” of secular hymns.

Following its increased popularity after being featured in the film Shrek (2001), many other arrangements have been performed in recordings and in concert, with over 300 versions known. The song has been used in film and television soundtracks and televised talent contests.

“Hallelujah” experienced renewed interest following Cohen’s death in November 2016 and appeared on many international singles charts, including entering the American Billboard Hot 100 for the first time.

Cohen wrote around 80 draft verses for “Hallelujah”, with one writing session at the Royalton Hotel in New York where he was reduced to sitting on the floor in his underwear, banging his head on the floor. His original version, as recorded on his album Various Positions, contains several biblical references, most notably evoking the stories of Samson and Delilah from the Book of Judges (“she cut your hair”) as well as King David and Bathsheba (“you saw her bathing on the roof, her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you”).

Following his original 1984 studio-album version, Cohen performed the original song on his world tour in 1985, but live performances during his 1988 and 1993 tours almost invariably contained a quite different set of lyrics. Numerous singers mix lyrics from both versions, and occasionally make direct lyric changes; for example, in place of Cohen’s “holy dove”, Canadian-American singer Rufus Wainwright substituted “holy dark”, while Canadian singer-songwriter Allison Crowe sang “holy ghost”.

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