LEONARD COHEN, PRINCE OF ASTURIAS AWARD FOR WRITERS

Here you have some of the jewels sung by Leonard Cohen, who has won the Principe de Asturias  de las letras Award for writers. Some of his best songs were inspired by Federico Garcia Lorca, and his lyrics are really moving.

This is one of my favourites. Do you think it's a sad song? What it is about?

Another of my favourite songs, the "Hallelujah" was written by Leonard Cohen, and then Bon Jovi sang it, and it was used in the film "Shrek". The lyrics are a bit changed and the meaning of the real poem gets a bit lost. Enjoy it:

This is the lyrics by Leonard Cohen:

Now I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you

To a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain

I don't even know the name

But if I did, well really, what's it to you?

There's a blaze of light

In every word

It doesn't matter which you heard

The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch

I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

And even though

It all went wrong

I'll stand before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah

To understand the meaning of the poem you may find useful to look at the life of King David and Bethsheba from the Bible. Why did they lose their power?And why did they sing Hallelujah to the Lord?