I am reading the blub in a recently purchased CD, where it reads,quote: "You will hear, perhaps, that '**********' was recently chosen as the greatest Canadian song of all time..........'

This is not a Gordon Lighfoot CD, this is not a Gordon Lighfoot song.

Just who is this guy who wrote the 'greatest Canadian song of all time'? And what is the song?

This blub was written in 2002, by Pico Iyer??

I am reading the blub in a recently purchased CD, where it reads,quote: "You will hear, perhaps, that '**********' was recently chosen as the greatest Canadian song of all time..........'

This is not a Gordon Lighfoot CD, this is not a Gordon Lighfoot song.

Just who is this guy who wrote the 'greatest Canadian song of all time'? And what is the song?

This blub was written in 2002, by Pico Iyer??

Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". See lyrics at http://www.reallyrics.com/lyrics/L001200040021.asp

Chacun a son gout, I guess.

Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". See lyrics at http://www.reallyrics.com/lyrics/L001200040021.asp

Chacun a son gout, I guess.

You are right, of course Annie, the lyrics you refer to are from Leonards 1984 album Various Positions. However he did another version on his 1994 album Cohen Live. Lyrics below. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

Baby, I've been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

Yeah and I've seen your flag

On the marble arch

But this love, love is not some kind of a victory march

No, it's a cold and it's a very broken Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halellujah


There was a time you let me know

What's really going on below

Ah but now you never show it to me, do you?

Yeah but I remember

Yeah when I moved in you

And the holy dove she was moving too

Yes and every single breath that we drew was Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah


Maybe there's a God above

As for me all I ever seem to learn from love

Is how to shot at someone who outdrew you

Yeah but it's not a complaint

That you hear tonight

It's not a laughter of someone who claims to have seen the light

No, it's a cold and it's a very lonely Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch

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

Yeah and even though

It all went wrong

I'll stand right here before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You are right, of course Annie, the lyrics you refer to are from Leonards 1984 album Various Positions. However he did another version on his 1994 album Cohen Live. Lyrics below. http://www.corfid.com/ubb/smile.gif

Baby, I've been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

Yeah and I've seen your flag

On the marble arch

But this love, love is not some kind of a victory march

No, it's a cold and it's a very broken Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Halellujah


There was a time you let me know

What's really going on below

Ah but now you never show it to me, do you?

Yeah but I remember

Yeah when I moved in you

And the holy dove she was moving too

Yes and every single breath that we drew was Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah


Maybe there's a God above

As for me all I ever seem to learn from love

Is how to shot at someone who outdrew you

Yeah but it's not a complaint

That you hear tonight

It's not a laughter of someone who claims to have seen the light

No, it's a cold and it's a very lonely Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I learned to touch

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

Yeah and even though

It all went wrong

I'll stand right here before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Leonard Cohen is a great songwriter, perhaps best known as the author of "Suzanne", an allegory of the Holy Spirit. "Hallelujah" is also a fine song, but it's probably been voted "greatest" because it showed up in the recent movie hit "Shrek", which my kids have only watched about 1000 times, both in English and in Spanish.
Be wary of any group that tries to pin the "greatest" label on anything--there's surely an agenda somewhere, or at the very least a lack of historical objectivity. When I was young, "Hey Jude" by the Beatles was universally acclaimed as the greatest song ever; of course, this judgement was made in 1968. I doubt that even the most die-hard Beatles fan would say now that no other song, including many others by the Beatles, was any better.
I listen to Lightfoot every day, and can name a couple of dozen songs better than "Hallelujah" (again, taking nothing away from Leonard Cohen, who is wonderful)--CRT, DQ, HFTF, Restless, and many more.

Leonard Cohen is a great songwriter, perhaps best known as the author of "Suzanne", an allegory of the Holy Spirit. "Hallelujah" is also a fine song, but it's probably been voted "greatest" because it showed up in the recent movie hit "Shrek", which my kids have only watched about 1000 times, both in English and in Spanish.
Be wary of any group that tries to pin the "greatest" label on anything--there's surely an agenda somewhere, or at the very least a lack of historical objectivity. When I was young, "Hey Jude" by the Beatles was universally acclaimed as the greatest song ever; of course, this judgement was made in 1968. I doubt that even the most die-hard Beatles fan would say now that no other song, including many others by the Beatles, was any better.
I listen to Lightfoot every day, and can name a couple of dozen songs better than "Hallelujah" (again, taking nothing away from Leonard Cohen, who is wonderful)--CRT, DQ, HFTF, Restless, and many more.

Hallelujah has been recorded by so many people. My favorite version was by Jeff Buckley. That was an amazing combination of songwriter, arrangement and vocals. But I think that Cohen is best known as a songwriter. He's had so many songs recorded by other people; Famous Blue Raincoat, Bird on a Wire, Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy, Coming Back to You, Everybody Knows.

Cohen writes a different kind of lyric. I don't think he's better or worse than GL, just different. I've never been fond of him as a singer though, and there lies the difference for me. I could listen to Gordon's voice all day, but I can only take so much of Cohen singing Cohen.


quote:Originally posted by longriver:
Leonard Cohen is a great songwriter, perhaps best known as the author of "Suzanne", an allegory of the Holy Spirit. "Hallelujah" is also a fine song, but it's probably been voted "greatest" because it showed up in the recent movie hit "Shrek", which my kids have only watched about 1000 times, both in English and in Spanish.
Be wary of any group that tries to pin the "greatest" label on anything--there's surely an agenda somewhere, or at the very least a lack of historical objectivity. When I was young, "Hey Jude" by the Beatles was universally acclaimed as the greatest song ever; of course, this judgement was made in 1968. I doubt that even the most die-hard Beatles fan would say now that no other song, including many others by the Beatles, was any better.
I listen to Lightfoot every day, and can name a couple of dozen songs better than "Hallelujah" (again, taking nothing away from Leonard Cohen, who is wonderful)--CRT, DQ, HFTF, Restless, and many more.

Hallelujah has been recorded by so many people. My favorite version was by Jeff Buckley. That was an amazing combination of songwriter, arrangement and vocals. But I think that Cohen is best known as a songwriter. He's had so many songs recorded by other people; Famous Blue Raincoat, Bird on a Wire, Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy, Coming Back to You, Everybody Knows.

Cohen writes a different kind of lyric. I don't think he's better or worse than GL, just different. I've never been fond of him as a singer though, and there lies the difference for me. I could listen to Gordon's voice all day, but I can only take so much of Cohen singing Cohen.


quote:Originally posted by longriver:
Leonard Cohen is a great songwriter, perhaps best known as the author of "Suzanne", an allegory of the Holy Spirit. "Hallelujah" is also a fine song, but it's probably been voted "greatest" because it showed up in the recent movie hit "Shrek", which my kids have only watched about 1000 times, both in English and in Spanish.
Be wary of any group that tries to pin the "greatest" label on anything--there's surely an agenda somewhere, or at the very least a lack of historical objectivity. When I was young, "Hey Jude" by the Beatles was universally acclaimed as the greatest song ever; of course, this judgement was made in 1968. I doubt that even the most die-hard Beatles fan would say now that no other song, including many others by the Beatles, was any better.
I listen to Lightfoot every day, and can name a couple of dozen songs better than "Hallelujah" (again, taking nothing away from Leonard Cohen, who is wonderful)--CRT, DQ, HFTF, Restless, and many more.

bob dylan played live in 1988 a few times as well

I was alive in 1988, does that count?

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restless shadows

I was alive in 1988, does that count?

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restless shadows

no