# How would you decode Hallelujah?



## JazzyT (Nov 1, 2017)

You know:

Well I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
*Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift*
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

My take: I will arbitrarily root things at G, for G*d:

xx5xxx

The fourth (of G):

xx55xx

The fifth:

xx553x -- Gsus! (Jesus, geddit?)

The minor fall -- the four pulls off to the m3:

xx533x -- (pull off, fall from grace)

The major lift -- make that a M3:

xx543x -- (hammer on)

Kinda bluesy, there, David.

*How would you decode it?*


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

When I have moments of doubt I defer to a higher power...

[video]


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

JazzyT said:


> Well it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth. The minor fall and the major lift


Your decoding of this is very fascinating. I don't know enough knowledge of music theory to understand /interpret what is meant and I have often wondered about these lyrics when I hear the song. Thanks for this post. 



JazzyT said:


> Gsus! (Jesus, geddit?)


Brilliant! 
Not wishing to offend the believers, but I had good laugh when I read it.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

I prety much decoded it exactly as you did @JazzyT , but I certainly didn't catch the Gsus part. Good catch. Cohen was absolutely brilliant.


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## JazzyT (Nov 1, 2017)

Dorian2 said:


> I prety much decoded it exactly as you did @JazzyT , but I certainly didn't catch the Gsus part. Good catch. Cohen was absolutely brilliant.


That is simply my horrible joke. Cohen was Jewish/Buddhist so I don't think he thought like that.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

JazzyT said:


> That is simply my horrible joke. Cohen was Jewish/Buddhist so I don't think he thought like that.


Oh haha. He may have done it for the song though, given its religious connotations. I'm basically a Catholic raised Atheist, so I get both sides of the idear. Doesn't make a bit of difference to me, it's a great play on words and ideas IMO. Great song too.


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## vokey design (Oct 24, 2006)

This song is very dear to my heart. It was performed at my Mothers funeral by two of her friends last December. Every time I hear it it brings me memories of a wonderful soul that has left us. 

There is some terrific performances on YouTube.


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## JazzyT (Nov 1, 2017)

vokey design said:


> This song is very dear to my heart. It was performed at my Mothers funeral by two of her friends last December. Every time I hear it it brings me memories of a wonderful soul that has left us.
> 
> There is some terrific performances on YouTube.


^^ Hallelujah "By Jeff Buckley"?!


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## vokey design (Oct 24, 2006)

JazzyT said:


> ^^ Hallelujah "By Jeff Buckley"?!


People cover his version of Cohen’s work. I didn’t name the video


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## JazzyT (Nov 1, 2017)

vokey design said:


> People cover his version of Cohen’s work. I didn’t name the video


I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at life *#*(


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## bw66 (Dec 17, 2009)




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## JazzyT (Nov 1, 2017)

But would the "secret" chord be played in the song?


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

bw66 said:


>


Meh...that's just the literal translation. Kinda boring and ho hum. Too theorycentric for real rockers.


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## vokey design (Oct 24, 2006)

JazzyT said:


> I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at life *#*(


I know the feeling, then I will share this one with proper credit given in the title  another favorite of mine.


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