This past weekend, along with countless other nerds, lemmings and unwilling significant others, I watched ""Watchmen."" Although most of my thoughts about the movie are uninteresting and vague, one particular gripe stands out: the song selection for the sex scene. I am not alone in this complaint, either. Many reviewers, including The Daily Cardinal's own Danny Gottlieb, agree that Zach Snyder & Co. would be hard pressed to find a more cliché, awkward or disappointing choice than Leonard Cohen's original recording of ""Hallelujah.""
My first exposure to ""Hallelujah"" was Rufus Wainwright's recording from the ""Shrek"" soundtrack. Rufus' version is no longer my favorite, but the hypnotic power of the music and the majestic, broken lyrics captured me the instant I heard the song. After listening to the song on repeat for almost an hour, I found the nearest piano and sat down with my Walkman until I could play the song myself. I felt compelled to make this song mine. I needed to feel the music coming from me.
Apparently, this impulse is not unique to me. Everyone, from Bon Jovi to Regina Spektor, from Bono to Paramore, from kd lang to Imogen Heap, has made a version of this song. It has been used in myriad movies and TV shows, including ""Lord of War,"" ""The West Wing,"" ""ER,"" ""House M.D.,"" ""Scrubs,"" ""Without a Trace,"" ""The O.C."" and even an episode of ""Dateline.""
Jason Castro from ""American Idol"" and Alexandra Burke from Britain's ""The X-Factor,"" a reality show similar to ""Idol,"" both performed the song, with Burke eventually riding it to the top of the charts in the UK and Ireland. Jeff Buckley's interpretation, perhaps the version most responsible for its prevalence, made ""Greatest Songs"" lists in both Rolling Stone and Q Magazine.
The endless list of covers was even the subject of a BBC Radio Documentary, ""The Fourth, The Fifth, The Minor Fall.""
The documentary, perhaps in light of the lyrics' heavy dependence on religious language and imagery, suggested that ""Hallelujah"" be treated not as a pop hit, but rather as a modern-day hymn. The simple musical structure, the powerful lyrics, even the lack of a definitive popular version, all work to create the same personal and communal dichotomy common to liturgical music. Personal memories echo the theme of problems in relationships, but the universality of relationship problems remind us that we aren't alone in our brokenness. Being reminded of this in the movie, in recording, and in concert makes ""Hallelujah"" more than a hit, more than a cover, perhaps even more than just a song.
Maybe that is why its placement in ""Watchmen"" was so frustrating. ""Hallelujah"" is not a bad song. It wasn't that Cohen's version is bad, although few would place it atop the list of versions. It isn't even the problem of overusing a great work of art, like Beethoven's ""Für Elise,"" or Van Gogh's ""Starry Night."" Something about the usage was too obvious, too clichéd. It pinched the same nerve that the mad lib-tastic ""Across The Universe"" stepped on for two hours. It made me angry. This music, this art, needs to be protected from these commercializing, trivializing bastards. This song deserves a subtle, careful setting, where the qualities specific to each performance can be sampled and appreciated.
But perhaps that is the unfortunate corollary to the communal nature of art. Not only can anyone make something beautiful, anyone can make something beautiful crass.
Ever have a song that you listened to for an hour straight and then learned on the piano before doing anything else? Tell Dale about it at dpmundt@wisc.edu
