Christian rockers Cloverton gave Leonard Cohen's timeless classic "Hallelujah" a Christmas makeover last year and the result is a truly moving cover. The boys take Cohen's iconic melody and infuse it with lyrics chronicling the birth of Jesus Christ. Regardless of your religious orientation, this song hits an emotional chord as vocalist Lance Stafford gives it his all.
"A star shown bright up in the east / To Bethlehem, the wisemen three / Came many miles and journeyed long for You," he sings in the video below. "And to the place at which You were / Their frankincense and gold and myrrh / They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah." The band creates a powerful soundscape with just a piano, guitar, cello and some muffled percussion. Check it out below.
Cohen's 1984 tune has been covered by the likes of Willie Nelson, Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Buckley. Buckley's 1994 version may be the best-known version, having been used in a variety of TV and movies. It was released as a single in 2007.
Alan Light wrote a book about the famous song in 2012 titled The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley, and the Unlikely Ascent of "Hallelujah." At the end of the book, Light wrote, "It's a bit surprising that no one has created a devastating 'Hallelujah' parody yet. You would think that after all this time, and no shortage of ludicrous usages, there's an opportunity for comedy - maybe not the full 'Weird Al' Yankovic treatment, but at least a gentle poke at its ubiquity . . . for now, though, the song still seems too sacred to spoof."
The author spoke a little too soon - Adam Sandler parodied the song soon after the book's release for the 12-12-12 concert to benefit victims of Hurricane Sandy.
