The complicated legend of Leonard Cohen’s most famous song

Largely ignored following its release on Leonard Cohen’s 1984 album Various Positions, ‘Hallelujah’ took a long, winding road to become a modern-day anthem.

The song’s unlikely ascent underpins new documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song, in which directors Dayna Goldfine and Daniel Geller take a deep-dive into the life and legacy of the late Canadian musician, poet and novelist.

The documentary opens with footage of Cohen’s last ever live performance in Auckland in 2013, Goldfine says.

“We got that footage at the very tail end of our editing process. Robert Kory, the head of the Cohen estate and also Leonard’s long-time manager, his honest manager who took over after he was ripped off, gave us that footage towards the end of our editing, It really allowed us, we think, to open in this incredibly compelling way because to see Leonard's last moment on stage singing 'Hallelujah' I find it incredible.”

Cohen was famously reluctant to perform, making his late career renaissance as a touring, high-grossing juggernaut all the more surprising.

A musical contemporary, Judy Collins, recounts in the documentary how Cohen was terrified of performing, Geller says.

“He was not confident as a singer, as a guitar player. And she begged him and pushed him out on stage quite literally, pushed him back out on stage when he ran off at a benefit performance that featured a whole roster of amazing artists.

“He claimed his guitar was out of tune, but admitted that it was just nerves, but it that almost pushed him over the transom at that point to take more seriously his possibility as a recording artist.”

Collins also describes Cohen as “dangerous” in the film, Geller says.

“I think that she knew he was infinitely alluring with his smouldering looks and a sense of reserve, his dry wit and a poet's deep, seductive soul and that he would not be someone who would hang around for too long or become a lifelong partner.”

Cohen had numerous relationships with women but was no Lothario, Geller says.

“He was a wandering soul.”

He revered women, says Goldfine

“For a man who did have many, many, many relationships with women, he did get away with it in interesting ways. No one ever raised a fist at him and said I wish I'd never seen you or at least, no one that we've come across.

“I think that he made women feel good about themselves somehow.”

The documentary looks at Cohen’s life through the prism of what has become his most famous song, a song which took him many years to write.

Cohen was in love with French photographer Dominique Issermann when he wrote the song, Goldfine says.

 “Hallelujah was written, quite a bit of it was written, in Dominique’s studio, so we were trying to get at what he was like as an artist, who was grappling with his craft, and with that song in particular.

“Because that song, is so much about the carnal wedded with the spiritual. We felt like it was important to address Leonard Cohen as he was, as he was falling in love, and maybe indicate how that aspect of his life was inflicting on his ability or struggle to write Hallelujah.”

When the song finally emerged on the Various Positions album his label boss Walter Yetnikoff was not impressed, and refused to release it in the US.

“He [Yetnikoff] told Leonard, ‘We know you're great, but we don't know if you're any good’,” Geller says.

Nevertheless, the song crept out in to the world through various cover versions.

Bob Dylan played it live on a number of occasions and John Cale recorded a version in 1991 for an album of Cohen covers.

“He had heard him on that 1988 tour singing 'Hallelujah'. And I don't think that he realised that there was a king David Version because of course, Various Positions, the album, was pretty hard to find, especially in the States.

“But he decided that he wanted to be the artist that was going to cover 'Hallelujah' on the compilation album called I'm Your Fan.”

It was Jeff Buckley’s version that took the song to a huge audience, Geller says.

“Cale’s version on I’m Your Fan was beautiful, but that wasn't a huge hit, it's not like it went onto the top 40 radio or anything.”

Cale’s arrangement reframed the song but Buckley’s voice soared, says Goldfine.

“It needed John Cale to rearrange it and indeed his arrangement is really the one that's mostly covered, but then I think it also needed Jeff, to bring his unbelievable voice to it.”

A certain lonely green monster also played a part, Geller says, as it was featured in Shrek.

Goldfine and Geller both have favourite versions of the song.

Cale’s version, which is so beautiful and lean and just John and the piano, it's gorgeous.

“Jeff Buckley's incredible guitar arpeggio opening, which is in some ways a unique invention for the song, the way he introduces the song musically, is not part of what the song was written to be but it's beautiful in its own right,” says Geller.

Foe Goldfine it is Cohen’s own live versions over the years.

“My personal favourite was the Leonard Cohen in his 70s when he goes back out on the road, and you see him stepping out into the centre of that stage getting to his knees and starting to sing this song that means so much not just to him, but to everyone out in the world that's probably ever heard it, certainly to the audience that night, whatever he's singing it.

“That's the version of Hallelujah that I think I'm most compelled by.”

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song is screening as part of the NZ International Film Festival. Head over here for details.