The Many Lives of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’: How a Seemingly Carnal Song Has Now Even Become a Christmas Perennial (Book Excerpt)

variety.com:

Alan Light If Leonard Cohen built a tower of just one song, it was “Hallelujah” — the subject of a film that hits theaters in July,  “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song.” That documentary is inspired by music journalist Alan Light’s much-acclaimed book, “The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of ‘Hallelujah’,” originally published in 2012 and being reissued June 7 with substantial additions that have Light bringing the history of one of the 20th century’s most remarkably enduring songs forward into its arguably most impactful years yet.In this excerpt from the afterward, exclusive to Variety, Light explores some of the unlikely lives that “Hallelujah” has taken on in recent years — starting with its adaptation into a country song, and especially focusing on how it’s become a favorite pick for singers to include on their Christmas albums, as a holiday hymn… quite a contrast to the more carnal connotations that many associate with the original lyrics. (Pre-order the new edition of Light’s book here.) Our excerpt has Light picking up the song’s story in the 2010s:“Hallelujah” continued making inroads into other genres of music.

Country stars LeAnn Rimes, Brett Young, and Wynonna all performed the song. The night after Leonard Cohen’s death was announced, Keith Urban played it alone, with his acoustic guitar, at a Nashville concert; on his Facebook page, Urban posted the clip with the caption “RIP Leonard.