Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. CCLXXV--Jeff Buckley: Hallelujah

Embarrassingly enough, my introduction to this week's tune came when a contestant sang it on American Idol, which was the last season I watched the show before deciding that I didn't have enough time to listen to good artists performing good tunes, let alone mediocre singers singing bad songs....

Jeff Buckley picked up his first guitar when he was five years old and never looked back.  He was a session musician in L.A. in his early twenties, learned his chops playing clubs in New York in his mid-twenties, and at the ripe old age of 28 recorded his first studio album, which sadly, would also be his last.  Buckley was preparing to record his second album when he drowned accidentally (no traces of alcohol or drugs were found in his blood) in Tennessee.  Despite his shortened career, Buckley regularly shows up on best of lists, including #39 on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest singers ever.  He has had numerous tribute songs written for him, and since his death there have been ten compilation (including a rough draft of the album he was working on when he passed) albums released, seven live albums, and a box set.  Despite his short career, Buckley was able to secure quite the legacy.

"Hallelujah," Buckley's cover version of the song originally written and performed by folk legend  Leonard Cohen, was on Buckley's only album, Grace, released in 1994.  It was not released as a single, but after its appearance on American Idol immediately went to #1 (with a bullet!) on Billboard's Hot Digital Tracks in 2007, some thirteen years after its release.  It would also reach #2 on the British charts that same year.  It is ranked #259 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All-Time.  While Grace had little commercial success upon its release, it has become something of a classic, going on to sell over 2 million copies, and being ranked #303 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time.

(Sad) Fun Fact:  Though Buckley only met him once, his biological father Tim recorded nine albums through the late 60's and early 70's, and was most known for his folk recordings.  He died from a heroin overdose at the all too young age of 28 in 1975.

Beginning with a beautiful minute and a half guitar solo that evokes angels playing rock and roll harps, Buckley proceeds to sing "Hallelujah" with all the reverence one would expect of a man singing for his very soul before God.  I don't know that there's that much I can add to the lexicon already written about the song, but with the majestic lyrics of Leonard Cohen and the heaven sent vocals of Buckley it all adds up to a masterpiece.  Just listen to it--it's as close to perfection as we mortals are likely to ever get.

Lyric Sheet:  "Well, I heard there was a secret chord/That David played and it pleased the Lord/But you don't really care for music do you?"

Enjoy:

Fuck Donald Trump,

emaycee