Hallelujah
I've been to the Metro Centre a few times recently. Each time a pass by a series of ads for Maxwell's Plum, promoting themselves as "beer heaven". Things like "sinners welcome" or "145 kinds of beer on tap. This is what heaven must be like".
And "Hallelujah! Praise Jesus and pass the beer."
When I saw the last one, I stopped, and read it over a few times. I was genuinely offended.
Now, it's not that I haven't used the word Hallelujah in vain, so to speak. I have said Hallelujah and Praise Jesus when looking for keys (and finding them) having a shit, stubbing my toe (ironically there) and seeing a girl I thought was attractive.
In fact, I remember one time on a bus full of a Pentecostal Youth Group, singing an altered version of "Look what the Lord has done" in reference to a girl all the boys thought was very pretty.
So why did this bother me?
Well, I think part of it is my protectiveness of Evangelicals.
Yes, I know, it sounds strange. I have left Evangelicalism behind, and counsel others to stay away. Despite this, I feel the general public misunderstand Evangelicals. They have become an easy target for distain and mocking. When I see or hear that, I feel as if my heritage, my family, and my previous experiences are mocked as well.
It's more than that though.
I went on a "Hallelujah" binge a while back. Leonard Cohen wrote a song with that name[LISTEN], and it has been covered a whole wack of times. Most notable was Jeff Buckley, whose version is Leonard Cohen's personal favourite.[LISTEN] Buckley uses a more plaintive voice, that has more range, and according to critics, suits the song better.
There are two versions of the lyrics as well. Cohen's recorded version here is the revised version. Buckley chose the original.
As I was listening to it over and over and over, these lines stood out:
"...love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah"
And then later:
"Maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah"
It jsut so happened that, while I was in the midst of this binge, I was thinking about "Love" and what that word really means. And I was quite happy with Cohen's definition.
Love isn't triumphant and bright. It's cold and broken.
And maybe when I saw Maxwell's Plum's crass sign, I felt that my discovery of Love had somehow sullied.
And "Hallelujah! Praise Jesus and pass the beer."
When I saw the last one, I stopped, and read it over a few times. I was genuinely offended.
Now, it's not that I haven't used the word Hallelujah in vain, so to speak. I have said Hallelujah and Praise Jesus when looking for keys (and finding them) having a shit, stubbing my toe (ironically there) and seeing a girl I thought was attractive.
In fact, I remember one time on a bus full of a Pentecostal Youth Group, singing an altered version of "Look what the Lord has done" in reference to a girl all the boys thought was very pretty.
So why did this bother me?
Well, I think part of it is my protectiveness of Evangelicals.
Yes, I know, it sounds strange. I have left Evangelicalism behind, and counsel others to stay away. Despite this, I feel the general public misunderstand Evangelicals. They have become an easy target for distain and mocking. When I see or hear that, I feel as if my heritage, my family, and my previous experiences are mocked as well.
It's more than that though.
I went on a "Hallelujah" binge a while back. Leonard Cohen wrote a song with that name[LISTEN], and it has been covered a whole wack of times. Most notable was Jeff Buckley, whose version is Leonard Cohen's personal favourite.[LISTEN] Buckley uses a more plaintive voice, that has more range, and according to critics, suits the song better.
There are two versions of the lyrics as well. Cohen's recorded version here is the revised version. Buckley chose the original.
As I was listening to it over and over and over, these lines stood out:
"...love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah"
And then later:
"Maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah"
It jsut so happened that, while I was in the midst of this binge, I was thinking about "Love" and what that word really means. And I was quite happy with Cohen's definition.
Love isn't triumphant and bright. It's cold and broken.
And maybe when I saw Maxwell's Plum's crass sign, I felt that my discovery of Love had somehow sullied.
posted by deadwriter at 12:59 a.m.
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